Mark's practice covers cross border inward investment, syndicated lending, structured export credit finance, structured trade and commodity finance, debt restructurings and asset finance. Mark is recognized in The Legal 500 UK as "excelling" in structured export credit transactions and is praised for his "commercial and user-friendly approach."
Mark advises on ESG financings including hospitals, clean energy and transportation.
Mark also advises on financial crime, modern slavery, bribery and corruption issues in connection with trade and export finance. Mark led Sullivan’s response to the UK Government's consultation on UK Export Finance (UKEF)'s anti-bribery and corruption policy. Many of Mark’s recommendations were specifically accepted by the UK Government.
He has advised financial institutions, funds, corporate borrowers, agents and trustees, and national and supranational sovereign/quasi-sovereign organisations on award-winning finance transactions throughout Africa, Western, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and the CIS and the Middle East.
Mark has extensive sector experience in infrastructure financing across Africa including off-grid power, healthcare and transportation.
Mark has lived and practised in the Czech Republic (Prague), England (London), Germany (Düsseldorf and Frankfurt) and Russia (Moscow).
Mark holds graduate and post-graduate degrees with honors from the London School of Economics.
Representative Client Work
- Advising on healthcare projects in Ghana and Zambia
- Advising on transportation and infrastructure projects in Ghana and Zimbabwe
- Advising on African Export-Import Bank supported project financings in Africa
- Advising on UK Export Finance supported project financings in Africa (including healthcare, airports and transportation)
- Advising J.P. Morgan on the landmark UK Export Finance loan facility with the Kurdistan Regional Government
- Advising on Export Credit Agency supported supply chain financings in Africa
- Advising on UK Export Finance supported power project financings in the Middle East
- Advising on UK Export Finance's direct lending facility devising on UK Export Finance's bond support scheme
- Advising on the regulatory issues affecting Export Credit Agency Finance
- Advising a London-based international bank on metals finance transactions
- Advising a London-based international investment bank on UK and EU sanctions with regard to Russia
- Advising a London-based international investment bank on the structuring of its medium and long term structured trade finance transactions
- Advising a London-based international bank on short term export credit agency backed trade finance products
- Advising a London-based international investment bank on commodity trading both on exchange and OTC
- Advising a boutique investment bank on financings in Russia and Africa
- Advising a South Africa-based bank on financings in Russia and Africa
- Advising a London-based international bank as lead arranger on the financing of E.ON's €42.32 billion offer for Endesa – the world's largest syndicated loan (Euroweek)
- Advising a major brewing company on the financing of its acquisitions of brewers in Central and Eastern Europe, Germany and the United Kingdom
- Advising a Spanish mobile communications company on its £18.5 billion acquisition financing of O2 – Most Impressive Loan/Best Western European Loan (Euroweek)
Bar & Court Admissions
- Solicitor, Senior Courts of England and Wales
Education
- College of Law, Law Society Finals
- College of Law, Common Professional Examination
- London School of Economics and Political Science, LLM (Banking Law and Financial Regulation)
- London School of Economics and Political Science, BSc (Econ-Social Policy)
Community Engagement
- Member and expert Faciliator, The Chancery Lane Project
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Deputy Co-Chair, British Exporters' Association Export (BExA), BExA Executive Committee, UK Finance Chair, Legal and Compliance Sub-Committee, British Exporters' Association Trustee, National Youth Agency
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Chair, People Development Committee, National Youth
Awards & Honors
- Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom, Banking and Finance Law (2023)
- The Legal 500 UK, Trade Finance - London - "Leading Individual" (2016-2022)
- Global Trade Review - Winner, "Best Deals"
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WorldECRJuly/August 2022
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Client AlertJune 10, 2022
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Press ReleaseJune 9, 2022
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Contracts for the Climate podcast (S1E3)May 20, 2022
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Press ReleaseMay 16, 2022
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Press ReleaseMay 5, 2022
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Financier WorldwideMarch 2022
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Global Trade Review (GTR), QuotedMarch 16, 2022
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flowMarch 10, 2022
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Press ReleaseDecember 14, 2021
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Press ReleaseNovember 4, 2021
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Press ReleaseSeptember 29, 2021
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TXFnews, QuotedApril 14, 2021
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Berne UnionMarch 22, 2021
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Client AlertJanuary 15, 2021
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Press ReleaseOctober 1, 2020
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Global Trade Review (GTR)July 29, 2020
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September 27, 2019
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Sullivan Press ReleaseJune 28, 2019
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Sullivan Press ReleaseMay 17, 2019
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Sullivan Press ReleaseMay 3, 2019
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October 30, 2018
Seminars & Presentations
- Maintaining Export Competitiveness in the New Global Economy
GTR UK 2022 (June 16, 2022) - 2022 Compliance and Regulatory Update
Trade & Export Finance Webinar (March 24, 2022) - In the Face of Adversity: Financing Cote d’Ivoire Hospitals in the Height of the Pandemic
Hotel RIU Plaza España, Madrid, Spain (October 19, 2021) - Some Things To Look Out For In Trade Finance In 2021 and Beyond
Trade & Export Finance Webinar (September 23, 2021) - The Latest Support Offerings for UK Exporters
GTR UK 2021 Virtual Conference (June 29, 2021) - Payments, Problems and Practical Solutions for Trade and Export Finance Transactions
Trade & Export Finance Webinar (June 24, 2021) - ESG in Trade and Export Finance
Trade & Export Finance Webinar (May 27, 2021) - BExA Quarterly Risk Roundtable, Session 1: ESG & Sustainability
The British Exporters Association (BExA) virtual program (March 30, 2021) - Some Issues to Look Forward to in 2021
Zoom virtual program (December 10, 2020) - Global Trade Review UK 2019
Global Trade Review (GTR) (May 8, 2019) - Trade, Export and Project Finance Compliance Refresher – Part Two
Trade Finance Breakfast Seminar (March 21, 2019) - Trade, Export and Project Finance Compliance Refresher
Trade Finance Breakfast Seminar (January 24, 2019) - Southern Africa Trade & Infrastructure Finance Conference
Global Trade Review (November 21, 2018) - Regulatory and Compliance Headwinds (and Crosswinds) for 2018
New Broad Street House, 35 New Broad Street, London EC2M 1NH (March 29, 2018) - The Equator Principles — A Refresher and an Update
Pinners Hall, 105-108 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1EN (October 26, 2017) - Trade-Based Money Laundering & Trade Finance Compliance Forum
Grange Tower Bridge Hotel, London E1 8GP, UK (September 21, 2017) - Navigating Brexit
(September 14, 2017) - Energy Geopolitics, Union and Snowballing Insecurity
Global Energy Summit 2017, Coventry University, London (July 26, 2017) - Preparing for Brexit
Pinners Hall, 105-108 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1EN (April 27, 2017) - Joining the Dots: Transport & Construction Infrastructure
Nairobi, Kenya (March 29, 2017) - Sub-Saharan Africa and the MENA Region: Navigating Through Stormy Weather
GTR Nordic Region Trade & Export Finance Conference 2016, Stockholm, Sweden (November 29, 2016) - GTR Africa Trade & Infrastructure Finance Conference 2016
London (October 5, 2016) - “Crisis, What Crisis?” – What has the industry worried and what should the industry be worried about?
Pinners Hall, 105-108 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1EN (July 21, 2016)