Education

  • Lancaster University, LLM (1999) First Class Honors
  • College of Law, London, LPC (2000)

Admissions

  • Solicitor, England and Wales

Jennifer J. Kafcas

Partner
jkafcas@crowell.com
+44.20.7154.4870

Seven major investment banks, which routinely consult Jennifer Kafcas — and certain of them on an exclusive basis — value and trust Jennifer and her team on all aspects of derivatives law practice across all major asset classes. Having worked on some of the most high-profile transactions in the Asian, European, UK, U.S., and Latin American markets, she brings strong market intelligence and structuring advice to any transaction. 

Clients value the work and constant attention Jennifer has with respect to their businesses, and in particular a major investment banking client was quoted in the Legal 500, noting that Jennifer and her team are “the best on the street by far…always timely, proactive and commercial.” 

Jennifer has over 20 years’ experience representing major investment banks and private equity funds with respect to derivatives products, whether as a stand-alone transaction or an integral part of a leveraged finance, a high-yield bond issuance, M&A, a project, or an infrastructure transaction, including on a finance-linked or deal-contingent basis. She heads up the London Derivatives team, which is one of the only go-to full-service derivatives practices for finance-linked swap and deal-contingent transactions in the market. The team is unique in that not only does it advise on the derivatives aspects of the transaction, it advises with respect to (a) finance-linked swap transactions and the underlying financing documentation; and (b) deal-contingent transactions on regulatory, antitrust, and other deal closing conditions in infrastructure/projects and M&A corporate transactions through the “DC lens.” In each case, this allows clients to take a holistic view of the transactions and make a proper analysis of risk and deal certainty within the context of a derivatives instrument.

Jennifer is a regular participant on International Swaps and Derivatives Association committees and was a market trailblazer with respect to LIBOR replacement, writing more than 38 articles and blogs on the subject.


Affiliations

Professional Activities and Memberships

  • Member, ISDA
  • Member, AFME High Yield Intercreditor Committee
  • Member, Committee on European Insolvency Reform
  • Member, European Leveraged Finance Association

Representative Matters

  • Advised a major investment bank in its capacity as mandated hedge provider in relation to the financing aspects of a £4.2 billion acquisition. The deal was one of the largest European private equity buyouts since the coronavirus pandemic.
  • Advised a major investment bank in connection with a complex deal contingent transaction in relating to a take private transaction of a consortium of private equity funds’ £1.4 billion recommended cash offer for a major PLC.
  • Advised major investment bank in its capacity as hedge coordinator on two finance packages worth approximately EUR 1 billion relating to the construction and maintenance of 15 stations on the Barcelona Metro.
  • Advised a major financial institution with respect to its LIBOR remediation process as a result of the discountenance of LIBOR.
  • Advised a major US bank in connection with its commodity trading business lines worth $750m.
  • Advised a major investment bank in structuring complex deal contingent derivative product in connection with €1.6bn investment in a wind farm in Germany.
  • Advised a major investment bank in structuring a complex deal contingent derivative product in connection with the acquisition finance for a major Portuguese fibre business valued at €630m.

Publications


Client Alerts & Newsletters


Press Coverage


Firm News & Announcements

December 6, 2021 Market-Leading Derivatives Team Further Expands Crowell & Moring’s Financial Services Practice