Kate Silverstein
Partner, Assets & Structured Finance Group
Watson Farley & Williams

Kate is a Partner in the firm's Assets & Structured finance group.
Kate specialises in asset finance with a focus on shipping. She has experience on a variety of transactions including ECA-backed products, offshore and FSRU financings and container and cruise ship financings and has advised on loan facilities, leasing arrangements and leasetails, portfolio transfers, complex restructurings and intercreditor agreements.

Kate has acted for owners, lenders and charterers and is listed as a Key Lawyer at the firm in the Transport Finance and Leasing category by Legal 500. She has also advised on a number of award-winning deals including Marine Money’s Structured Finance Deal of the Year Award 2023.  
Kate joined Watson Farley & Williams in 2007 as a trainee solicitor and qualified into the Asset Finance group of the Paris office in 2009 before returning to the London office in January 2012.

Experience 

Kate's experience includes advising:
●	Höegh LNG on the refinancing of the Höegh Esperanza and Höegh Gannet FSRUs that will service Germany’s new FLNG terminals in the North Sea ports of Wilhelmshaven, Lower Saxony, and Brunsbüttel, Schleswig-Holstein. Marine Money’s Structured Finance Deal of the Year Award 2023.
●	Euronav as maritime counsel on its US$1.15bn share purchase agreement for the acquisition of CMB.Tech.
●	Höegh LNG on the refinancing of the Höegh Galleon FSRU on long term charter with Squadron Energy’s Australian Industrial Energy.
●	Höegh LNG on the ECA-backed US$230m debt financing for its eighth FSRU. 
●	Höegh LNG on its first ever sale and leaseback deal with China Construction Bank Financial Leasing for its tenth FSRU which was taken back on charter by Höegh LNG for twelve years. 
●	MSC Cruises on an ECA backed debt financing facility in excess of US$2bn to fund the newbuilding programme for their four new luxury class ships constructed at Fincantieri, Italy. 
●	MSC Cruises S.A., the world's fourth largest cruise operator, regarding two loan facilities for the development of its private resort island in the Bahamas known as "MSC Ocean Cay Marine Reserve". 
●	Scorpio Tankers on a US$172m ECA-supported loan facility.