Image of Annabelle Whitby-Smith

Annabelle Whitby-Smith

Senior Knowledge Lawyer

Annabelle joined the firm in 2002.

Formerly a Senior Associate in the Derivatives and Structured Finance team, she joined the department’s knowledge lawyer team in 2010. She has extensive experience of both derivatives and structured finance transactions and the regulatory developments affecting these markets.

Annabelle has a particular interest in EU and UK regulation applicable in the derivatives and structured finance space. She is actively involved in a number of industry working groups and has held the pen on industry responses to regulatory developments such as the Benchmarks Regulation, PRIIPs, MIFID II and the applicability of ESG to collateral. Annabelle is an expert on benchmarks.

EU and UK Benchmarks Regulation (the BMR) and IBOR transition has formed a core part of Annabelle’s practice since the BMR was first proposed in 2013. Among other things, Annabelle has assisted both sell-side and buy-side clients with BMR compliance and IBOR-related projects, as well as participating in industry responses to BMR-related consultations and delivering training at a firm and industry level. She has also advised clients extensively on interpretation and implementation of EU and UK PRIIPs Regulation.

Experience

Pro bono

Virtual Judge for Social Shifters Global Innovation Challenge 2023 Member of internal Well-being Group planning internal events.

Speaking Engagements

  • Guest speaker, ISDA Symposium® ISDA 2018 Benchmarks Supplement, May 2019
  • Guest speaker, ISDA Symposium on MIFID II/MiFIR: Retail Structured Products – Product Governance and Intervention, 2014

Qualifications

Admissions

Admitted as solicitor, England and Wales, 2004

Academic

BA, Modern Languages, Worcester College, Oxford University, 1999

MA, Modern Languages, Worcester College, Oxford University, 2001

Graduate Diploma in Law, BPP Law School, 2001

Legal Practice Course, BPP Law School, 2002

Languages

German
Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.