Sonya Van de Graaff is a partner in the Business Restructuring & Insolvency Group of Morrison & Foerster’s London Office. Ms. Van de Graaff advises funds and other investors, whether individually or in ad hoc groups, involved in complex capital structures in cross border restructurings and also the UK market. In particular, she has experience in identifying and analysing distressed investment opportunities and developing innovative restructuring strategies. Amongst her expertise includes advising investors and shareholders in connection with financial institution restructurings, where government intervention (such as under the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive) could result in disparate treatment or disenfranchisement of their investments. She has more than 19 years of experience in these markets, having led or been involved in a number of market-leading transactions requiring balancing the interests of various stakeholder groups. These include restructurings of structured credit transactions, bond restructurings, pre-packaged administrations, loan to own transactions, schemes of arrangement, credit institution restructurings and European aspects of Chapter 11 filings.
Prior to joining MoFo in 2016, Ms. Van de Graaff was a partner in the restructuring practice of another international law firm. She also spent several years at Bear Stearns where she advised the business in relation to their special situations, leverage finance and structured finance businesses.
In 2017, she participated in the United National Working Group V arm of UNCITRAL negotiations to develop a uniform insolvency law for the adoption of cross border insolvency legislation internationally.
She is an INSOL International Fellow (2017), graduated from the Queensland University of Technology with the University Medal and top of her class, earned a Masters of Law degree from King’s College at the University of London on a full Common wealth Scholarship. She is a member of the Council for the Insolvency Lawyers Association (UK) and a member of its technical working group. Ms. Van de Graaff has been ranked in Legal 500 and is known for her commercial pragmatism and technical acumen. She is licensed to practice in England and Australia.
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