Apostolos Gkoutzinis and Rebecca Marques bring deep expertise in high-yield debt financings
Mr. Gkoutzinis is one of the leading capital markets lawyers in Europe, best known for his expertise in complex high-yield transactions and high-profile mandates in relation to the Greek financial and banking system. He also has one of the best-known corporate bond issuance practices in Europe. He has particular experience in high-yield debt financings, refinancings and leveraged buyouts for companies, private equity sponsors and investment banks. He is also known for his expertise in a broad range of liability management, restructuring and equity transactions. In Greece, where he maintains one of the most highly regarded international legal practices, Mr. Gkoutzinis has acted on a long list of major international IPOs, high-yield offerings and complex financial restructurings and recapitalizations since 2005. He was named Finance Lawyer of the Year in 2015 for his work on the recapitalization of the Greek banking system and was included in the “40 Rising Stars in the legal profession under 40” by Financial News in the same year.
Ms. Marques brings a wealth of expertise to Milbank across a range of international securities transactions representing issuers, sponsors and underwriters. Her practice spans a wide range of experience in high-yield debt offerings for corporates and leveraged buyouts, international capital markets transactions as well as liability management.
“London has been a significant driver in the growth and success of the firm. Apostolos and Rebecca are two more stellar additions to our London office following our announcement of the addition of four financial restructuring partners, further enhancing our ambitions in London and globally to provide our clients access to unrivalled depth and breadth in complex finance and financial restructuring matters. We are also excited to now be able to offer our clients one of the most distinguished Greek practices of all international law firms. We are delighted to welcome Apostolos and Rebecca to the firm,” said Scott A. Edelman, Chairman of Milbank.
Marcelo Mottesi, head of Milbank’s Global Capital Markets Group, added: “Apostolos and Rebecca will be great assets to our firm. With Apostolos and Rebecca on board, we will establish one of the premier pan-European and transatlantic capital markets offerings in London. We are delighted to welcome them to our team and look forward to providing our clients with a best-in-market offering with unparalleled expertise on both sides of the Atlantic.”
“In recent years, Milbank has played a key role in advising on some of the largest and most complex capital markets and leveraged finance deals. Adding Apostolos and Rebecca broadens our existing market-leading capabilities in London and the US,” said Marc Hanrahan, global chair of the firm’s Leveraged Finance Group.
“Combining Apostolos and Rebecca’s market-leading capital markets practice, especially in high-yield offerings, with our existing leveraged finance practice will establish a best-in-class offering for our clients across loans and bonds,” added Suhrud Mehta, co-managing partner of Milbank’s London office. “Our existing finance offering has a track record advising on some of the markets’ most innovative and complex cross-border transactions. With Apostolos and Rebecca joining us in London, we will be able to offer our finance clients unrivalled breadth and depth to our pan-European and transatlantic finance offering.”
“Milbank, in my view, has one of the leading integrated international finance practices across leveraged finance, capital markets, structured finance, projects and complex credit products,” said Mr. Gkoutzinis. “The firm’s outstanding reputation in finance strongly resonates with me, and Rebecca and I look forward to joining their fantastic team and to harnessing the firm’s global platform and resources.”
Mr. Gkoutzinis joins Milbank from Shearman & Sterling, where he was Head of European Capital Markets. He earned his LL.M. from Harvard Law School and a Ph.D. and LL.M. from the University of London, and his LL.B. from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Ms. Marques also joins from Shearman & Sterling. She earned both her J.D. and LL.M. from Duke University School of Law.
Milbank’s Leveraged Finance and Capital Markets practice is recognized globally as one of the few truly integrated providers of cross-border legal advice across the capital structure, with a longstanding tradition of advising on high-profile and “first-of-a kind” financings. Milbank’s team is consistently ranked #1 by leading industry journals including IFLR, Euromoney, Chambers and Legal 500.
