Biography: Banking

Lionel Shawe is a partner in the corporate department and head of the firm's banking and finance team. Lionel has a wealth of experience in banking, and according to the IFLR 1000 (a guide to the world's leading financial law firms), Lionel is regarded as 'probably the most prominent finance lawyer in South Africa' and the Legal 500, which provides the most comprehensive worldwide coverage currently available on legal service providers, describes him as an 'outstanding practitioner'. Lionel is rated in the first tier of South African banking and finance lawyers and South African capital markets lawyers by both IFLR1000 and Chambers Global. Chambers Global 2010 describes Lionel as the 'best banking, loans and acquisitions lawyer in the country' and also say that 'with Lionel you rarely need anyone else thanks to his excellent combined commercial expertise'. In addition, Lionel is highly rated for his tax expertise in the banking and finance area. He regularly advises domestic and international banking and finance clients on a range of complicated banking and finance transactions.

Lionel has significant expertise in mining financing transactions, aircraft financing transactions, acquisition and leveraged financing transactions, property financing transactions, preference share funding transactions, securitisation, capital markets and debt restructuring transactions. He has substantial experience and expertise in the complex area of derivatives (in particular credit derivatives). He is a recognised practitioner in the field of structured finance. Lionel has extensive experience in exchange- control issues and is regularly consulted for his knowledge of banking law regulations.

Other Practice Areas

Lionel Shawe also features in the following practice areas:

• Capital Markets