Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) is pleased to announce that it has promoted eight lawyers to counsel.
They are:
Nerina Erasmus – Corporate
Nerina’s practice focuses on domestic and cross-border M&A, joint ventures, and private equity transactions, with particular expertise in the energy and infrastructure sectors.
She is dual-qualified in England & Wales and South Africa.
Valentina Keys - Environment, Health & Safety
She also specialises in providing stand-alone regulatory advice to companies on the management
Valentina’s practice focuses on a broad range of environment, health, safety, and decarbonisation advice (including on the impact of maritime decarbonisation laws such as CII, EEXI, MARPOL, EU ETS, and FEMREG), defending against environmental prosecutions and health and safety actions, carbon trading contracts, nature-based solutions projects, and non-financial reporting.
She also specialises in providing stand-alone regulatory advice to companies on the management and apportionment of environmental risk in cross-border corporate and financing transactions.
Jan Mommsen – Assets & Structured Finance, Maritime
Jan specialises in finance, including asset financing and restructuring, primarily in the maritime space where he advises both domestic and international banks and financial institutions.
He has experience in advising on sale-and-lease-back shipping transactions, restructuring loans, and high-value shipping portfolio acquisitions.
Arianna Neri – Corporate
Arianna specialises in M&A, commercial contracts, and dispute resolution matters, with a notable focus on the energy, biotech, and emerging technology sectors, including AI.
She regularly provides mentoring and support to startup programmes at leading Italian universities and business incubators, as well as working with them on various other activities.
Tram Nguyen – Projects, Energy and Infrastructure
Tram has extensive experience in the energy sector, covering both conventional and renewable energy
With over 15 years of experience, Tram specialises in project banking and finance. She regularly advises government entities, international sponsors, major multinational lenders, and foreign investors in Vietnam.
Tram has extensive experience in the energy sector, covering both conventional and renewable energy.
Christian Orton – Assets & Structured Finance, Aviation
Christian acts for clients on a wide range of complex financing matters including asset, project, and corporate finance transactions and related restructurings.
His asset finance practice focuses on the aviation and maritime sectors where he represents lenders, lessors, charterers, investors, and operators on structured financing, leasing, chartering, and purchase and sales arrangements. His project finance practice focuses on energy and power infrastructure where he represents international and Japanese clients.
Sylvia Shi – Dispute Resolution, Maritime
She also regularly advises leasing houses and banks on contractual and transactional risks in ship finance
Sylvia has extensive experience in the maritime sector where she frequently handles dispute resolution and insurance matters including P&I, FD&D claims, and marine casualties, as well as representing shipowners, operators, and charterers in international arbitrations.
She also regularly advises leasing houses and banks on contractual and transactional risks in ship finance projects.
Charlotte Williams – Real Estate, Energy
Charlotte handles all aspects of commercial property, including lettings (acting for both landlords and corporate occupiers), development work, and secured lending.
She has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the energy sector advising developers, investors, and banks on the property aspects and land agreements required for renewable energy projects such as onshore and offshore wind farms, solar parks, and battery storage.
Depth of legal talent
Managing Partner Lindsey Keeble commented, “I am delighted to see eight such talented lawyers promoted to counsel."
"Their impressive and varied expertise, alongside that of our recently promoted partners, highlights the quality and depth of legal talent at WFW across our core sectors of energy, infrastructure, and transport."
