Private Credit

Forum Overview

Dates: October 12 - 14, 2025

Location: Surrey, United Kingdom

The Forum is an exclusive annual gathering of up to 40 senior professionals, comprising of in-house counsel from leading private credit funds and top-level lawyers from the UK and EU. Together, they engage in high-level discussions to tackle emerging risks and challenges in private credit deals and transactions.

Using candid, seminar-style discussions participants share the most pressing issues they are facing, as well as, examine trends and developments across jurisdictions to learn how others address problems and work together to identify solutions.

2025 Steering Committee

This elite group, comprised of experts in the field, personally nominates all invitees and develops the Agenda, which forms the basis of our discussions.

Committee Co-Chairs

Committee Members

Nana Darko, Managing Director, is the head of Credit Transactions Legal EMEA, and together with her team, provides transactions legal support to the Private Debt, Growth Debt and Special Situations investment teams at BlackRock.

Prior to joining BlackRock in 2018, Nana worked at Linklaters LLP for over 10 years principally focusing on cross border leverage finance transactions as well as on restructuring and insolvency situations.

Nana read law at Oxford University and is qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales.

Harris Kaufman is a Vice President in the Ares Legal and Compliance Group. Mr. Kaufman advises on investment, restructuring, fundraising and regulatory elements for the Direct Lending and Liquid Credit teams along with strategic projects. Mr. Kaufman is also a member of the BVCA’s Legal Committee.

Prior to joining Ares, Mr. Kaufman was an associate in the Private Equity M&A team at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in London, where he represented sponsors in public and private acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, management incentives and corporate reorganisations.

Mr. Kaufman holds an L.L.B. (First Class Hons) from the University of Bristol in Law. He is admitted to practice law in England and Wales.

CONNECT. ENGAGE. EXCEL. This is a different event, unlike any you've attended

Built on genuine interactions and spontaneous connections, the Forum is a unique opportunity for a highly skilled and experienced group to undertake an in-depth review of technical topics as well as prioritise the unique business needs of executives from leading private equity funds.

"The Forum was a fantastic opportunity to discuss important issues affecting the sector with many of the leading in-house and private practice lawyers in Europe. I haven't come across a similarly interactive, discussion-based format, and the openness with which peers were willing to discuss common issues provided some great, practical insights."

Daniel Treloar

Managing Director & Associate General Counsel

Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan

London, United Kingdom

“You must experience the Forum format, as it is different and more useful compared to other conferences you have experienced before. This is not a conference but a friendly and great discussion with top-notch peers!”

Carlos Facha Lara

General Counsel

IDEAL

Mexico City, Mexico

"The format of this forum is excellent. Rather than listen to presentations we've all heard countless times in different formats, we sat at a roundtable of peers and discussed real life situations and challenges we're all facing. Hearing the different perspectives around the table and what's on others' minds was extremely engaging. "