Clifford Chance
Emma Matebalavu is Global Head of Global Financial Markets and specialises in Real Estate Finance and all types of structured debt. She specialises in real estate related senior and mezzanine debt, intercreditor arrangements, restructuring and enforcement.
Emma advises on CMBS and RMBS transactions, acting for servicers, borrowers, noteholders and other stakeholders. She also has significant experience of securitisation of personal loan, credit lenders, whole businesses and residential mortgages.
Emma is a member of European Securitisation Forum/Association for Financial Markets in Europe and Commercial Mortgage Securities Association and speaks regularly at conferences.
- Advised Deutsche Bank AG on Sage AR Funding 2021 PLC, the second social housing CMBS on the market. This is an agency CMBS of a circa £275 million floating-rate social housing-backed senior loan.
- Advised Deutsche Bank AG on Sage AR Funding No. 1 PLC CMBS, the first social housing CMBS on the market. This is an agency CMBS of a £220 million floating-rate social housing-backed senior loan.
- Advised Morgan Stanley as senior lenders on MStar, a €383.5 million facility for a refinancing of the original 2018 facility was to finance the acquisition of a portfolio of 42 industrial and urban logistics German and Dutch properties.
- Advised Bank of America on Taurus 2021-4 UK, its £805.99 million UK last-mile logistics CMBS for Blackstone, secured on industrial assets, land and office assets across the UK.
- Advised Bank of America on an upsized underwritten CMBS £450 million (from £393.3 million), Taurus 2020-2 UK secured on logistics and industrial properties in the UK. This was one of the first SONIA linked CMBS transactions in the market where the underlying loan is also linked to SONIA.
- Advised Bank of America as arranger and lead manager on the Sunflower II (Taurus 2019-2 UK DAC) securitisation of a £418.1 million loan facility to refinance 126 urban logistic and multi-let industrial properties in the United Kingdom.
- Advised Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch, as arranger of the Italian agency Pietra Nera Uno CMBS for Blackstone as originator.
- Advised Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch, as original lender of the Italian agency Spark CMBS (DECO 2019-VIVALDI S.R.L.) for Blackstone as sponsor.
- Advised Goldman Sachs International on the €278 million Kanaal CMBS backed by two separate loans secured over 17 office and retail assets located in the Netherlands owned by Marathon and Castlelake respectively.
- Advised a major UK bank on the securitisation of commercial mortgage loans sold by Finance Ireland Credit Solutions DAC.
- Advised Bain Capital Credit on arranging a new capital stream for Linus Digital Finance, reaffirming the firm's ever-growing focus on financial investors. The €183m funding deal is designated to expand Linus Digital Finance's real estate financing across Europe, with initial focus on the UK and Germany, whilst enabling Bain Capital Credit to create a new strategic partnership to support Linus Digital Finance’s growth trajectory and as part of its broader European real estate investment portfolio.
News and client work
Contact details
- Clifford Chance, London
- +442070064828
- Email me
- Practice area Global Financial Markets
- Sector Banks, Energy & resources, Funds & investment management, Insurance, Private equity
Career and qualifications
- University College, Oxford University (Law with French law at Panthéon-Assas Paris II) 1997
- Joined Clifford Chance 1999
- Admitted as a solicitor in England & Wales 2000
- Partner since 2008
- Global Head of Financial Markets since 2022
Professional bodies
- Member of the European Securitisation Forum/Association for Financial Markets in Europe
- Member of the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council (Europe) (Regulatory Committee, CMBS 2.0 Committee)
Awards and citations
- "Emma reacts quickly to complex legal issues and delivers a seamless product."
Chambers UK 2025 : Real Estate Finance - "She is approachable and commercially astute. Emma reacts quickly to complex legal issues and delivers a seamless product."
Chambers UK 2025 : Real Estate Finance - Emma Matebalavu is ranked as "Highly regarded ".
IFLR 1000 2024, Capital markets : Structured finance and securitisation, Real estate finance,
- United Kingdom. - Featured in The Lawyer Hot 100 List 2020