International law firm Denton Wilde Sapte (DWS) has promoted trade finance lawyer Kate Richardson to managing associate.

The role, which was introduced in 2008, is a senior position and an alternative to partnership.

Richardson has been with the law firm since 2002 and has gained experience in advising lenders, borrowers and offtakers on a range of pre-payment, pre-export and receivables’ purchase structures around the world.

She also advises banks on unstructured trade finance matters, such as letters of credit and demand guarantees, and on standard form documentation for bilateral facilities.

Richardson is an active member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) UK’s committee on banking technique and practice and is one of the organisation’s two representatives in the ICC guarantees taskforce.

She considers Citigroup, International Finance Corporation, Stemcor and WestLB as among her key clients.

Speaking to GTR, Richardson highlights DWS’s efforts in the trade finance sector: “I feel very fortunate to be part of the market’s leading legal team for trade finance and am looking forward to making the managerial and strategic contribution to its development that my new role demands.

“The financial turmoil has made things tougher in trade finance but, as initiatives like the IFC’s Global Trade Liquidity Programme show, ours is one of the sectors that will drive forward the global recovery, so there are bountiful opportunities for those able to spot and realise them.

She also comments on DWS’s high standards of employee care: “I also count myself fortunate to work for a firm that practices what it preaches in its diversity policy. There are not many places in the city where a mother of two children under four can progress up the ranks but still maintain a work-life balance.”

Trade finance practice head at DWS, Geoffrey Wynne, adds: “Kate has been a key member of the trade finance team since joining the firm. This promotion is richly deserved and increases the capabilities of the practice to offer senior, seasoned advisors to clients.”