Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw’s (MBR&M) London-based securitisation team seriously dented the magic circle’s domination of the market when it won its first instruction from ABN Amro.

It advised the Dutch investment bank on the high-profile North Sea funding programme, which combined asset-backed commercial paper and collateralised debt obligation (CDO) technology. The lead partner was MBR&M’s securitisation star Mark Nicolaides, who has played a key role in developing and enhancing the firm’s securitisation status in Europe.

Nicolaides’ expertise stretches across a range of financial divisions, including capital markets, high-yield debt and MBOs. He has also put his financial knowledge to use in the corporate field, especially in the telecommunications sector.

Nicolaides has been based in Europe since the 1980s, enjoying spells in MBR&M’s Belgian and German offices. In addition, as outside counsel to the European Securitisation Forum, he is closely involved in the implementation of Basel II.