Sullivan
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Biography

Daniela is co-leader of Sullivan's Trade & Export Finance Practice Group. She advises across the full range of trade, commodities and export finance structures, acting for banks and non-bank financial institutions, development finance institutions, export credit agencies and other multilateral organisations as well as borrowers, sponsors and exporters.

Daniela has substantive knowledge of supply chain finance techniques, blended finance and export financing across the globe with a focus on emerging markets.

In 2024, Daniela was recognized as one of the outstanding women in the trade, treasury and payments industry by Trade Finance Global (TFG) in its annual Women in Trade, Treasury & Payments 2024 awards.

She is a member of the British Exporters’ Association’s governing Council.

Education
  • BPP University Law School
    • Graduate Diploma in Law
    • Legal Practice Course
  • University of Manchester (M.Sc)
  • Emory University (B.A.)
Bar & Court Admissions
  • Solicitor, Senior Courts of England and Wales
Awards & Honors
  • Recognised as a "Next Generation Partner" by The Legal 500 UK (2026)
Community Engagement
  • Member of the British Exporters’ Association’s governing Council
  • Daniela provides advocacy support to human trafficking victims
Languages
  • Italian
  • Spanish
Viewpoints
All Viewpoints
Could export credit agencies be agents for UK exporter confidence?
Daniela Barrdear, partner in Sullivan & Worcester’s Trade & Export Finance practice in London, has authored an article titled "Could export credit agencies be agents for UK exporter confidence?" published by Trade Finance Global (TFG) on March 2, 2026. The article looks at how: Export credit agencies can strengthen UK exporter confidence by providing guarantees, insurance and direct lending, making overseas contracts more competitive and financially secure. Despite offering valuable market intelligence and improved loan terms, ECAs remain under-utilised largely due to a lack of awareness among exporters and their banking partners. ECAs support not only major corporations but also medium-sized businesses and SMEs, aligning government growth priorities with the UK’s key strengths in services, IP and construction. The article can be read in full as a PDF or on the TFG website. In 2024, Daniela was recognised as one of the outstanding women in the trade, treasury and payments industry by TFG in its annual Women in Trade, Treasury & Payments 2024 awards. She is a member of the British Exporters’ Association’s governing Council.
Unlocking Scale: Can Supply Chain Finance Reach Its SME Tipping Point?
On July 15, Sullivan hosted, together with Trade Treasury Payments (TTP), the inaugural Breakfast Club seminar at The Lansdowne Club in London to discuss: Who can really grow supply chain finance, and how? Moderated by Geoffrey Wynne, Head of Trade and Export Finance at Sullivan, the panel included Parvaiz Dalal from Citi, Marco Nindl from the EBRD, Anthony Wadsworth-Hill from Mercore and Daniela Barrdear, partner at Sullivan. The discussion was introduced by Eleanor Hill, Treasury Editor at TTP, and centred around one of the sector’s most persistent dilemmas: despite decades of innovation, why has supply chain finance (SCF) failed to meaningfully close the SME trade finance gap? With SCF being a well established tool Geoffrey Wynne indicated that is the case – but only for some. He said, “The reality is you can only grow it so far if you only have a limited number of buyers.” The discussion explored how to scale SCF beyond large buyers into SME networks, with barriers ranging from digital readiness to legal complexity. While digitalisation promises faster onboarding, panellists noted that outdated compliance processes and misaligned mindsets still slow progress. Daniela Barrdear highlighted a less visible challenge: “It’s often not the lawyers who are the bottleneck. It’s the documents themselves,” with many SCF agreements remain a confusing mixture of different banks’ requirements and jurisdictions, creating delays and higher costs. Barrdear stressed that the solution is modernisation, not reinvention. She added: “There are industry templates already that can be updated. We don’t have to start from scratch. But we do need to have a conversation about what actually works operationally, not just legally,” she said. The full discussion – covering digitalisation, supplier onboarding and collaborative models – is available in TTP’s latest article and podcast which are accessible here.
Sullivan Advises Limak Construction on its Award-Winning ECA Financing
London – Sullivan & Worcester (Sullivan) has advised leading Turkish construction company Limak Construction on its award-winning export credit agency (ECA) financing arranged by Standard Chartered Bank and guaranteed by Swiss Export Risk Insurance SERV. This transaction won “Best ECA Syndicated Loan” at EMEA Finance's Achievement Awards in London. Sullivan continues to advise Limak Construction on its innovative ECA financings led out of London and Türkiye. The Sullivan team was led by partner Mark Norris, supported by partner Daniela Barrdear. About Sullivan Sullivan & Worcester (Sullivan) is a global law firm with lawyers in Boston, London, New York, Tel Aviv and Washington, D.C. Sullivan’s clients, including Fortune 500 companies, leading financial services firms and asset managers, boards of directors and emerging businesses, rely on Sullivan’s ability to navigate complex legal and operational landscapes, the judgment of its lawyers, and its commitment to best in class client service. For further information please visit the firm’s website or LinkedIn.
Sullivan & Worcester UK LLP Receives Top Ranking in The Legal 500 United Kingdom 2026 for Trade Finance
London, UK - Sullivan & Worcester UK LLP's Trade & Export Finance Practice has again received a Tier 1 ranking in the 2026 edition of The Legal 500 UK. This is the practice’s 12th top-tier ranking in a row from the leading independent annual legal directory. In addition to the firm’s ranking, Geoffrey Wynne, Simon Cook and Robert Parson were recognized in the 'Hall of Fame,' and Mark Norris was recognized as a 'Leading Partner.' Daniela Barrdear was recognized as a 'Next Generation Partner,' and Marian Boyle was recognized as a key member of the practice. Editorial comments from The Legal 500 UK 2026 regarding Sullivan’s trade & export finance practice include: The dedicated trade finance practice at Sullivan & Worcester LLP is 'very knowledgeable, practical and results-orientated.' The firm has one of the largest teams at partner level, with practice heads Geoffrey Wynne, Simon Cook and Mark Norris all being standout practitioners who garner praise from both clients and peers. Head of both the UK insurance and disputes practices, Marian Boyle is a key member of the trade finance group, as is newly promoted partner Daniela Barrdear, who acts for banks and non-bank financial institutions, development finance institutions (DFIs), multilateral organisations, and borrowers. Barrdear has in-depth knowledge of supply chain finance techniques, alongside blended finance and export finance matters, notably in emerging markets. She recently led a team that assisted EBRD with its unfunded risk participation in Türkiye's Akbank credit facility programme for Sok—a leading retailer in Türkiye. Clients appreciate the team’s seniority, noting that 'the number of years of experience translates into valuable insights and legal advice.' Robert Parson recently joined the firm from Squire Patton Boggs. Client testimonials published in The Legal 500 UK 2026 include: 'Very knowledgeable, practical and results orientated.' 'Marian Boyle - hugely experienced and with a refreshing lack of waffle. Cuts straight through to the real issues.' 'Sullivan & Worcester's niche export finance and trade finance practice is unique given their track record and partners' prolific experience in the export finance sector. The number of years of experience translates into valuable insights and legal advice ranging from plain vanilla to more structured export finance transactions. The significant advantage this law firm has over any other law firm in the City is that you get to work directly with the partners, whereas typical law firms would allocate junior talent to be the "front" legal adviser, which often does not give you as a client the service you deserve and more importantly that you pay for.' 'Mark Norris and Daniela Barrdear are outstanding, they make a very experienced and knowledgeable tandem. I find they stand out in their service provision, they really give you tailor-made legal advice truly caring about your needs as a customer and give you world class advice in a very niche business area—export finance that is. I value their transparency and their honesty and their business advice quality.' About Sullivan Sullivan & Worcester (Sullivan) is a global, mid-sized law firm with lawyers in Boston, London, New York, Tel Aviv and Washington, D.C. Sullivan's clients, including Fortune 500 companies, leading financial services firms and asset managers, boards of directors, real estate companies, and emerging businesses, rely on Sullivan's ability to navigate complex legal and operational landscapes, the impeccable judgment of its lawyers, and its commitment to best‑in‑class client service. In London, the office's market-leading and multiple award-winning trade finance practice is the premium provider of legal advice in relation to trade, export and commodity finance transactions to major trade finance banks and other financial institutions, funds, corporate borrowers, agents and trustees, and national and international organisations. The team's unique offering includes an integrated insurance and dispute resolution service handling both transactional and contentious instructions.