Henrietta de Salis
Partner, Asset Management
Henrietta de Salis is a partner in Willkie’s Asset Management and Corporate & Financial Services Departments and is based in the Firm’s London office. She heads Willkie’s Financial Services Regulatory practice in London and is also part of the Firm's Structured Finance & Derivatives, Cybersecurity & Privacy, Digital Works and Environmental, Social & Governance Practice Groups. Henrietta is a financial services lawyer providing advice and transaction support to banks, securities firms, asset and investment managers, funds and intermediaries — including broker-dealers, custodians, trading platforms, private equity firms, wealth managers and insurers — on UK and European financial services legislation and compliance matters in both the wholesale and retail markets.
Henrietta regularly advises asset managers including the asset management divisions of insurers on a wide range of fund structures and the distribution of those funds and applicable regulatory requirements.
Henrietta is recognised by Best Lawyers for Financial Services and as a "Notable Practitioner" in the current edition of IFLR1000 for Financial Services Regulatory.
Henrietta's practice includes advising on:
- licensing requirements and ongoing compliance issues, including conduct of business rule matters;
- regulatory aspects of strategic and complex transactions relevant to financial institutions including M&A, reorganisations, integration of merged firms and joint venture and consortium arrangements;
- structuring and marketing of funds, derivatives and other investment products and financial instruments;
- agreements including terms of business with customers, fund administrators, custodians and depositories and other service providers including material outsourcing requirements;
- regulatory developments and implementation issues for firms (e.g., in relation to MiFID II, AIFMD, CRDIV, IFR, EMIR, MAR, SFDR and the Taxonomy Regulation);
- legal and regulatory requirements under UK and EU regulations relating to sustainability and other Environmental (E ), Social (S) and Governance (G) issues;
- cryptocurrencies and other digital assets; the complex legal and regulatory implications arising out of the cross border provision of financial services and products; and
- senior management issues related to governance, policy and procedures.
Experience
Henrietta has extensive experience both in private practice and in-house. She was a managing director in the Legal Department at Dresdner Kleinwort and head of capital markets (legal) at Swiss Re, giving her valuable insight into the requirements of financial institutions.
- Co-author of "Recent Developments in EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation" (July 2022)
- Speaker on the “ESG Regulatory Issues Impacting Investors in Europe,” panel at the 2nd annual ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summit - ESG & Active ETFs Trends (March 2022)
- Speaker at the ACA Fall 2021 Virtual Conference on “The UK’s Investment Firm Prudential Regime.” (September 2021)
- Speaker at the 2nd annual ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summit – Europe & MEA on the European and US Regulatory Initiatives Impacting ETFs (September 2021)
- Webinar host "ESG in the UK and EU: Identifying and Managing Compliance, Governance, Litigation and Enforcement Risks" (June 2021)
- Speaker on the "Impact of Regulatory Changes on Active ETFs." panel at the inaugural ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summit on ESG and Active ETFs Trends. (March 2021)
Henrietta has advised on the following non-confidential significant matters:
- Searchlight Capital Partners on its recommended final cash offer for the entire share capital of London-listed Gresham House plc, a specialist alternative asset manager
- Insight Partners in the fund raising of Fund XII and its dedicated co-investment fund, with aggregate commitments in excess of $20 billion
- Levine Leichtman Capital Partners on its investment in Global Loan Agency Services (GLAS)
- Insight Partners in its investment in Moonfare, a digital investment and asset management platform
- Franklin Templeton in its acquisition of Alcentra, one of the largest European credit and private debt managers
- Foreside Financial Group, a portfolio company of Genstar Capital, in its acquisition of ACA Group
- Insight Partners in the closing of Fund XI with aggregate commitments of $9.5 billion
- Searchlight Capital Partners on its acquisition of Global Risk Partners, a leading UK based insurance brokerage business
- Freshstream on the sale of leading UK holiday resort business Away Resorts to CVC Capital Partners
- Stanley Capital on its acquisition of global specialty pharmaceutical company, Noden Pharma DAC
- CapVest Partners on the sale of its portfolio company, leading food manufacturer Valeo Foods, to Bain Capital
- FTV Capital in its growth equity investment in London-based pet insurer Bought By Many
- CapStreet Group on its final closing of CapStreet V, L.P. (“Fund V”) at $500 million, reaching the fund’s hard cap
- Levine Leichtman Capital Partners on its acquisition of the Creditinfo Group in partnership with its founder and management team
- Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. in its $42 billion merger with Worldpay, Inc., a global leader in eCommerce and payments
- Genstar Capital and its portfolio company Apex Group in the acquisition of the corporate and private clients business of Link Asset Services, a division of the Australian listed Link Group
- Arch Capital Group Ltd., in an approximately $502 million secondary public offering of common shares
- Apex, a Genstar portfolio company, on its acquisition of Warburg’s Asset Management and Servicing Business in Luxembourg
- Insight Partners in the closing of Fund X with aggregate commitments of $6.3 billion
- Genstar Capital and its portfolio company Apex Group on the acquisition, with SALU Capital and Inlife Holding, of Luxembourg PE fund AFO-2
Credentials
Education
Aberystwyth University, LLB (Hons)