Simon Cook has experience in a wide variety of banking and finance transactions, including in particular in relation to structured trade finance, trade finance, project finance, invoice discounting facilities and borrowing-base facilities in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the CIS. His work in the structured trade area covers a range of pre-export and prepayment financings acting for both lenders and borrowers notably in oil, telecoms, soft commodities and metals sectors with particular experience in Africa and the Middle East.

Simon has worked and travelled extensively in Africa and the Middle East, having spent over three and a half years in Dubai. He has participated in a number of structured trade finance and project finance conferences and seminars throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa, including speaking at conferences on PPP in South Africa; on project finance and structured trade finance at Afrexim's annual structured finance conferences in Egypt, Ghana, Zambia and South Africa; and at structured trade finance seminars and general finance in London, Paris, Lisbon, Geneva, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, South Africa, Zambia, Uganda, Ghana, Nairobi and Dubai.

Bar & Court Admissions

  • Solicitor, Senior Courts of England and Wales

Education

  • The College of Law, CPE
  • University of Bristol, M.A., Ancient History 
  • University of Bristol, BA, (Hons) in Ancient History

Community Engagement

  • Head of Education, Executive Board, International Trade and Forfaiting Association (ITFA) (2021)
  • Voting Member, ITFA's African Regional Committee (2017)

Awards & Honors

  • Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom, Commodities (2020-2022)
  • Chambers UK, Commodities: Trade Finance (UK-wide) (2013-2022)
  • The Legal 500 UK, Trade Finance - London - "Leading Individual" (2015-2022)
  • Legal Media Group/Euromoney's ExpertGuides (2020)

Seminars & Presentations

Practices

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