Matthew Gilbert 2021 Speaker

Partner

Maples Group

Biography

Matthew is head of the Maples Group’s British Virgin Islands team in London and chairs the Real Estate Finance group.  He advises on finance, banking and corporate law matters involving BVI companies and partnerships, including public and private mergers and acquisitions, partnerships and joint ventures, debt and equity financings, and project, real estate and asset financing.  Matthew specialises in the listing of BVI companies on international stock exchanges, including the London Stock Exchange / AIM, NASDAQ and Toronto Stock Exchange.  He also advises on BVI insurance, compliance and regulatory law, and regularly contributes to industry journals, including PLC, International Corporate Rescue, Captive Review and FINalternatives.

Matthew’s has extensive experience in multi- jurisdictional secured debt and equity financings in the oil and gas sector and in Africa.  Some recent representative deals are as follows:

• Advised EBRD in relation to a proposed USD150million term secured A/B loan facility to be granted in favour of a Russian limited liability company engaged in the manufacturing, distribution and service of electric submersible pump systems and equipment for oil field services.
• Advised the 10.5% noteholder of the Seven Energy Group in relation to the Seven Energy debt restructuring.  Restructuring deal of the year at the Sub-Saharan Africa Awards 2020.
• Advised on the divestment of a 10% stake in a giant Mozambique gas field for US$2.45 billion.  Global M&A Deal of the Year: Africa at the American Legal Awards.
• Advising AFC in relation to the Segilola Gold Mine, Nigeria.

Matthew joined the Maples Group in the British Virgin Islands in 2007 and was elected as a partner in 2013.  Matthew previously worked for Lester Aldridge.  He has been recommended by Legal 500 and Chambers UK, where he was described as “a formidable BVI adviser” and has a “very commercial mind and can-do attitude.”  According to the 2020 edition of Legal 500, clients describe Matthew as being “very user-friendly” giving “helpful and constructive” advice.  Matthew has co-written BVI chapters of the International Comparative Legal Guide to Lending and Secured Finance, and the International Comparative Legal Guide to Mergers and Acquisitions and is an editor of, and co-contributor to, the BVI text book Financial Services Demystified.