Samantha Hutchinson

Cadwalader

One of two fund finance leads in Cadwalader’s City office, Samantha Hutchinson is at the top of her game in a little-known enclave of the finance world. In her first full year as a Cadwalader partner (she moved across from Dentons near the end of 2018), she advised on 55 financings with a combined value of $23bn (£13.6bn).

Last year saw Hutchinson work on a ground-breaking transaction with Investec, Palamon Capital Partners and Pomona Capital, which took the form of a back-levered preferred equity financing that created extra liquidity for investors, without the need for additional leverage. A first in the European market, this drove down the costs of the preferred equity instrument, making the returns more attractive for Palamon and Pomona.

Co-leading a team of nine City fee-earners exclusively focused on fund finance, Hutchinson further advised on a $7bn capital call for a private equity manager and $125m general partner financing, as appetite for innovative financing deals shows no sign of slowing down.

Hutchinson is predicting further growth over 2020, with the market buoyant and investors increasingly open to a whole range of new and exciting funding products.