Caitlin McErlane
Biography
Caitlin is a partner in Baker McKenzie’s Financial Services Regulatory practice group, based in the London office.
Caitlin's practice focuses on advising a range of global financial institutions on complex and high value regulatory matters. She advises banks, asset managers, major corporates and payment institutions on navigating UK and EU financial services regulation. She has particular experience in advising clients on regulatory implementation projects, day-to-day compliance issues, and regulatory issues arising in the context of acquisitions, restructurings, and divestments within the financial services sector. Caitlin also advises market infrastructure providers on markets regulation and the provision of cross-border trading solutions.
Caitlin leads our London office’s ESG regulatory work for financial institutions, and advises a range of clients on the drafting and implementation of ESG policies and structuring ESG-focused investment products. Caitlin is an authority on regulatory reforms in the sustainability space and sits on a number of trade association working groups.
Caitlin has been recognised as a "Leading Partner" by The Legal 500 UK, where she is cited by clients as "a great lawyer [who] has a photographic recollection of regulations which makes her an amazing resource for any tricky topic." She is ranked by Chambers for financial services regulation, where clients describe her as "an expert in her field", a "phenomenal regulatory lawyer" and "a highly responsive and excellent communicator" who "consistently provides pragmatic solutions that are within the regulatory framework". Caitlin is also acknowledged by Legal 500 as a Next Generation Partner in Real Estate Funds.
Representative Legal Matters
Caitlin's experience includes:
- Advising on the regulatory aspects of acquisitions, restructurings, and divestments within the financial services sector, including:
- Advising on the USD 44 billion merger between S&P Global and IHS Markit and the subsequent post-acquisition integration;
- Advising a consortium member on the regulatory aspects of a Brookfield-led consortium's GBP 2.2 billion recommended cash offer for Network International Holdings
- Advising S&P Global and CME on the regulatory aspects of a USD 3.1 billion sale of a post-trade services business; and
- Advising Brookfield on the sale of an international private markets advisory firm.
- Advising a range of buy-side firms and asset managers on compliance with regulatory reforms and ongoing obligations, including MiFID II, the SFDR/SDR, EMIR, MAR, the Consumer Duty, the Short Selling Regulation, the UCITS Directive and the AIFMD.
- Advising on the launch and LSE listing of a retail-focused, Shariah compliant UCITS.
- Advising on the UK regulatory aspects of and overseeing UAE regulatory advice on the launch and operation of Softbank’s Vision Fund 2.
- Advising a prominent global investment manager on the application of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) and Taxonomy Regulation to a USD 27 billion portfolio of office, retail and logistics assets.
- Advising one of the world’s largest commodity companies on structuring its European commodity derivative trading activities in compliance with applicable trading regulations.
- Advising a prominent US stock exchange on the structuring and European roll-out of a new trading platform facilitating the transfer of otherwise unlisted, illiquid fund units.
- Advising a leading global FinTech firm on the launch of a new blockchain network and large-scale issuance of cryptoassets across the UK and EEA.
- Advising the world’s largest sustainability consultancy firm on structuring a platform to facilitate investment by global corporates in sustainable projects and voluntary carbon credits.
- Advising a carbon credit trading platform on the launch of a tokenised trading facility.
- Advising a prominent FX brokerage on a number of innovative software solutions for the delivery of its advisory and execution capabilities.
- Assisting a major US equity derivatives clearing organisation with navigating the EU’s TC-CCP equivalence regime and applying for recognition under EMIR.*
- Advising various asset managers with overseas funds on routes to market in the UK, including under s. 272 FSMA 2000 and the UK Overseas Funds Regime.
* Matter handled prior to joining Baker McKenzie.
Admissions
- England & Wales
Education
- Cambridge University (Bachelor of Laws)
- UCL (LLM, Banking and Regulatory Law)