Expertise

We understand that the finance world is a dynamic and demanding one often involving tight deadlines and complex legal and structural issues.  Our clients appreciate our ability to apply our legal knowledge in a commercially sensitive way.

Banking

Our banking lawyers have worked on a broad range of finance transactions including those involving acquisition finance, asset based finance, real estate finance, finance for the education and charities sectors, as well as interest rate hedging, working capital loans, invoice discounting and more general banking advice. We have the expertise and experience to ensure such transactions proceed smoothly and to the required timescale.  We act for both lender and borrower clients. Our lender clients include UK and overseas banks, including a majority of the leading private banks operating in the UK. Our borrower clients include public and private companies, investment funds, not-for profit organisations and individuals involved in borrowing transactions.

Recognising the importance of private banking to the firm as a whole we have established a dedicated Private Banking Group which brings together banking; insolvency; private client; tax; property and other specialists from across the firm.

We provide specialist briefings and seminars on topical legal issues facing our clients, and belong to and speak at events of industry associations such as the BBA and the LMA.

Insolvency

Our insolvency specialists advise interested stakeholders on the variety of issues which arise when individuals or corporate entities experience financial difficulties. This ranges from advising on turnaround proposals through to formal insolvency procedures.

Again the firm has a dedicated cross discipline Insolvency Group which ensures an integrated service of the highest quality is provided to our clients to meet their needs and objectives.

Our insolvency specialists are members of R3 and the Insolvency Lawyers' Association.

Experience

As a firm we have a long history of advising clients in the banking and finance sector having been involved in advising on lending and finance matters since the 18th century and advising on the formation of many banks in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Recent matters on which we have advised include:

• advising a private bank on US$100,000,000 revolving credit facilities made available to two Jersey Trusts.
• advising a private bank on a £65 million RCF secured on English commercial property.
• advising a commercial bank on term and overdraft facilities made available to a renowned UK charity.
• advising lenders on various multi-million pound property finance facilities (both MCOB and unregulated mortgages).
• advising lenders on the terms of leveraged buy-outs.
• advising a private bank on a US$20,000,000 loan finance secured on a portfolio of contemporary art.
• advising banks and a national grant providing body on various loan or security precedents.

• advising a school in relation to unsecured £6,000,000 revolving and term facilities.
• advising the trustees and an individual borrower in relation to a £20 million demand investment facility guaranteed by a trust and secured on residential and commercial properties.
• advising the borrower in relation to a £48,000,000 property development facility.
• advising a private equity fund on the terms of its €83,000,000 revolving credit and guarantee facilities.
• advising the trustees on a £20 million RCF "hunting fund" for the acquisition of new properties.
• advising a corporate borrower on the terms of a share buy-back facility.

• advising the management of the UK branch of foreign bank in a distress situation.
• acting for the administrative receivers of a retail and commercial property company.
• advising members of the UK board of an international investment bank.
• acting for the purchasers of a number of public houses from a company in administration.
• advising the board of an AIM listed company on trading issues.
• acting for the liquidators of an offshore company.
• acting for LPA receivers.
• advising the trustees of a trading subsidiary of a large charity.

Approach

As a firm with a long history in this sector we recognise the importance of building a strong and long-term relationship with our clients and gaining an in-depth knowledge of their objectives.

This enables us to meet our clients' requirements while providing the highest quality of service.  We are approachable, capable of taking the initiative where appropriate and aim to provide practical and effective advice tailored to each client’s needs and objectives.

We pride ourselves on the quality of our advice and the responsiveness of our service. Our reputation has been built up over centuries and we are committed to ensuring that this is maintained and enhanced in our work for both our current and new clients.

Each client is assigned a client partner who is responsible for the client irrespective of the size or nature of the matter concerned.  Our partner led approach in this sector involves the level of service normally only found in the private client field and distinguishes us from our competitors.