This is Allens

I started my career as an engineer, and while I quickly decided engineering wasn't for me and moved on to law, the engineering mindset has stuck with me. Engineers approach complex problems by breaking them down into smaller bite-sized components, solving for each element separately and packaging the solutions together in a cohesive way. I approach complex legal problems in the same manner.

I work with private credit/non-bank lenders and investors to design and execute funding solutions through structured techniques, primarily securitisation. I also help credit funds deploy capital against assets that wouldn’t otherwise meet their return targets through various forms of back-leverage.

Investors hold a lot of capital, and they're having to be more creative about how they deploy it because the assets they're targeting aren’t always available. By applying structured finance techniques, I work with investors to transform 'available assets' into something that meets their investment criteria.

It’s a space that’s evolving quickly, and we’re seeing significant convergence between traditional securitisation and fund finance techniques. I expect more of this in the years ahead.

I love the pace and the pressure of my job. I’m a deal junkie - I like being deep in a transaction for a few months, knowing it inside out, and then moving on to the next challenge. These are often high-stakes deals that can be transformative for a business. There’s a real buzz in helping clients navigate that.

When I work with clients, I want to be as user-friendly as possible. I strive to be clear in the way I communicate, both in day-to-day matter management and in delivering formal advice. My approach to drafting advice documents is to be as logical and simple as possible. One benefit of a background in engineering is a familiarity with computer coding – there's a certain cleanliness in coding that can be carried across to contracts.

As a deal junkie, I love the challenge of breaking new ground and working on novel transactions, and I'm privileged that my practice area is dynamic and my clients are adventurous. But even the most vanilla transactions can be nerve-wracking for clients because, for example, structured finance may be new to them or because the business has so much riding on the outcome. Generally, my team has seen the issues before and can give clients the assurance of our experience, and if we haven’t seen the issue, we are able to draw on the wealth of knowledge within the firm and our colleagues within the industry generally. Because of this solutions-oriented approach, clients often lean on us heavily and we can assist them to clearly understand the issues, the options available and to move forward with confidence.  

Client focus is core to my practice - at the end of the day, good client service is all about communication and trust. Delivering what you say you’ll deliver, when you say you’ll deliver it. Managing expectations. Being available. And helping clients feel confident they’re in good hands.