Deborah Zandstra

Deborah Zandstra heads the firm's sovereign debt advisory and restructuring practice. Deborah specialises in sovereign debt restructuring (with a balanced debtor and creditor practice) and in sovereign debt financings of all types and works on sovereign/sub-sovereign/SOE bonds and loans, with and without guarantees from multilateral development banks (including blue and social bonds and loans and debt for nature swaps).

Deborah's work includes advising on repackaging of sovereign claims and on structured products with sovereigns/sub-sovereigns/SOEs as well as on the regulatory capital treatment of sovereign exposures and de-risking transactions. Deborah regularly advises in the policy space, supporting market innovations (enhanced collective action and pari passu clauses, MVPs for sovereign loans, Climate Resilient Debt Clauses, debt transparency principles, among others, relating to sovereign debt) and has participated in a number of Expert Groups to improve the international architecture for resolving sovereign debt.

Deborah regularly leads educational seminars on sovereign debt restructuring issues, ISDA documentation and EU matters including financial stability for clients and internally.

Deborah is the Africa Practice Leader for Sovereigns.