James Wilkins, Senior Legal Adviser

James Wilkins

Senior Legal Adviser

national healthcare provider

Location
United Kingdom
Education
Higher diploma, Business Law
Experience
29 years, 11 Months

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Work Experience

Total years of experience :29 years, 11 Months

Senior Legal Adviser at national healthcare provider
  • United Kingdom - London
  • My current job since September 2019

• Advising on investments in healthcare technologies (PE/VC)
• Lead counsel on a major tri-party cross-border joint venture
• Information governance as Data Protection Officer

Legal Counsel and Company Secretary at WALSINGHAM SUPPORT
  • Great Britain (UK)
  • September 2017 to August 2019

Providing leadership on its governance and regulatory/business conduct frameworks.
•Managing board operations and ensuring effective communications with the executive leadership team.
•Sole legal adviser on all corporate and commercial matters.
•Project managed data protection and implemented new framework.

Director/Solicitor at JSR WILKINS AND CO. LIMITED
  • Great Britain (UK)
  • June 2016 to September 2017
Solicitor at Grayfords
  • Great Britain (UK) - West End of London
  • June 2017 to September 2017

Structuring a hedge funds platform for outsourcing administration.

Chief Legal Counsel at Saffar Holdings
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • June 2006 to January 2011

Principal deal counsel on private equity investments and strategic adviser to senior management of its portfolio companies: For example,

• negotiated and drafted confidentiality undertakings, memoranda of understanding, term sheets, share purchase agreements, shareholder agreements, constitutional documents, private placement memoranda, limited partnership agreements, investment management agreements, co-investment and fee share arrangements, subscription agreements and investor questionnaires, as well as generally coordinating closing, relating to portfolio companies including Saffar Capital, Zawya.com, Saudi Swiss Securities, and Kalaam Telecom.
• ensured the successful completion of multiple transactions, including:
(i) the Saffar Financial Infrastructure Fund LP established in the Cayman Islands; (ii) the acquisition of the shares of Zawya.com (a Saffar Holdings portfolio company) by Holdco Cayman Islands superseding the UAE structure and enabling its onward sale to Thomson Reuters; (iii) the capital raising by Saffar Capital by private placement; and sale of ABQ Investment's shares in Saudi Swiss Securities to Credit Suisse.
• managed the relationship with the Dubai Financial Services Authority.
• strategic governance leadership to the Board and CEO’s office.

General Counsel and Head of Compliance at Al Rajhi Bank
  • Saudi Arabia - Riyadh
  • June 2000 to May 2006

Dealt with all international legal matters, reported to the General Manager, Treasury and International Affairs:
•Helped structure transactions and drafted and negotiated documentation for commodities financings, treasury, international brokerage, sukuk bonds, derivatives (including commodity / credit / equity), and funds.
•Setting up Shari'a compliant credit-linked financing SPEs.
•Designed and implemented the compliance programme (including new robust compliance manual, codes of conduct, anti-money laundering and anti-corruption policies) and ensured compliance was placed at the core of the decision making and as part of brand value.
•Managed multiple strategic projects, including (i) closure of Al Rajhi's London office, and related sale of legacy assets held in offshore financing vehicles, including a Boeing 737-200; (ii) due administration of all corporate affairs relating to overseas subsidiaries; (iii) international disputes and recovery including a US$102 million Enron/ Arthur Andersen claim; and (iv) response to investigations and threat of sanctions by US authorities following 9/11.
•Registered Compliance Officer with Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority.

Legal Counsel at UBS PAINEWEBBER
  • Great Britain (UK)
  • September 1999 to May 2000

Negotiated documentation for equity and credit derivatives, notes issuance, prime brokerage, and stock lending transactions.

Legal Director at CREDIT AGRICOLE INDOSUEZ
  • Hong Kong
  • June 1997 to May 1998

Asian Fixed Income (front desk report)
Helped structure transactions and resolved legal, regulatory and tax issues in origination, sales and trading including credit-linked notes, credit default options, repackaged loans, and total return swaps.

Area Head at STANDARD CHARTERED BANK
  • Singapore - Singapore
  • March 1993 to May 1997

, SE Asia, Treasury, Legal & Compliance Affairs

Senior Manager at Global Derivatives
  • December 1994 to November 1996
Legal Manager
  • March 1993 to November 1994

Established matrix reporting line procedures for Head Office policy in the Asian Treasury branches with a focus on anti-corruption and ethics.
•Head of global derivatives documentation and drafted and implemented the Global Legal Risk Derivatives Policy.
•Initiated the Asia Pacific Regional Committees of ISDA in June 1995, becoming its first Secretary and the Chair of its Legal Working Group in Singapore.
•Resolved legal, regulatory, tax, drafting and negotiation issues in cross-border derivatives transactions.
•Recovery of part US$300 million of inter-bank claims arising from the 1992 Bombay securities fraud in the wholesale debt market that included reconstructing deal flow and data, case management, ADR and litigation though Bombay High Court.
•3 months in Group Compliance, London completing a Global Questionnaire on compliance benchmarking.

Legal counsel at DAIWA EUROPE
  • Great Britain (UK)
  • September 1991 to February 1993

Established the legal function as Daiwa's first in-house counsel managing legal risk, including in interest rate and cross currency swaps, corporate lending and custody. For example:
•Instrumental in setting Daiwa's policy on operational, credit and collateral risk parameters when negotiating ISDA master documentation and credit support.
•Assisted with establishment of Daiwa's first stock lending programme.

Associate at HAMADA & MATSUMOTO
  • Japan - Tokyo
  • April 1990 to April 1991

Assisted on Eurobond issuance and corporate transactions. For example:
•Attended offices of issuers for due diligence.
•Drafted offering circulars for Eurobond issues and coordinated with London law firms on subsidiary issue documents and closings, for example, Mitsubishi Motors and Shimano.
•Advised Olympus on its joint venture with Symbol Technologies (barcode technology).

Legal counsel at LEHMAN BROTHERS
  • Great Britain (UK)
  • October 1988 to March 1990

•Negotiated documentation for equity sales and trading, stock lending, covered warrant and repurchase transactions.
•Coordinated compliance policy in response to deregulation.
•Ensured proper control procedures for confidential information between banking and trading.
•Settled the dispute with L. Messel & Co. regarding the meaning of “partnership accounts” as it related to unclaimed accumulated securities and distributions following Lehman's acquisition of L. Messel & Co.

at SLAUGHER AND MAY
  • Great Britain (UK)
  • July 1987 to September 1988
Trainee solicitor
  • July 1987 to April 1988

following transfer of articles from Kingsford Dorman, Lincoln's Inn, Trust and Litigation departments)
Assisted on various banking, capital markets, and M&A transactions.

Education

Higher diploma, Business Law
  • at The University Of Law
  • January 1985

courses: Admitted a Solicitor in England and Wales (Current Practising Certificate

Bachelor's degree, Law and Politics
  • at Durham University
  • January 1983

Specialties & Skills

Credit Derivatives
Alternative Assets
Islamic Finance
Structured Finance
Private Equity
DOCUMENTATION
EQUITIES
LEADERSHIP
MANAGEMENT
SECURITIES
DERIVATIVES

Memberships

The Law Society
  • Member
  • April 1988

Training and Certifications

Practising Certificate (Certificate)
Date Attended:
November 2022
Valid Until:
October 2023