Expertise

Alina heads our Banking and Finance practice and has developed her expertise during more than 23 years of practical experience in a wide range of projects, including complex mergers and acquisitions projects in the banking sector, financing transactions, sales/acquisitions and development of real estate projects, as well as assistance on corporate matters, contracts and a large number of projects requiring thorough knowledge of regulatory matters in the financial services field.

Alina has assisted clients in landmark deals on the Romanian market, advising companies in relation to multi-jurisdictional or domestic financing and refinancing facilities, shaping complex security structures and addressing key financing aspects in various borrower default or insolvency scenarios.

Her practice focuses on:

  • banking
  • corporate finance
  • acquisition finance
  • project finance
  • real estate
  • corporate
  • mergers and acquisitions in the banking sector
  • the launch of new banking products and other financial services
  • restructuring and insolvency
  • financing on the debt markets
  • financing of public authorities
  • insurance

Industry Focus

Representative Cases and Transactions

Banking and Finance

  • assistance to a local administrative body in relation to the largest ever municipal bond issue in Romania, amounting to 500 million EUR
  • assistance to the Romanian government in connection with the sale of a majority interest in Romania’s largest state-owned financial institution to the leading Austrian bank at 3.75 billion EUR, as well as with respect to the pre-privatisation stage, including the  structuring, negotiation and execution of a sale of 25% of BCR’s share capital to international financial institutions and the transfer of 8% of its share capital to BCR employees
  • assistance to a leading American financial institution in the cross-border merger process of its Irish and Romanian branches, the first cross-border merger implemented in Romania as a result of which Citibank Romania transferred all of its assets and liabilities to Citibank Ireland; following this process, Citibank Romania was dissolved in parallel with the establishment of the Romanian branch of Citibank Ireland
  • assistance to the real estate division of a major investment bank in relation to the financing of a 341 million EUR forward purchase of two office buildings and two residential buildings located in the northern area of Bucharest
  • assistance to two major European banks in connection with the Romanian security package related to a syndicated senior and mezzanine financing of approximately 300 million GBP for a group of companies with affiliates in Romania
  • assistance to the agent and a syndicate of banks and financial institutions in a multi-jurisdictional syndicated facility, with a value of 80 million EUR, extended to a group of companies in process of restructuring within insolvency proceedings abroad, including aspects related to the release of existing security and creating new security
  • assistance to a major CEE real estate developer in connection with a financing in excess of 200 million EUR for various real estate projects including office and residential developments in Bucharest and shopping malls outside Bucharest
  • assistance to the arranger and leading banks in connection with a syndicated facility in excess of 180 million RON granted to the Bucharest Sector 6 Municipality
  • assistance to a leading international bank, in connection with the loans (amounting to 40 million EUR and 16.4 million EUR) extended to the Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport for development and modernization of the airport, guaranteed by sovereign guarantees and with the support of Servizi Assicurativi del Commercio Estero
  • assistance on Romanian law aspects (including the security package) to a club of major credit institutions extending a 100 million EUR loan to a major pharmaceutical company for refinancing an existing facility and for general corporate purposes

Insurance and Private Pensions

  • assistance to a leading EU based insurance company on regulatory matters related to the extension of its insurance operations in Romania
  • assistance to a major insurance company on regulatory and tax matters regarding the provision of insurance products in Romania
  • assistance to an insurance company in relation to a new insurance product intended to be offered and related channels of distribution

Accolades

Included in international rankings since 2007; most recently:

  • Top Ranked, Banking and Finance (Chambers and Partners, 2020)
  • Ranked, Restructuring/Insolvency (Chambers and Partners, 2018)
  • Included in The Legal 500 Hall of Fame
  • Leading Individual, Banking and Finance (Legal 500, 2020)
  • Recommended, Capital Markets (Legal 500, 2020)
  • Recommended, Restructuring and Insolvency (Legal 500, 2020)
  • Market Leader, Banking and Finance (IFLR 1000, 2020)

The “excellent” Alina Radu is “very polite, diplomatic, smart and hard-working.”
(Chambers and Partners, 2020)

Alina Radu is “one of the most experienced banking lawyer in Romania. It is always a plus to have her on our side in any transaction”.
(IFLR 1000, 2020)

Alina Radu is “a magnificent lawyer”.
(Legal 500, 2019)

Her advisory practice stands out to sources, who note that she is a “very good consultancy lawyer”.
(Chambers and Partners, 2018)

Alina Radu “is very proficient and responds very quickly, she is reliable in terms of delivery and available at all times for discussions”.
(Chambers and Partners, 2017)

Alina Radu is a highly respected figure with wide experience of domestic and international financing transactions.
(Chambers and Partners, 2016)

Education

  • University of Bucharest Law School, Law Degree
  • Lawyers’ Management program organised by IE Law School

Memberships and Affiliations

  • Bucharest Bar

Notable Contributions

  • contributor to NNDKP – COVID-19 Legal & Tax Resource Center
  • speaker at the online ZF Bankers Summit 2020, organized by Ziarul Financiar (July 2020)
  • speaker at the online conference ZF Restart Romania, organized by Ziarul Financiar (May 2020)
  • speaker at the Romanian Banking Forum, organized by FinMedia (2019)
  • speaker at the 6th edition of the Foreign Investors Summit, Panel “Investments in the banking and insurance sectors”, organized by Business Review (2019)
  • “The new law on the prevention and combating of money laundering – is it easier or more difficult to ensure conformity?” (Lexology, 2019)
  • speaker at ZF Bankers Summit’19, organized by Ziarul Financiar (2019)
  • speaker at the “IPO Bootcamp” event, organized by Tradeville (2018)
  • speaker at the “Romanian Banking Forum”, organized by Finmedia and Piata Financiara (2018)
  • speaker at the workshop “Corporate Debt Financing for Romanian Entrepreneurs”, organized by Cornerstone Communications (2018)
  • Q&A on syndicated loans (Bizlawyer, 2018)
  • CEE Non-performing loans guide – Romania chapter (Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, 2014-2015)
  • speaker at the General counsel forum discussion on Key issues in banking regulation – 2014 and beyond (Bucharest, 2014)
  • Presentations in seminars organized by the National Bank of Romania, Romanian Banking Institute, Romanian Banking Association and the Banks’ In-house Counsels Association, dealing with current issues on the banking and finance market (such as major aspects in restructuring of loan agreements) (2011 – present)
  • speaker at the Balkan Legal Forum, Restructuring & Insolvency (Sofia, 2010)
  • European Insolvency Regulations – Application of the European Regulation and Insolvency Proceedings (Thomson Reuters, 2010)
  • Financial Services Regulation in Europe – Romania chapter (Oxford University Press, 2008)
  • PLC Cross-border Finance Handbook, Taking Security in Finance Transactions – Romania chapter (PLC, 2008)
  • speaker at The Romanian PPP Challenge: Path to Economic Growth and Development (Bucharest, 2008)