People
Donna Parisi
Biography
Donna is a global leader in the financial markets and financial institutions sector, helping clients navigate the complex and dynamic world of financial innovation.
She advises clients on derivatives, structured products, securitization, capital markets, and commodities transactions. Whether it is creating new financial products, negotiating and documenting OTC derivative contracts, or complying with regulatory changes, Donna works closely with her clients to understand their objectives and deliver tailored and effective solutions across all asset classes and sectors. She has the privilege of representing some of the world's leading financial institutions, as well as hedge funds, private investment funds, and corporate clients.
As Financial Institutions Sector Lead, Donna is instrumental in defining the firm's strategic direction and enhancing client service offerings in this sector. Her leadership also involves cultivating robust relationships with various banks, ensuring the firm stays at the cutting edge of financial innovation and client service excellence.
In addition, Donna co-leads the firm's Family Office initiative, which is dedicated to fostering family offices' long-term, multigenerational success with a focus on education and regular programming. The multidisciplinary team of lawyers she works with deeply understands the complexities and the legal, business, and personal challenges involved in family ownership. With over 100 years in the family office space, the team recognizes that each family office is unique. Under her leadership, the firm is hosting the fifth annual Family Office Summit, bringing together family office principals and senior-level executives to explore key issues impacting the family office space.
Thanks to her clients, Donna has been highly ranked by Chambers USA: Derivatives for eighteen consecutive years. She has also been inducted into the Legal 500 US Hall of Fame for Finance: Structured Finance - Derivatives and Structured Products and named as a Highly Regarded Lawyer for Capital Markets: Derivatives by IFLR1000.
Beyond her professional achievements, Donna is committed to advancing career opportunities for all through skill building, mentoring, and networking.
Practice areas
- Derivatives
- Financial services advisory and regulatory
- Financial market infrastructure regulation
- Finance
- Data privacy and data protection
- Funds and asset management
- Capital markets
- Structured finance, securitizations and CLOs
- Digital assets
Sectors
- Fintech
- Energy
- Oil and gas
- Renewables
- Private capital
- Private credit
- Banks
- Financial institutions
Selected experience
- Leading cryptocurrency investment firm and brokerage firm on transacting in cryptocurrency-related derivatives.
- Five international banks in negotiating highly structured repurchase transactions with Banco Central de la República Argentina (BCRA). These transactions were crucial in bolstering the U.S. dollar reserves of BCRA at a critical time in Argentina’s history, increasing BCRA’s capacity to confront external shocks and minimizing potential disruption in the local market.
- Liberty Global and Discovery Communications on equity derivatives transactions in connection with their acquisition of five million common shares each of Lions Gate Entertainment. This highly innovative deal was one of the first equity derivatives transactions executed concurrently with the acquisition of a strategic stake in a U.S. public company.
- A group of financial institutions regarding commodity hedges in the context of oil and gas company bankruptcies, including close-out issues and hedging issues in connection with new business with debtor-in-possession such as DIP and Exit Facility secured financings.
- A global financial institution in relation to a USD75 million margin loan financing with the margin consisting of three equities, and security governed by English law, New York law and Ontario law.
- A global financial institution and its affiliates globally regarding the implementation of margin for uncleared swaps, one of the last remaining Dodd-Frank reforms.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts, Vassar College, 1989 J.D., magna cum laude, Boston College Law School, 1993, Order of the Coif
Admissions
- State of New York, USA, 1994