Michaela Walker

Michaela is a financial services lawyer and advises fund managers on the establishment of authorized funds and advises a broad range of financial institutions.

These include asset managers, depositaries and custodians on financial services regulation, including AIFMD, UCITS, MiFID and in relation to ESG and sustainability.

Michaela is the Product Group Head of the Eversheds Sutherland financial services team and heads the Financial Services sector in Europe. She has advised financial institutions on a wide range of financial services issues since she qualified in 1994.

She has more than 25 years’ experience of advising leading asset managers, depositaries, custodians, administrators and other service providers, charities, pension schemes and other financial institutions on regulatory and product-related work.

She regularly advises clients in the structuring and establishment of investment funds — both onshore and offshore — and regarding issues arising in the life cycle of a fund, including mergers, changes to investment strategy and service providers.

Michaela advises on all contracts relevant to fund establishment, including depositary agreements, investment management agreements and custody arrangements. She also advises on all aspects of distribution of funds, including passporting, distribution agreements, and private placement regimes and relevant disclosure documents.

Her practice includes advising on the various relevant regulatory changes, including UCITS and AIFMD, MiFID, PRIIPs and Brexit, and the impact of ESG and sustainability factors on funds and fund managers.

In her spare time Michaela enjoys travel, cooking, improving her French language skills and reading.