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Portrait ofJason Harding

Jason Harding

Partner

CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
Cannon Place
78 Cannon Street
London
EC4N 6AF
United Kingdom
Languages English

Jason Harding acts for a wide range of leading financial institutions and corporates in all areas of the debt capital markets, including Eurobonds, securitisations, high-yield bonds, project bonds, collateralised debt obligations, structured finance and derivatives transactions.  He regularly advises new and existing clients on debt capital markets and derivatives transactions, encompassing everything from new transactions and restructurings of existing transactions, to advice on potential investments in debt capital markets transactions and derivatives products.

Jason has an extremely strong and well-balanced client base in both the debt capital markets and derivatives markets, which includes most of the high street banks, a number of leading investment banks and a variety of large corporates. He has a strong track record of advising in the debt capital markets and the derivatives markets across a wide range of regulated and non-regulated industries.  In addition, he is acknowledged as a leader in PFI/PPP bond transactions and in helping debut and other corporate issuers to enter the debt capital markets.  He is also recognised as a leader in assisting new entrants to enter the derivatives market.

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Ranked as a leading individual in Derivatives and Structured Products by Legal 500 (2014) and in Chambers Global 2015.

“Jason Harding is "very matter of fact, very down to earth and very commercial. Sources particularly highlight the fact that "he sticks to the point and doesn't over-lawyer."

Chambers UK, 2014

"he is excellent, client focused, creative, practical and very good at managing large scale documentation projects"

Chambers UK, 2015

"Jason is "very highly rated", "always responsive and very knowledgeable" and "commercial and appreciative of client perspectives". "

Legal 500, 2012

"Jason Harding is very highly rated, provides "a good quality service, thorough understanding of specialist areas and real dedication" and counts leading investment banks and insurers as clients"

Legal 500, 2012

Jason is “technically sound, direct, clear and fair.”

Legal 500, 2013

Relevant experience

  • Northern Ireland Electricity on its debut bond issue in an amount of £400m.
  • Northumbrian Water on two issues of guaranteed bonds totalling £420m, three index-linked guaranteed bonds totalling £350m and a £260m securitisation of receivables under a water resources operating agreement.
  • The Wellcome Trust on two Sterling-denominated bond issues in an amount of £950m and a Euro-denominated bond issue in an amount of €400m.
  • Enterprise Inns on a convertible bond issue in an amount of £97m and a tender offer and bond issue in an amount of £250m and on a £1bn securitisation and refinancing in respect of the Enterprise Inns/Unique Pub Group
  • HSBC as lead manager on the €1.2bn bond refinancing of a gas storage facility in Spain and on the securitisation for Land Securities in an amount of £360m
  • Lloyds Banking Group and Assured Guaranty on the £101m Leeds Social Housing PFI.
  • National Grid on a large range of ISDA/CSA/GMRA negotiations with a wide range of counterparties and the implementation of the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR)
  • A large US investment bank on a large range of ISDA/CSA/GMRA negotiations with a wide range of counterparties in the UK and emerging markets, a wide range of complex derivatives transactions in Europe and the implementation of  EMIRA large number of pension schemes in relation to all of their derivatives documentation and strategies, including the implementation of EMIR
  • A large European insurance group on a number of liquidity swaps and other complex derivatives transactions in Europe
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Publications

  • Contributor to the Pensions Law Handbook (15th Edition), Bloomsbury Professional.
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Education

  • 1993 - Post graduation Japanese Language, Sophia University Tokyo 
  • 1989 - LLB (Hons), University of Queensland, Brisbane
  • 1987 - BA, University of Queensland, Brisbane
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Feed

08/11/2019
EMIR Initial Margin: Intragroup transactions exemptions
As derivative counterparties begin to look ahead to the implementation of Phase 5 and 6 of the EMIR initial margin rules in September 2020 and 2021 (respectively), there are a number of exemptions in...
08/11/2019
EMIR Initial Margin: Intragroup transactions exemptions
Please see below for an overview of the intragroup transactions exemptions that are available under EMIR and the related regulatory technical standards. To discuss these exemptions in greater detail...
21/03/2019
Structured Finance and Capital Markets webinar series
CMS will be running a Structured Finance and Capital Markets webinar series, starting this Autumn. Each month you will have the opportunity to listen in on a different hot topic, presented by experts...
01/10/2018
Structured Finance and Capital Markets webinar series - Session 2: EMIR
EMIR – Update (including EMIR Refit) As the rollout of the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) continues, the EMIR framework is about to change. A revised EMIR framework - EMIR Refit –...
25/04/2018
Delivering first-class expertise to the water sector
We have worked on water projects around the world and bring our core experience of commercial and regulatory frameworks operating across regulated industries. We have advised on some of the largest and...
01/02/2018
CMS advises the Wellcome Trust on its £750 million 100-year bond
CMS advises the Wellcome Trust on its £750 million 100-year bondLondon, 31 January 2018. International law firm CMS has advised the Wellcome Trust, the UK’s largest charitable foundation and one of...
16/01/2017
EMIR Pension Scheme Exemption: Update
The European Market Infrastructure Regulation (“EMIR”) introduced, amongst other things, the requirement for parties to certain OTC derivative transactions to centrally clear those transactions. However...
13/01/2017
EMIR Pension Scheme Exemption: Update
On 20 December 2016 the European Commission extended by one year to August 2018 the exemption for pension funds from clearing OTC derivative transactions. The European Market Infrastructure Regulation...
02/11/2016
EMIR Margining Obligation for Pension Schemes - Facts you need to know
What do pension schemes need to do? Like others in the market, pension schemes will need to ensure their derivatives documentation is updated to comply with the new collateral rules. A pension scheme...
18/10/2016
EMIR Margining Obligation for Pension Schemes - Facts you need to know
General The new European derivatives regulation (EMIR) will require certain counterparties to OTC derivatives not cleared through a central counterparty to put in place new collateral arrangements. The...
12/09/2016
EMIR Monthly Monitor
To view or download the EMIR Monthly Monitor, please click here
16/08/2016
EMIR clearing obligations - facts you need to know
Latest developments The clearing procedure started in Q1 2014 following the first authorisations of EU CCPs. Since then, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has analysed interest rate...