Image of Alexander Shopov

Alexander Shopov

Structured Debt Partner, London

I focus on four key areas, securitisation, Structured Real Estate, financial asset/real estate portfolio trading; I also lead the Structured Finance ESG team at Linklaters.

Overview

Professional experience

Education and qualifications

Overview

Alex is a cross-border structured debt partner, based in London, with 20 years’ experience of market firsts in both the performing and distressed financial asset markets. Alex is also experienced in the monetisation of non-standard asset classes and financial assets considered more difficult to securitise or repo. Alex was awarded the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Europe 2024 Award for Sustainability and ESG. Finally, Alex has led on a number of high-profile securitisation restructurings in Europe. 

Alex spent a year on secondment in the securitisation team of a leading international financial institution (in 2006) and led the legal R&D on a new securitisation product line.

Work highlights

His credentials include advising:

  • A fund client on a £4bn UK RMBS and the first-ever partial securitisation call and reissuance of part of the capital structure 
  • The arranger investment bank on a £3bn UK RMBS with a bank risk retainer structure
  • The issuer bank on the establishment of the first-ever Singapore covered bond programme
  • A fund client on the first UK equity release mortgage (ERM) securitisation since the financial crisis 
  • A fund client on the first-ever trade finance securitisation programme
  • The originator bank on the first-ever UK PFI project loan securitisation 
  • A fund client on the first-ever non-bank non-performing loan (NPL) securitisation in Portugal
  • Credit funds on an innovative non-recourse commercial real estate lending repo programmes (US law and English law)
  • A UK auto lender on its debut auto securitisation
  • A UK bank on its innovative fund finance forward flow disposal programme with a leveraged co-investor
  • A fund client on the acquisition financing of the largest portfolio of Spanish NPLs and REOs 
  • U.S.-based fund clients on their European risk retention platforms

Professional experience

Alex was the Chair of the governing body of a Hackney (London) primary school in difficulties and led its turnaround programme. During his eight years as governor, Alex and his colleagues saw the school go from the bottom of Hackney’s exam results table to being in the Top 3.

Education and qualifications

Alex studied law at Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge.