Dechert hired Matthew K. Kerfoot as a counsel in the financial services group. Kerfoot, who will be based at the firm's New York office, was most recently senior vice president on HSBC’s global structured fund products desk.
He also previously practiced in the areas of derivatives, commodities, and securities law at Credit Suisse and an international corporate law firm.
Kerfoot advises clients on the structuring and documentation of equity, credit, and commodity derivatives transactions.
He has specific expertise in margin, bankruptcy, and bank regulatory issues related to derivatives as well as structured products.
The new hire also has extensive experience in advising hedge funds, broker-dealers, mutual funds, and end-users in the negotiation and documentation of derivatives and securities trading platforms, including International Swaps and Derivatives Association, repo and prime brokerage arrangements.
He has advised domestic and offshore funds on formation issues and strategic investments, as well as the structuring and documentation of synthetic and traditional credit facilities for banks, family offices, hedge funds, and funds of funds.
"Matt has extensive derivatives experience and he will further enhance our existing, very talented, derivatives and structured products team, " said Joseph R. Fleming, co-chair of Dechert's financial services group. "Matt has worked on structuring a wide variety of complex derivative products and he understands both the legal and operational intricacies of these products, having spent many years counseling the derivatives trading desks of various financial institutions."
"We are pleased to have Matt join us. His deep expertise and market knowledge will be of great interest to our clients," said George J. Mazin, a partner and co-head of the firm’s private fund and hedge fund practice in the U.S.
"Dechert has a renowned global hedge fund and derivatives practice," Kerfoot said. "I look forward to using my business and legal background in the derivatives and hedge fund space to contribute to Dechert's remarkable platform."
