Bio
Gemma Whale is Counsel within the Corporate department in Jersey. She advises on all aspects of restructuring and insolvency, corporate finance, banking and regulatory law.
Having qualified as a Solicitor in England and Wales in 2009, prior to joining Appleby, Gemma spent 8 years in the restructuring and insolvency team of a leading international law firm. Gemma’s experience covers contentious and non-contentious insolvency and business restructuring advice to insolvency practitioners, institutional lenders and major corporate. She has extensive experience advising lenders on their security net, including the lender’s potential exposure, enforcement options and possible enhancements that could be made, in each case.
Gemma has spent nine months on secondment with the Mid Markets and SME divisions of the Business Support Unit of Lloyds Banking Group, which provided invaluable experience and insight into the drivers behind the decisions made by an institutional lender, something Gemma is able to draw upon, when appropriate, in delivering her advice.
Since her move to Jersey, Gemma has broadened her banking and regulatory experience, advising significant financial institutions on all aspects of regulatory compliance and most recently, assisting with the restructuring of a regulated entity in order to achieve ring fencing compliance.
Expertise:
- Acting for the joint administrators of a major UK fashion retailer in obtaining recognition of their appointment in Jersey, in order to be able to deal with Jersey situs assets.
- Taking a leading role in advising Santander UK plc on the transfer of their banking businesses in both Jersey and the Isle of Man into the respective Jersey and Isle of Man branches of Abbey National Treasury Services plc, pursuant to a court sanctioned scheme in each jurisdiction.
- Delivering advice to banks and other financial institutions with regard to compliance with the anti-money laundering legal and regulatory framework in Jersey.
- Acting for various lenders on a number of confidential restructurings of debt finance.
- Reviewing a wide variety of security documents, advising banks and asset based lenders and drafting reports commenting on the validity of such security and recommending steps to be taken to protect and enhance the lender’s position.
- Negotiating and completing numerous sales of commercial property in an insolvency context, most recently advising upon a GBP 14million disposal of student lettings accommodation.
- Advising the administrators of a major international stationery company on the realisation strategy of the administration and taking a leading role on the sale of the business and assets of the company.
- Taking a lead role and being the main client contact in respect of a corporate restructuring of the Bank’s customer, which resulted in GBP 13million debt reduction for the Bank.
- Dealing with insolvent companies in the leisure and hospitality sector, advising administrators on the sales of the business and assets of nightclubs, a public house and hotel.
Education:
College of Law, Birmingham (England)
University of Birmingham (England)
