Walter White is head of the firm’s emerging markets transactions practice. His work consists of multinational securities transactions, international business and finance law issues, and complex litigation and related arbitration. He has represented clients in multibillion-dollar business transactions and litigation throughout North America, Europe, the former Soviet Union, Asia and Africa. In the late 1980’s he served as Commissioner of Securities for the State of Wisconsin and investigated Drexel Burnham Lambert He has acted as an advisor to Central Banks, and financial regulatory agencies in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia on economic development and regulatory issues.
He has published books and articles on multinational business activity and lectured in North America, Europe, Central Asia and Africa, and is a regular commentator for the BBC on U.S. and international human rights and constitutional affairs.
While earning his law degree from Berkeley Law, Walter was a judicial extern for the Honorable Robert F. Peckham of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Upon graduation from Amherst College, he was named a John Woodruff Simpson Fellow. He a
Walter White is head of the firm’s emerging markets transactions practice. His work consists of multinational securities transactions, international business and finance law issues, and complex litigation and related arbitration. He has represented clients in multibillion-dollar business transactions and litigation throughout North America, Europe, the former Soviet Union, Asia and Africa. In the late 1980’s he served as Commissioner of Securities for the State of Wisconsin and investigated Drexel Burnham Lambert He has acted as an advisor to Central Banks, and financial regulatory agencies in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia on economic development and regulatory issues.
He has published books and articles on multinational business activity and lectured in North America, Europe, Central Asia and Africa, and is a regular commentator for the BBC on U.S. and international human rights and constitutional affairs.
While earning his law degree from Berkeley Law, Walter was a judicial extern for the Honorable Robert F. Peckham of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Upon graduation from Amherst College, he was named a John Woodruff Simpson Fellow. He also studied at the Leningrad Pedagogical Institute, in (then) Leningrad USSR.
Experience
- Advise UK private equity clients in first ever proceedings before the Qatar Finacial Center Civil and Commercial Court
- Advise U.S. bioscience firm on the legal aspects of utilization of “InBreath” Bioreactors used in World’s First Successful Regenerated Laryngotracheal Transplants which were performed in Krasnador Regional Hospital in Krasnador Russia
- Advise on the structure of universal client identifiers for tracking global clients for a top ten U.S. Bank
- Advise on Uranium sale from Niger to India
- Advise on multinational litigation involving proceedings in Scotland, England, and Cyprus on behalf of Russian owned conglomerate against claims in excess of $200 million resulting in dismissal of all claims
- Advise on acquisition of an oil production company and holding company structure in Azerbaijan with value of $116 million
- Advise on the sale of Russian gasoline distribution company with value of $570 million
- Advise on the sale of interests in Russian oil company with value of $5 billion
- Advise on acquisition of 51% interest in Oil JV in Azerbaijan with value of $245 million
- Advise on development of investment consortium and acquisition of $2 billion interest in chemical plant and other privatized assets (Turkey) and related $400 million secured loan facility
- Advise on the admission of Russian oil and gas company to AIM, value at issue £123 million
- Advise to vendor in transaction where major Russian oil company purchased 100% of participant in oil deposits of company in Central Asia for US $580 million
- Advise to vendor in sale of chain of Russian gas stations for $42 million
- Advise on initiated negotiations of purchase of material part of European energy conglomerate with estimated transaction value in excess of €6 billion
- Advise on acquisition of energy sector service company for $41 million
- Advise on $170 million acquisition of multinational satellite navigation systems company headquartered in France on behalf of a San Francisco private equity fund
- Counsel to construction dispute litigation in Sweden, Russia and the UK regarding construction of Moscow oil refinery
- Advise on Kazak gold mine’s initial listing on AIM
- Representation in major aluminum conglomerate v. a global aluminum conglomerate $200 million+ litigation in Ireland and Switzerland
- Representation of an Austrian pharmaceutical company in strategic investment regarding development of medical equipment manufacturer
- Advise in $975 million industrial merger and restructuring major aluminum group
- Representation of Ukrainian alumina company in a $120 million Swiss arbitration proceeding
- Representation of Ukrainian alumina company in a $24 million share purchase
- Representation of oil major with regard to $14 Bn Caspian Pipeline Consortium
- Representation of Illingworth Morris re: BoIschevichka privatization
- Representation of Russian real estate developer to settle $40 million real estate development dispute with major international bank
- Representation of JSC Kazakhstan electricity grid $10 million term loan agreement
- Representation of global travel agency to obtain veto from President Yeltsin on legislation that would outlaw foreign ownership of travel agencies in Russia
- Representation of Nizhnyvartovskneftigaz obtaining dismissal in both U.S. (Northern District of California) Federal Court as well as arbitration in London of $10 million claim
- Advise on $30 million investment by major oil company in AGD a Lukoil subsidiary
- Advise on national Russian fishing fleet against major German Bank
- Representation of major European national telecommunications company in $1.71 billion bid for Svyazinvest
- Advise on major European telecommunications company on creation of its $400 million bid vehicle for Consortium TeleSvyazinvest bid
- Advise on Russian national electrical company on $400 million mezzanine borrowing from major German bank
- Advise on Russian Satellite company’s $1 Bn JV with US aerospace company
- Advise on Russian scientific institute’s on $5 Bn J.V. with US aerospace company
- Advise on major European Telecommunications company on acquisition of French telecommunications equipment manufacturer
- Advise on major European telecommunications company on Russian telecoms privatization
Publications
- Author, "Taming tomorrow's app world," Quantum, April 2013
- Co-author, "Recent Legislative Developments in the Soviet Union," 25 The International Lawyer 549
- Co-author, Multinational Debt and Equity Offerings: Memorandum on the Laws of the United States, AIJA Press, London, Brussels
- Author, "New Litigation Paradigm for Financial Institutions," 18 Quantum Magazine, April 12, 2012
- Author, "ABA Protecting and Advancing the International Rule of Law," ABA Human Rights Magazine, Vol. 34, Winter 2007
- Editor, Report on Election Observations of the October 28, 1990 Soviet Georgian Election, ABA Press, Chicago, Illinois, July 1991
- Co-editor, Co-translator, Contributor, Moscow Conference on Law and Bilateral Economic Relations, ABA Press, The Kremlin, Moscow and Washington, D.C., June 1991
Events
- Speaker, "The Russian Economy and Investment Climate," Finnish British Chamber of Commerce, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, September 2008
- Speaker, "Enforceability of Netting Provisions under Russian Derivatives Master Agreements," Financial Markets Law Committee Symposium, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, June 2008
- Speaker, "Corporate Human Rights Responsibility," Symposium, Northwestern University School of Law, October 2007
Alerts
- U.S. Department of Treasury Adopts New Sanctions Against Russia, May 1, 2014
- EU, U.S. Slap Sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian Officials, March 18, 2014
- How Tweet It Is - The SEC Provides Reg FD Guidance on the Use of Social Media, April 10, 2013
- Swaps End-User Update: Relief from Certain Swap Reporting Requirements for Inter-Affiliate Swaps, April 8, 2013
- LIBOR Reform: McGuireWoods' Response to the Publication of the Wheatley Review, September 28, 2012
- New Anti-Bribery Standards Could Become Law in the United Kingdom, September 14, 2009