Mayer Brown announced that Douglas Donahue has joined the firm’s global Banking & Finance practice and Derivatives & Structured Products group as a partner in New York. Previously, he was a lawyer with Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP in New York.

“Doug is well-known in the industry for his extensive experience in advising financial institutions on a broad range of matters involving derivatives, including development, structuring, negotiation and documentation, as well as regulatory issues, particularly those related to the Dodd-Frank Act,” said Jon Van Gorp, co-leader of Mayer Brown’s global Banking & Finance practice. “His arrival will enhance our ability to advise on the ongoing transformation of the derivatives and financial products industry as part of our full-service Banking & Finance offerings to clients around the world.”

Donahue has a diverse practice that focuses on transactional and advisory matters related to derivatives. He represents both buy- and sell-side institutions, including some of the foremost dealers, banks and hedge funds, in connection with the development, structuring, negotiation and documentation of a wide variety of financial products. These products include total return swaps, swap intermediations, credit derivatives, interest rate swaps, commodity swaps, currency swaps, and other funded and unfunded products. Mr. Donahue also advises such clients on regulatory issues, particularly those arising in the wake of the Dodd-Frank Act, related to derivatives. He has extensive experience with hybrid products that combine securitization and/or project finance techniques and derivatives. 

In addition, Donahue has broad experience in the use of derivatives and financial products in the municipal markets, including interest rate swaps, rate locks, credit default swaps, total return swaps, forward delivery agreements, forward bond purchase agreements and gas prepay financings.

“As regulations affecting the global derivatives and financial products industry become increasingly complex, Mayer Brown’s global footprint and presence in the world’s key financial centers will enhance my ability to advise financial institutions on US compliance and how regulations in various jurisdictions will interact with one another,” said Donahue. “I look forward to leveraging my knowledge to enhance Mayer Brown’s strong reputation in the derivatives market and further diversify the firm’s full-service Banking & Finance practice.”

Richard Spehr, partner-in-charge of Mayer Brown’s New York office, said: “Doug’s arrival continues the growth of the firm’s New York office while enabling us to better serve clients on a broad range of derivatives-related matters in this important financial center and across the globe.”

Mayer Brown is a global legal services organization advising clients across the Americas, Asia and Europe.