Jonathan Gilmour

Jonathan is a partner and Head of Travers Smith’s Derivatives & Structured Products Group. He is also a member of the firm’s ESG and Impact Group.

Specialising in derivatives and structured products from both a transactional and advisory standpoint, he is widely regarded by peers and clients as one of the leading specialists in his field, and as a champion of ‘buy-side’ interests in the UK derivatives market. He counts among his clients some of the UK’s largest and most sophisticated financial institutions, investment managers, alternative asset managers, challenger banks, fintechs and occupational pension schemes. Jonathan is rated as a ‘Leading Individual’ by both Chambers and Legal 500, and is ‘Highly Regarded’ by the IFLR.

Jonathan regularly negotiates and advises on ISDA, GMRA and GMSLA documentation as well as the impact of related regulation including EMIR and SFTR.  He also advises on the structure and documentation of bespoke transactions, including in the form of sustainability-linked derivatives, to hedge exposure to key market risks, including interest rate, inflation, FX, carbon exposures and longevity; and advises on investment management, custody, clearing and collateral management arrangements, as well as pension scheme funding and risk transfer arrangements.

Jonathan has been appointed to the Panel of Recognised International Market Experts in Finance (P.R.I.M.E. Finance), a carefully vetted international group of over 200 legal and financial experts.  He is a member of International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA), the International Capital Market Association (ICMA), International Securities Lending Association (ISLA), and Futures Industry Association (FIA) Working Groups and sits on the Financial Markets Law Committee’s (FMLC) Infrastructure, Fintech, Asset Management, and Insurance & Pensions Scoping Forums.

Jonathan is a regular and sought-after speaker on derivatives and is the Contributing Editor of the International Comparative Legal Guide (ICLG) to Derivatives Laws and Regulations.

He is a member of the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA) and Invest Europe Derivatives Working Groups, chairs the Association of Pension Lawyers’ Investment and DC Sub-Committee, sits on the Society of Pension Professionals’ Investment Committee, and serves as Treasurer of the Pensions Management Institute’s London Group.

He is also a member of the Governance Committee of the UK Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) Forum, The UK Sustainable Investment & Finance Association’s Green Taxonomy Advisory Working Group and the UK Board of the Global Alliance of Impact Lawyers.  He counts amongst his pro bono clients the Impact Investing Institute, Green Finance Institute and UN-PRI.

Jonathan also chairs the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Board, acts as Chair of our Faith Resources Group and plays a crucial role in creating a fully inclusive workplace where people can be themselves and where everyone can achieve their potential, as well as encouraging internal discussion on inclusion, diversity and collaboration.