Research

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Lisa Byrns graduated from Wellesley College in 1982 with Wellesley Scholar Honors and Cornell Law School cum laude in 1987. Lisa practiced at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett for seven years where she represented primarily agents, arrangers and lenders in a wide variety of syndicated and structured financings. Prior to joining Covenant Review, she was a senior attorney at Berger Legal LLC, a Connecticut-based boutique law firm and a pioneer in the alternative-delivery model of sophisticated legal services. She joined Covenant Review in 2018.

Ian Feng graduated from University of Texas in Austin in 2006 and the New York University School of Law cum laude in 2009. Prior to joining Covenant Review, Ian practiced law at Latham & Watkins LLP and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, focusing primarily on corporate and sponsor-backed finance transactions representing both arrangers and financial institutions and sponsors and corporate borrowers. Ian has extensive experience representing agent banks, arrangers, and other financial institutions, as well as sponsor and corporate borrowers in a variety of acquisition / LBO financings and project finance transactions. Ian joined Covenant Review in 2015.

Alexander graduated from Oberlin College in 1999, obtained a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2002, and received an L.L.M. (master of laws) from the University of Amsterdam in 2003. Alexander has analyzed a wide array of corporate bonds since beginning working with Covenant Review in 2006. He is principally focused on investment grade issuers with perceived event risk and analyzing the critical variances that may result in covenant arbitrage opportunities among their bonds.

Justin Forlenza graduated from Cornell University in 2003 and from Fordham Law School magna cum laude in 2007. Justin has practiced law at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and most recently at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. Justin has extensive experience with leveraged finance transactions, including the negotiation and execution of credit agreements and bond indentures, issues relating to secured transactions under Articles 8 and 9 of the UCC, LBO financings, and the analysis of complex stressed and distressed capital structures. Justin was with Covenant Review from 2012 until 2018 and rejoined Covenant Review in August of 2019.

Manisha is a dual qualified solicitor in English and South African law. Manisha graduated from the University of Cape Town, South Africa in 2003 with her Bachelor of Laws degree and from Rhodes University, South Africa in 2001 with an honours degree in Political Studies focusing on democratic theory. Prior to joining Covenant Review, Manisha practiced law at Baker McKenzie LLP in London and Clifford Chance LLP in London, where she specialised in banking and finance representing agents, lenders, sponsors and borrowers with a focus on leverage and corporate acquisition finance, private placements and restructuring. Manisha joined Covenant Review in 2016.

Alastair Gillespie joined Covenant Review in 2020 from the London office of Milbank LLP, and is a graduate of Yale University and the McGill University Faculty of Law. Alastair is a New York securities lawyer with a decade of experience representing issuers and underwriters in the London and New York high yield and leveraged finance markets, and has completed secondments to the Merchant Banking Division of Goldman Sachs and the legal department of J.P. Morgan. Prior to his legal career Alastair served as an advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada. He is also the author of The Confederation Series, a history of five founders of modern Canada, for which he received the Senate of Canada Sesquicentennial Medal in 2017.

Jane is a dual-qualified solicitor with more than 15 years of experience in the European leveraged finance market, having worked on leveraged finance documentation through multiple credit cycles, including on the first "cov-lite” loan in Europe. Jane practised law at Dentons and Lovells, and as an in-house lawyer at Credit Mutuel - CIC specialising in European syndicated loans and direct lending. Before joining Covenant Review in 2015 to build its European research products, Jane was Head of Legal at DebtXplained, building both their loan and high yield bond platforms. Jane now serves as the Head of European Research, covering the high yield bond and leveraged loan markets in Europe, and providing covenant analysis to the investor community on the largest top-tier sponsor deals coming to market. She represents Covenant Review on the Board of the High Yield Division of the Association for Financial Markets in Europe and as a member of the Loan Market Association.

Ross Hallock graduated from Dartmouth College summa cum laude in 1997 and Harvard Law School cum laude in 2000. He has practiced law at Gibson Dunn and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. He has represented both borrowers and providers of capital in a wide range of financing transactions, including bank loans, high yield offerings, investment grade offerings, and mezzanine financings. He has considerable experience in financings involving private equity sponsors. Ross began working with Covenant Review in 2012.

Shoshanna was a Global Law Scholar at Georgetown University Law Center, where she graduated magna cum laude in 2006. She began her legal career at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, practicing in London and Sydney, before joining the London office of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP in 2012. As a securities law and corporate finance specialist, Shoshanna has advised issuers, underwriters, and investment funds on a variety of financing transactions, including 144A/Reg S debt and equity offerings, private placements, and liability management transactions. Shoshanna joined Covenant Review in 2017.

Kirsten attended Duke University and Harvard Law School before starting her career in New York at Cahill Gordon. She has experience in a wide variety of capital markets transactions, particularly with respect to 144A / Reg S high yield debt financings, along with private placements and equity issuances. Before joining Covenant Review, Kirsten was a European high yield specialist in the London offices of Cahill Gordon and Weil, and also spent a year in the U.S. as a REITs specialist at Alston & Bird. Kirsten joined Covenant Review in 2019.

Scott Josefsberg graduated from St. John’s University School of Law summa cum laude in 2005, where he was on the St. John’s Law Review. Prior to joining Covenant Review, Scott was a corporate finance attorney at Latham & Watkins LLP. At Latham, Scott primarily represented underwriters and issuers in Rule 144A high yield offerings, registered offerings of equity and investment grade debt, and debt exchange offers. He has considerable experience in financings for leveraged buyouts. Scott began working with Covenant Review in 2013.

Avon Khowong graduated from Williams College cum laude in 2006 and New York University School of Law in 2009. Prior to joining Covenant Review, Avon practiced law at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, specializing in banking and finance. Avon has extensive experience representing borrowers, sponsors, agents, arrangers, and lenders in acquisition financings / leveraged buyouts, first and second lien financings, multi- lender and syndicated financings, and project financings. Avon joined Covenant Review in 2017.

Peggy Mevs graduated from Clark University and obtained both a master’s in foreign service and a law degree from Georgetown University in 1984. Prior to joining Covenant Review, Peggy practiced law as a banking and finance attorney at Crédit Lyonnais (now Crédit Agricole), Watson, Farley & Williams, Jones Day, and GE Capital. Peggy is admitted to practice law in New York, Connecticut, and the District of Columbia. She also was admitted as an Avocat to the Paris Bar and is trilingual in English, French, and Spanish. Peggy joined Covenant Review in 2018.

Becky Quan graduated from Georgetown University cum laude in 2010 and from Cornell University Law School in 2013. Prior to joining Covenant Review, Becky practiced law at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP and Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP. She has extensive experience representing corporate borrowers, sponsors, agents, arrangers, and other financial institutions in a variety of acquisition / LBO financings, first and second lien financings, and syndicated financings. Becky joined Covenant Review in 2019.

Jessica Reiss graduated from Brandeis University magna cum laude in 1999 and from University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2002. Jessica practiced law at Shearman & Sterling LLP, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, and Goodwin Procter LLP. She has extensive experience representing borrowers, lenders, arrangers, agent banks, and sponsors on complex commercial syndicated revolving and term loans; senior, junior and mezzanine financings; leveraged buyouts; and offerings of debt securities. Prior to joining Covenant Review, Jessica was the head of loan covenant research for Moody’s. Jessica joined Covenant Review in 2015.

Ricky Sharma joined Covenant Review in 2018 and is a senior covenant analyst at the firm. He graduated from University College London in 2003 and BBP law school in 2005. Prior to joining Covenant Review, Ricky both trained and practiced law at Clifford Chance LLP, focusing primarily on corporate and sponsor-backed finance transactions representing financial institutions, sponsors, and corporate borrowers.