Geoffrey Wynne is head of Sullivan’s Trade & Export Finance Group and the firm's London office.
He has extensive experience in banking and finance, specifically in corporate and international finance, trade, structured trade and commodity finance, electronic banking and digitizing trade finance, structured finance, asset and project finance, syndicated lending, equipment leasing, workouts and financing restructuring and general commercial matters.
Recognised as one of the leading trade finance lawyers globally, Geoff advises many of the major trade finance banks and financial institutions around the world on trade and commodity transactions in virtually every emerging market including in the CIS, Asia, India, Africa and Latin America. He has worked on many structured trade transactions covering such diverse commodities as oil, nickel, steel, tobacco, cocoa and coffee.
Geoff also acts extensively for industry bodies including BAFT (the Bankers Association for Finance & Trade), ITFA (the International Trade and Forfaiting Association) and the ICC (the International Chamber of Commerce) on documentation and rules promulgated by them in trade finance.
He has recently been involved with issues including the ITFA White Paper on electronic Payment Undertakings (ePUs), the ICC Uniform Rules for Digital Trade Transactions (URDTT) and ITFA’s Uniform Rules for Transferable Electronic Payment Obligations (URTEPO). He worked with the Law Commission on the Electronic Trade Documents Bill which will help with the move towards digitizing trade documents.
The team which Geoff leads has won numerous awards and recognition for its work in the Trade and Export Finance industry. In 2022, Sullivan was named ‘Best Trade or Supply Chain Finance Law Firm’ at the Global Trade Review (GTR) Leaders in Trade Awards, 2022 and ‘Best Trade Finance Law Firm’ by Trade Finance Global (TFG) in its International Trade Awards, 2022.
Geoffrey is ranked in Chambers UK, 2023 in Tier 1 as a Leading Individual for Commodities: Trade Finance, is included in the ‘Hall of Fame’ for Trade Finance by The Legal 500 UK, 2023 and is recognised as a Leading Lawyer – Highly Regarded in the United Kingdom by the IFLR1000, for banking and finance.
Representative Client Work
- Lloyds Bank on the template structure for what is described as the UK’s first digital ‘promissory note’ purchase, structured in this specific way. It represents the first transaction to use ITFA’s Digital Negotiable Instrument initiative (DNI) issued using Enigio’s solution trace; original.
- Marco Polo Network, the world's first blockchain-enabled, distributed network of trade finance and payment solutions to produce two rulebooks for its Marco Polo platforms under English law and the equivalents under New York law.
- BAFT in updating its English law and New York law Master Participation Agreements (MPA) and associated usage guidelines, in particular to reflect the cessation of the use of LIBOR. The suite of MPAs are industry standard documents used by banks and their counterparties around the globe to facilitate the buying and selling of country and bank trade-related assets.
- The ITFA Board in connection with various market-led insurance related matters. In September 2021, ITFA and Sullivan issued joint guidance to ITFA members on the use of compounded Risk-Free Reference Term Rates in Trade and Export Finance as a replacement for LIBOR.
- ITFA’s Insurance Committee on its move towards the development of a Basel III trade credit insurance policy form. The result of three years of work and negotiations, it was released in October 2021. This new form covers receivables policies and is also a platform for devising compliant policies for other situations and products to encourage banks, insurance companies, law firms and brokers to move in the same direction to grow the overall industry.
Bar & Court Admissions
- Solicitor, Senior Courts of England and Wales
Professional Qualifications
- Solicitor, Senior Courts of England and Wales, 1975
Education
- The College of Law
- Christ Church, Oxford University, BA (Jurisprudence)
Awards & Honors
- Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom, Commodities (2009-2023)
- Chambers UK, Commodities: Trade Finance (UK-wide) (2013-2023)
- The Legal 500 UK - "Hall of Fame" (2018, 2020-2023)
- The Legal 500 UK, Trade Finance - London - "Leading Individual" (2014-2023)
- IFLR1000, Highly-Regarded, Bank Lending: Lender Side (2017-2022)
- Lexology "Client Choice" — Banking (2019, 2021)
- Trade & Forfaiting Review Awards, Fellowship Award (2017)
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Trade Finance GlobalJanuary 2023
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Press ReleaseDecember 13, 2022
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Press ReleaseDecember 7, 2022
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Client AlertOctober 21, 2022
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Press ReleaseOctober 20, 2022
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The Trade Finance Distribution Initiative - Open AccessOctober 17, 2022
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Press ReleaseSeptember 28, 2022
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Press ReleaseAugust 19, 2022
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Global Trade Review (GTR)July 13, 2022
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Client AlertJune 10, 2022
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Press ReleaseJune 9, 2022
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International Trade and Forfaiting Association (ITFA)May 27, 2022
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IFLR1000May 27, 2022
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Press ReleaseMay 5, 2022
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WorldECRIssue 108, April 2022
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Press ReleaseMarch 10, 2022
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flowMarch 10, 2022
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Flow, QuotedJanuary 26, 2022
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Global Trade Review (GTR), QuotedJanuary 13, 2022
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Press ReleaseDecember 14, 2021
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Press ReleaseOctober 21, 2021
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Press ReleaseOctober 14, 2021
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Press ReleaseOctober 12, 2021
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Deutsche Bank, flow, QuotedOctober 2021
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Global Trade Review (GTR), QuotedOctober 6, 2021
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Press ReleaseOctober 6, 2021
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Press ReleaseSeptember 29, 2021
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Global Trade Review Directory 2021-22September 21, 2021
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Press ReleaseSeptember 14, 2021
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Client AlertJuly 30, 2021
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Press ReleaseJune 3, 2021
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IFLR1000May 27, 2021
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Client AlertMay 7, 2021
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Press ReleaseApril 20, 2021
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Client AlertMarch 31, 2021
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B2 The Business of Business, QuotedMarch 19, 2021
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Financial Review, QuotedMarch 13, 2021
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Press ReleaseDecember 9, 2020
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Press ReleaseOctober 22, 2020
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LexisNexisOctober 16, 2020
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Press ReleaseOctober 1, 2020
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Client AlertAugust 21, 2020
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Practical Lending and Security Precedents (2020)August 1, 2020
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Global Trade Review (GTR), QuotedJuly 14, 2020
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Global Trade Review DirectoryJuly 9, 2020
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Press ReleaseJune 9, 2020
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LexisNexisMay 20, 2020
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Client AlertMay 5, 2020
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FlowMay 1, 2020
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Global Trade Review, QuotedApril 22, 2020
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Client AlertApril 17, 2020
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Client AlertApril 16, 2020
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Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial LawApril 2020
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Global Trade Review, QuotedApril 1, 2020
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Client AlertMarch 30, 2020
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LexisPSLMarch 18, 2020
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Global Trade Review, QuotedFebruary 19, 2020
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Press ReleaseOctober 10, 2019
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September 27, 2019
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Sullivan Press ReleaseSeptember 5, 2019
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Payables Finance: a guide to working capital optimisation, QuotedAugust 2019
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Trade Finance MagazineSummer 2019
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DB Trade Finance TV – in association with Deutsche Bank’s flow magazineJuly 12, 2019
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Global Trade Review DirectoryJuly 10, 2019
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Sullivan Press ReleaseJune 28, 2019
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tradeXplain, QuotedJune 27, 2019
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Trade Finance TalksJune 4, 2019
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Sullivan Press ReleaseMay 24, 2019
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Sullivan Press ReleaseMay 24, 2019
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Sullivan Press ReleaseMay 3, 2019
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TXF NewsMarch 20, 2019
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Press ReleaseFebruary 14, 2019
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AltFi, QuotedFebruary 12, 2019
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Deutsche Bank's FlowNovember 2018
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IFLR1000November 12, 2018
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November 1, 2018
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Global Trade Review DirectoryOctober 31, 2018
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October 30, 2018
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TXF News, QuotedOctober 3, 2018
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Flow MagazineOctober 2018
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Trade FinanceSeptember 27, 2018
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Global Trade Review, QuotedSeptember 12, 2018
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Press ReleaseSeptember 4, 2018
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Global Trade Review, QuotedAugust 14, 2018
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Press ReleaseJuly 26, 2018
Seminars & Presentations
- Developing Uniform Definitions and Data Standards
SMBC Bank, London, UK (March 9, 2023) - Transferring Risk in Trade Assets Using Participation Agreements - Is the BAFT MPA Way Always the Best?
Trade & Export Finance Webinar (February 2, 2023) - What Is Going On In the Digital World and Elsewhere for Trade Finance in 2023?
Trade & Export Finance Webinar (December 15, 2022) - Understanding the New Payables Finance Disclosure Rules
Webinar (December 8, 2022) - Uniform Rules for Transferable Electronic Payment Obligations
International Trade & Forfaiting Association (ITFA) Seminar (December 5, 2022) - Panel Session: The Impact of Regulatory Regimes on Alternative and Receivables Finance
8th Annual Alternative & Receivables Finance Forum (November 23, 2022) - Trade Finance and Investors
Trade Finance TV (October 3, 2022) - The Uniform Rules for Transferable Electronic Payment Obligations (URTEPO)
ITFA’s 48th Annual International Trade and Forfaiting Conference, 2022 (September 8, 2022) - Standardised Wording For Negotiable Instruments - The ePU
ITFA DNI Initiative Webinar (August 2, 2022) - The Value and Problems of Using an IPU (Irrevocable/Independent Payment Undertaking) in Trade Receivables Transactions
Trade & Export Finance Webinar (July 14, 2022) - Technology and Trade-Based Financial Crimes
2022 London Annual Trade Finance Compliance Conference (Institute of International Banking Law & Practice) (June 9, 2022) - Legal and Regulatory Challenges Update
RFIx - Receivables Finance International Convention 2022 (May 27, 2022) - Regulatory and Legal Challenges for the Growth of SCF
8th Annual Supply Chain Finance Summit (April 26, 2022) - Digitalising Commodity Transactions
ICC Digital Trade Conference - Webinar (April 7, 2022) - A Practitioner’s Guide to Trade and Commodity Finance – a new edition and beyond
Trade & Export Finance Webinar (January 27, 2022) - The Future of Trade is Digital – How about Interoperability and MLETR?
2022 Virtual Europe Bank to Bank Forum (January 19, 2022) - Trade Finance Fraud: Common Red Flags and Risks, Synthetic or Structured LCs and Blockchain Adoption
Fraud Prevention Webinar (December 7, 2021) - ITFA Year-End Market Update Seminar
International Trade and Forfaiting Association (December 6, 2021) - Can You Make Your Trade Finance Transactions More Secure With Or Without Security?
Trade & Export Finance Webinar (November 25, 2021) - Structuring Trade Finance Transactions Using SPVs: How to Balance the Risks and Rewards
Trade & Export Finance Webinar (October 21, 2021) - ITFA 47th Annual Conference
Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel, Bristol, UK (October 6, 2021) - Some Things To Look Out For In Trade Finance In 2021 and Beyond
Trade & Export Finance Webinar (September 23, 2021) - Digitisation In Trade Finance — How the Landscape Is Looking and What to Expect Next
Trade & Export Finance Webinar (July 22, 2021) - The Digital Future of Foreign Trade and Supply Chain Financing
International Chamber of Commerce Mexico (Webinar) (July 8, 2021) - African Opportunities and Challenges for the Receivables Finance Sector
RFIx - Receivables Finance International Convention 2021 / Virtual Program (May 18, 2021) - SMEs – Finding Finance For Growth in the New Reality
London Trade Roundtable - Virtual Discussion (May 7, 2021) - Financing Receivables — Structures and Issues
Trade & Export Finance Webinar (March 25, 2021) - Structuring Financings Using Physical Commodities and Documents Representing Them
Trade & Export Finance Webinar (February 25, 2021) - What 2021 Holds In Store For Trade and Commodity Finance
Trade & Export Finance Webinar (January 21, 2021) - Libor Transition: Implications for Trade Finance
International Trade & Forfaiting Association (ITFA) Webinar (November 27, 2020) - BAFT Master Participation Agreement (MPA) Workshop
The Bankers Association for Finance and Trade (September 8, 2020) - Revolutionizing the Trade Landscape: Digital Trade Payment Obligation
International Trade & Forfaiting Association (ITFA) Webinar (July 16, 2020) - Legal Framework – UK Law
International Trade & Forfaiting Association (ITFA) Webinar (June 19, 2020) - Credit Insurance Policy Wording – Do You Know What You Have and Why?
International Trade & Forfaiting Association (ITFA) Webinar (May 29, 2020) - Financing Trade During The Pandemic
Member Briefing (March 27, 2020) - Other technology disruptors – what’s coming over the horizon
BCR RFIx - Receivables Finance International Convention (March 10, 2020) - ITFA Fintech Event And Networking
International Trade and Forfaiting Association and Finnish Fintech Ecosystem (February 27, 2020) - How would you address current issues when documenting trade finance transactions?
Trade Finance Breakfast Seminar (February 20, 2020) - BCR Supply Chain Finance Summit
BCR Publishing (January 30, 2020) - Fintech in Trade Finance – Where are We?
Le Restaurant de Paul, London (November 28, 2019) - 29th Annual Conference on International Trade
The Bankers Association for Finance and Trade (October 25, 2019) - How to structure your transactions without taking security
(September 19, 2019) - The New ITFA Unfunded Master Risk Participation Agreement
Budapest, Hungary (September 4, 2019) - Trade finance — where do we go from here?
(June 20, 2019) - ITFA German Regional Committee Stammtisch Event
International Trade and Forfaiting Association (June 6, 2019) - Should I, shouldn’t I? Answering some of the tricky legal and drafting questions we often get asked
Trade Finance Breakfast Seminar (May 29, 2019) - TXF Global Commodity Finance: Amsterdam 2019
Trade and Export Finance (TXF) (May 23, 2019) - Global Trade Review UK 2019
Global Trade Review (GTR) (May 8, 2019) - Latest Legal Updates on Fintech in Commodity Trade Finance
R3 (February 27, 2019) - Market Adoption of New BAFT MRPA
ITFA NERC Seminar (February 27, 2019) - Thoughts from 2018 for structuring trade and related financings – avoiding pitfalls and getting deals done
Trade Finance Breakfast Seminar (December 13, 2018) - The Current Impact of the European Regulations on Structured Commodity Trade Deals
The Global Commodity Trade Finance Forum, Berlin (November 29, 2018) - Audience Response Survey: Your Thoughts on the Industry
Hôtel Métropole Genève, Genève, Switzerland (November 9, 2018) - Is Nigeria in rude health?
GTR Africa Trade & Infrastructure Finance Conference 2018 (October 30, 2018) - Fintech in Trade and Trade Finance — legal issues now and going forward
(October 24, 2018) - ITFA Insurance Committee Seminar
ITFA Paris Seminar (October 10, 2018) - Private Insurance and Viable Risk Mitigation Alternatives To Export Credit Agencies
28th BAFT Annual Conference on International Trade (September 27, 2018) - The new BAFT Master Participation Agreement (English law version) -- All you need to know!
Trade Finance Breakfast Seminar (September 20, 2018) - The BAFT MRPA reloaded – the revised BAFT – ITFA Master Participation Agreement
International Trade and Forfaiting Association (ITFA) (September 5, 2018) - How can careful drafting in documents remove or mitigate risk of regulatory non-compliance?
(July 24, 2018) - Uses of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) in structuring financing transactions
(June 21, 2018) - Recapping Receivables
(May 24, 2018) - Regulatory and Compliance Headwinds (and Crosswinds) for 2018
New Broad Street House, 35 New Broad Street, London EC2M 1NH (March 29, 2018) - What Structures and Techniques Can Still Work in Trade and Commodity Finance?
Trade Finance Breakfast Seminar (January 26, 2018) - A Wish List and a Watch List for 2018 — Beneficial or Detrimental Impacts on Trade Finance?
Pinners Hall, 105-108 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1EN (December 14, 2017) - Risk and Derisking — What Risk Should Really Mean for Banks in Trade Finance and How to Mitigate Them
Pinners Hall, 105-108 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1EN (November 23, 2017) - Letters of Credit from Basics and Beyond to the Current Issues
Pinners Hall, 105-108 Old Broad Street, London, EC2N 1EN (June 15, 2017) - Developments Involving FinTech and BlockChain Initiatives
Pinners Hall, 105-108 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1EN (May 18, 2017) - Risk Sharing Techniques - Similarities, Differences and Consequences
Pinners Hall, 105-108 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1EN (March 23, 2017) - Relationships In and Around Letters of Credit and What to Watch Out For
Pinners Hall 105-108 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1EN (February 23, 2017) - Some of Those Annoying Technical Issues in Trade Finance
Pinners Hall, 105-108 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1EN (January 26, 2017) - Where Are We On Some Current Trade-Related Issues?
Pinners Hall, 105-108 Old Broad Street (December 15, 2016) - How Far Can Digitalisation End Paper-based Trade Finance? To What Extent Is It Happening Now?
Pinners Hall, 105-108 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1EN (October 27, 2016)
Practices
- Trade & Export Finance
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- Fintech & Blockchain
- Real Estate, Alternative & Offshore Investment Funds
Industries
- Upcoming EventBCR’s Trade & Investment Forum 2023 | March 9, 2023 | SMBC Bank, London, UK