Edward Smith And Seyavash Rahnema Join Pinsent Masons To Strengthen Finance & Restructuring Practice
Edward Smith and Seyavash Rahnema Join Pinsent Masons to Strengthen Finance & Restructuring Practice
Multinational law firm Pinsent Masons has announced the appointments of Edward Smith and Seyavash Rahnema as partners to its Finance & Restructuring practice, enhancing the firm’s cross-jurisdictional capabilities in London and the Middle East.
Edward Smith joins the firm’s London office from Travers Smith, bringing over 25 years of experience advising on restructuring matters. He has played a pivotal role in high-profile restructurings across the retail, leisure, and hospitality sectors. At Pinsent Masons, Edward will leverage his expertise to advise company boards navigating financial distress and complex corporate restructurings.
Seyavash Rahnema will be based in the firm’s Dubai office, joining from Norton Rose Fulbright. He has more than a decade of experience in banking and finance, advising borrowers, lenders, and financial facilitators on complex cross-border transactions. At Pinsent Masons, Seyavash will work closely with Matthew Escritt to support financial institutions and corporate clients across the UAE and wider Middle East region.
Commenting on the hires, Matt Morgan, Head of Finance and Restructuring, EMEA, said,
“Both Ed and Seya bring with them a wealth of restructuring and finance experience and are great additions to our team. As the Middle East region continues to see growth in the banking sector, Seya’s expertise will bring a fresh perspective to our clients in the region, add to the strong existing team we already have and further cement our commitment to building a truly cross-jurisdictional finance practice.”
Steve Cottee, Head of Restructuring, said,
“We know that restructuring is an incredibly difficult time for a business and having the right legal advice is critical in ensuring the process runs smoothly. We have recently acted on the administration of the ISG construction group and the restructure of Poundland and Ed’s arrival gives us additional depth of expertise to support clients like these during these testing times.”
On joining Pinsent Masons, Edward Smith said,
“Pinsent Masons was a natural fit for me. It has a fantastic reputation within the sector and I am looking forward to working with Steve and the team.”
Seyavash Rahnema said:,
“Pinsent Masons has a strong reputation in the Middle East and I am thrilled to be joining the team to support clients in the banking and finance space. Exciting announcement: I am delighted to share that I have joined Pinsent Masons as a Partner in the Finance practice. My journey into law was not a conventional one — I started my career as an engineer and entered the legal profession later than most. But with perseverance and hard work, I have been able to reach a milestone that I've always aspired to. I would like to extend my gratitude to my former colleagues at NRF, who supported me throughout my journey, and to my clients, who placed their trust in me and kindly acted as my referees. Your encouragement and confidence have been instrumental in helping me get here. Finally, I want to pay tribute to Dubai — the city where I was raised, and which has been my home for over 30 years. It has given me the opportunities, resources, and inspiration to build my career and flourish both personally and professionally. I am excited for this new chapter and look forward to continuing to serve my clients and contribute to the growth of the firm in the region.”
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