Partner

Mark Walsh

Capital Markets
Corporate Governance
M&A

mwalsh@sidley.com

London +44 20 7360 2068

- Letter
- A4

MARK WALSH co-heads Sidley’s Capital Markets group in the EMEA region. He is qualified to practice New York, English and Hong Kong law. He joined the firm in New York in 1986, moved to Hong Kong in 1994 to help establish an office for the firm, and then to London, where he has been resident since 1999.

Mark advises public and private sector clients. He has worked with governments and other sovereign and quasi-sovereign clients, as well as with companies from a broad range of industries, including banking, insurance and other financial services; oil, gas and petrochemicals; pharmaceuticals and life sciences; automotive; paper and forest products; telecommunications, media and technology; real estate; and food services and distribution. Representative clients include Fortune and FTSE 100 companies and leading U.S. and European investment and other banks and providers of alternative capital.

Strong leadership in advising clients on a wide range of matters has earned Mark acknowledgement from numerous industry publications. Mark is recognized as a “Leading Individual” in Legal 500 UK 2022 for Capital Markets: Debt. He is also ranked in Chambers UK 2021 and Chambers Global 2021 for Capital Markets: Debt, with sources telling the publication that he “has great relationships with his clients and is always very helpful.” In the 2020 edition, an interviewee commented that Mark is a “really personable guy who takes the time to invest in the client and is a real pleasure to work with.” Referring to the Sidley Capital Markets team in London more broadly, Chambers UK 2019 stated that “[o]n large, complex and time-constrained matters they are able to offer intelligent and truly seamless use of their lawyers across multiple jurisdictions.” He was recognized as a Foreign Expert in Chambers Global 2017 for Capital Markets: Debt & Equity, where sources noted that he is considered “very knowledgeable... where a European issuer is issuing into the US market,” has “excellent knowledge of the field, and is a great US securities all-rounder.” Both he and the group are renowned for being “outstanding on the hybrid capital side.” Mark is also “sought after for his advice on corporate and high-yield debt and corporate governance...” Mark has also been listed in Best Lawyers 2022 for Capital Markets Law and is regularly listed as a Leading Lawyer in IFLR1000.

Mark has published articles and book reviews for the International Business Lawyer, International Financial Law Review, the Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftsrecht, Legal Business, Legal Week and IR Magazine, amongst others, including a series of articles on the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Most recently, he co-authored with Sidley colleague Michael Hyatte The International Capital Markets Review, Edition 9 – United States Chapter, November 2019.

Experience

Mark works with both larger listed public companies and financial institutions and privately-owned, often private equity or family-controlled, enterprises wishing to access the public or private markets for the first time. Recent matters of public record (in which clients raised in excess of US$7 billion in aggregate) included:

Representation of corporate and financial institution issuers in connection with debt, equity and hybrid capital offerings (including IPOs) listed on U.S., European and other exchanges, including the NYSE, NASDAQ and London Stock Exchange for equity securities and the Irish and Luxembourg stock exchanges (including the GEM and Euro MTF Markets) for debt securities.
Representation of the leading U.S., Canadian and European investment banks and other underwriters on debt, equity and hybrid capital offerings, including offerings registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Rule 144A, Regulation S and Section 3(a)(2) offerings.
Representation of issuers, dealers and agents in connection with U.S., Euro and global Medium-Term Note (MTN) and commercial paper (CP) programs.
Representation of issuers and placement agents in connection with Section 4(a)(2) and Regulation D private placements of debt and equity securities in the United States.
Representation of issuers and depositary banks in connection with American Depositary Receipt (ADR) and Global Depositary Receipt (GDR) facilities, including Level I, II and III ADR programs.
Advice to private equity and family-owned IPO candidates and other companies in connection with corporate governance and reporting, including reporting obligations under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
Advice to hedge funds, pension funds, investment managers, private equity, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other industry participants in connection with their capital markets activities, including matters subject to contentious resolution or restructuring.
Work with European and other law firms in connection with locally listed equity and debt offerings, including IPOs and other listings in Madrid, Amsterdam, Stockholm and Switzerland and offerings directed partially to U.S. investors.
Work with U.S., Latin American and Asian clients in connection with other corporate, M&A partnership, fund and other transactions and matters, including steps required to address recent U.S. and EU regulatory and other developments such as Brexit, the EU’s Market Abuse Regulation and recent U.S. tax reforms.

Mark is a member of the International Bar Association. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the Commercial Law Centre at University College London (UCL).

Credentials

Admissions & Certifications

U.S. Supreme Court
New York
England and Wales (Solicitor)

Education

Queen Mary College, London, Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration, 2003
Queen Mary College, London, LL.M., 2002
The King's Inns, Dublin, B.L., 1986
Trinity College, Dublin, M.Litt., 1987
Trinity College, Dublin, B.A. (Mod), 1984