K&L Gates Adds Restructuring and Insolvency Partner in London

London – Global law firm K&L Gates LLP welcomes Sonya Van de Graaff as a partner in its Finance practice. She joins the firm’s London office from Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP.

Van de Graaff brings a wealth of experience in English law and cross-border restructuring transactions, as well as distressed debt, and non-performing loan auctions.

Van de Graaff advises stakeholders across the capital structure in these markets. In particular, her restructuring experience includes leveraged finance structures, a broad range of structured products, and financial institutions and sovereign states.

Van de Graaff served as a member of the council for the Insolvency Lawyers Association (UK) since 2017, most recently serving as President until 2023, when she was an active member of its technical committee.

She participated in the United Nations working group (UNCITRAL) that developed a model international insolvency law for the recognition of insolvency-related judgments and for the coordination of corporate group insolvencies.

“We are delighted to welcome Sonya to the firm,” said Paul Callegari, managing partner of K&L Gates’ London office. “Sonya joining us increases and broadens our distressed debt capabilities in a market poised to see a take off in refinancings and restructuring. Sonya will add to our London capabilities and further enhances the growth in our Finance practice across our European offices more generally.”

Van de Graaff’s arrival follows the addition of several new partners who have joined the firm’s global Finance practice this year, including Andrea Spellerberg in Munich, Torsten Limberg in Frankfurt, Chiara Anceschi and her team in Milan, Claudine Salameh in Sydney, and Duc Nguyen and Samuel Kolehmainen in Singapore.

“Sonya is an exceptional lawyer with broad-based workout, turnaround, and special situations experience,” said Stacy Ackermann, leader of K&L Gates’ global Finance practice. “London is a key market for our global client base, and Sonya’s addition will strengthen our English law finance and restructuring offerings. We are especially excited for the expanded client service we will bring to our financial institution, private credit fund, turnaround specialist, and corporate trustee clients given Sonya’s extensive experience representing these market participants.”

K&L Gates’ global Finance practice integrates the many disciplines involved in financing and restructuring transactions across markets and industries around the globe. With lawyers in offices across Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and South America, the practice maintains a balance between buy-side and sell-side representation in its work on behalf of lenders, borrowers, servicers, collateral managers, trustees, rating agencies, investors, and other participants in a wide array of financing transactions.