With extensive corporate and finance capabilities, DLA Piper‘s West Midlands team has the ability to handle large scale international deals, particularly those relating to leveraged finance, real estate finance and fully syndicated asset based lending. Stephen Bottley is a leading figure in the UK market who acts for local, national and international clients in matters concerning growth finance, sponsor backed acquisitions and the financing of large corporate groups. Legal director Gemma Lawrence specialises in leveraged and large corporate transactions, acting as lead on multi-jurisdictional transactions. Senior associate Gemma Rooney acts for financial institutions and corporate borrowers on a variety of lending transactions, particularly within real estate.
Banking and finance in West Midlands
DLA Piper
Practice head(s):
David Trott (London); Sarah Day (Leeds)
Other key lawyers:
Stephen Bottley; Gemma Lawrence; Neetu Sehdev; Will Sherwin; Gemma Rooney
Testimonials
‘DLA Piper has a strong team with a wide breadth of experience and depth of resource in order to attribute an optimum transaction team to each deal. . We are a repeat user and would recommend the firm to others.’
‘Stephen Bottley and Gemma Lawrence have extensive deal experience. They are diligent to ensure that all legal protections are afforded to their clients, scoping deals appropriately but priced fairly to maximise value-add provided.’
Key clients
Dignity Group
Investec Bank plc
RPS Group plc
CVS Group PLC
Barclays Bank PLC
HSBC UK Bank plc
Clinigen Group plc
Silicon Valley Bank
Work highlights
- Advising RPS Group plc on its refinancing of its revolving facility commitments and additional term debt from LGIM and Aviva. A cross border transaction involving eight jurisdictions across 3 continents, and including the repayment of notes pursuant to an existing note purchase agreement.
- Advising CVS in respect of its facilities with HSBC, AIB, Natwest and Bank of Ireland, which were restated during the year to deal with the LIBOR changes amongst other matters. We have also advised in relation to Corporate treasury matters including hedging arrangements, intra group financing arrangements and other ancillary matters in relation to financing. The group has operations in the Netherlands and Ireland as well as across the UK and we provide seamless advice across these jurisdictions from our DLA Piper teams.
- Advising Hercules Capital, Inc. on its $55m venture growth debt financing of the carwow group which is based in the UK and Germany. The deal involved a multi-jurisdictional DLA team based in the US, UK and Germany. Carwow is a UK-based group which runs an online platform for buying new and used vehicles from franchised dealers. The proceeds of the financing will be used towards growing the group’s “Sell Your Car” division over the next month.
Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP
The team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP has an excellent reputation in the market for its ability to deal with high value multibank transactions and complex asset based lending mandates. National head Patrick Davis has wide ranging experience across banking and finance with specific experience handling leveraged finance and corporate lending work. Ben Tumelty is a key player in the local market with considerable experience in corporate lending and asset based lending.
Practice head(s):
Patrick Davis
Other key lawyers:
Ben Tumelty; Kate Clarke; Lisa Boyle
Testimonials
‘They combine a proactive approach to drive deals forward with an added value blend of legal expertise with commercial acumen. They are a top regional law firm priced competitively for the package they deliver.’
‘Sensible, practical counsel who are always looking to get the deal done with the least fuss.’
‘Comprehensive service provision coupled with end to end guidance’
‘Patrick Davis, Ben Tumelty and Lisa Boyle are three notable lawyers with an extensive back-book of deal experience, which enables a first-class blend of proactive negotiation and consideration for commercial outcomes.’
Key clients
Shawbrook Bank
Arcline Investment Management
Bloor Homes / Triumph Motorcycles
Livingbridge
Sovereign Capital
H2 Equity Partners
Brompton Bikes
HSBC
Barclays
NatWest
Work highlights
Gowling WLG
Gowling WLG handles a huge variety of work, with a team that is firmly embedded in the West Midlands market. This includes corporate banking matters, private equity, debt capital markets and real estate finance, as well as more tradition clearing bank work. Chris Brierley is a well-respected name in the market with in-depth knowledge of lending within the health, social housing, franchising and renewable energy fields. Navin Prabhakar leads the practice’s clearing bank work and maintains strong relationships with household name banking clients. Senior associate Angela Rawlins is also noteworthy, with considerable experience in social housing finance and infrastructure finance.
Practice head(s):
Chris Brierley
Other key lawyers:
Navin Prabhakar; Angela Rawlins
Testimonials
‘The team was great, really knowledgeable about the sector and able to do all the heavy lifting for us which included not only drafting documents but dealing with a wide range of stakeholders as well as providing easy to consume reporting on the deal to assist with our internal governance process. Throughout the deal, communication and responsiveness was excellent and unfamiliar terms and legal jargon was handled with clarity and simplicity.’
‘Angela Rawlins was exceptional. She gave me every confidence things were in hand and was always available when needed for queries/actions.’
Key clients
Sanctuary Group
Triple Point Social Housing REIT plc
The Midcounties Co-operative Group
Dunelm Group Plc
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Lloyds Development Capital
CBPE Capital
Daiwa Capital Markets Europe Ltd
CBRE/The North West Evergreen Fund
AIB Group (UK) plc
HSBC UK Bank plc
Thomas Miller Insurance
SLR
H & T Group plc
State Bank of India
Work highlights
- Advised Dunelm Group plc on its £185m sustainability-linked unsecured revolving credit facility from a five bank club.
- Advised NVM Private Equity LLP in relation to the management buyout acquisition of Edit Agency Limited.
- Advised Triple Point on its issue of £195 million long dated, fixed rate, interest only sustainability-linked loan notes through a private placement with MetLife Investment Management clients and Barings.
Pinsent Masons LLP
The banking and finance practice at Pinsent Masons LLP is renowned for acting on complex and high value transactions , including those concerning corporate lending and real estate finance. Beyond that, the team has extensive knowledge of leveraged finance, debt capital markets and securitisation transactions. David Doogan has led the team in a large number of matters related to IBOR transition and handles a range of complex transactions. Victoria Baker specialises in structured finance work involving asset-based lending transactions and securitisation. Legal director Esther Parkes is a well known figure with local banks and advises on acquisition and real estate finance.
Practice head(s):
David Doogan
Other key lawyers:
Edward Sunderland; Victoria Baker; Amy Flavell; Esther Parkes; Oliver Morgan; Luke Whitehead
Testimonials
‘David Doogan is the lead banking partner in the Midlands and is someone with whom we have enjoyed an excellent relationship with other many years.’
‘The team at Pinsent Masons have significant experience within the acquisition and leverage arena. The depth in the team is significant and the firm brings a wealth of experience due to the number of transactions undertaken, resulting in up to date and market relevant advice that clients can really rely on.’
‘David Doogan, Victoria Baker and Esther Parkes are three key names.’
The individuals we work with provide very quick turnaround times, often to tight deadlines and always provide detailed summaries of key legal issues & amendments.’
‘David Doogan, Esther Parkes and Oliver Morgan have all provided exceptionally high levels of services to us over the last year.’
Key clients
Allied Irish Bank
Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank (Trading as Virgin Money)
Frontier Development Capital
HSBC Bank plc
National Westminster Bank Plc
Orders of St John Care Trust
Succession Group Limited
RBS Invoice Finance Limited
Specialist Motor Finance Limited
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc
Work highlights
- Acted for City Electrical Factors on their £225m European refinancing to put in place a syndicated asset-based lending facility with Wells Fargo and PNC, the transaction involved a number of jurisdictions and asset classes.
- Acted for a UK clearing bank in connection with the acquisition finance facilities to support the minority investment by Primary Capital in Sigma Sports – a leading premium omni-channel retailer of cycling equipment.
- Acted for HTO2 LLP in respect of its debt funding for a ‘Help to Own’ housing scheme in Wolverhampton.
Gateley Legal
Gateley Legal‘s banking and finance team is very strong in the areas of private equity and acquisition finance, as well as its expertise in asset-based lending. Team head Andrew Madden has extensive experience handling leverage finance and funding corporate transactions. Chris Jones has experience in rail and aviation-related finance and has spent the last year handling matters for clients including HSBC and Merchant Money Limited. Key senior associates include Alison Davidson-Cox and Sharon Malhi.
Practice head(s):
Andrew Madden
Other key lawyers:
Chris Jones; Alison Davidson-Cox; Sharon Malhi
Testimonials
‘We usually see a partner led approach and extremely high levels of engagement and detailed advice provided at all times – with a strong focus on customer service and support’
‘Andrew Madden is a key contact and trusted adviser over many years whose knowledge and expertise is highly valued.’
Key clients
HSBC UK Bank plc
Santander UK plc
Lloyds Bank plc
Clydesdale Bank plc
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc/ National Westminster Bank plc
AIB Group (UK) plc
Lloyds Development Capital
Maven Debt Finance
Shard Credit Partners Limited
Leumi ABL Limited
NorthEdge Capital LLP
Connection Capital LLP
BGF Investments LP
United Tooling Solutions
Breal Zeta CF Limited
HWSIL Finance Co Limited
Merchant Money Limited
Beechbrook Capital LLP
Palatine Private Equity LLP
Peppermint Technology Limited
Work highlights
- Advised Gymshark, following its £1bn valuation, on its strategic revolving credit facility with HSBC UK Bank plc.
- Advised Merchant Money on its “loan on loan” revolving credit facility with Shawbrook to support its post-pandemic, non-RLS lending.
- Advised HSBC UK Bank plc in its provision of new facilities to Northbridge Industrial Services plc.
Shakespeare Martineau LLP
Shakespeare Martineau LLP is renowned for having a very strong Islamic finance practice that advises clients like Masraf Al Rayan and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. The Islamic finance team is led by Mohammed Saqub , who also leads the real estate finance team. Naomi Tudor leads the firm's corporate financing team and her expertise covers transactions involving charity or education institutions and crowdfunding. She is supported by Christopher Gayle and John Rice who work heavily in short-term and bridge financing, while Helen Readett is the key contact for healthcare and development lending.
Practice head(s):
Naomi Tudor; Mohammed Saqub
Other key lawyers:
Christopher Gayle; John Rice; Russell Jarvis
Testimonials
‘Personalised service and always available to have a chat with if a discussion is required.’
‘The team at Shakespeare are both professional and friendly. They provide updates on the business we have in hand and complete transactions in a timely manner.’
‘Mohammed Saqub – available 24/7 and on the ball with all the cases.’
‘Mohammed Saqub is a venerable Islamic lawyer. He leads the team and has an exceptional client following from the major Middle Eastern financial institutions. His clients trust him to give good practical advice on complex matters and he always delivers.’
‘Naomi Tudor is never fazed by a question, is diligent in her responses and will always provide help where she can. A very professional individual with a fantastic work ethic.’
Key clients
Lloyds Bank plc
AIB Group (UK) Plc
Santander UK Plc
Shawbrook Bank
The Charity Bank Limited
Yorkshire Bank
Habib Bank Zurich plc
Handelsbanken
Leumi ABL
United Trust Bank Plc
Aldermore Bank Plc
Gatehouse Bank Plc
Al Rayan Bank Plc
Westgate Healthcare Group
Cambridge Capital Partners Limited
Boost & Co Limited
Sherwood Oak Homes Limited
Work highlights
- Advised Bank of Scotland on the drafting of a £10m revolving credit facility under the government’s CBILS scheme for the borrower in the automotive sector.
- Drafted a new loan agreement to re-finance debt as part of a re-domicile of the borrower from BVI to Isle of Man.
- Acted for Blackmead Infrastructure Limited as investment vehicle of Foresight Group LLP (a global independent infrastructure and private equity investment manager) as the noteholder in connection with its £15 million secured loan note facility for Reto Property Finance Limited, to provide finance for its property development secured loans business to Jersey and Guernsey based businesses.
Shoosmiths LLP
Shoosmiths LLP's practice is particularly lender-focused, with extensive expertise in real estate, education and pensions finance. The team is also strong in real estate finance and general corporate finance, both domestically and internationally. Jon Bew
heads the practice; he has over 25 years of experience in invoice finance, asset based lending and distribution finance. He is supported by Natalie Barnes; a partner who specialises in asset based lending and David Adams , who works on pensions finance, education finance and real estate finance.
Practice head(s):
Jon Bew
Other key lawyers:
David Adams; Natalie Barnes
Testimonials
‘Exceptional client service, strong partner availability, first class technical knowledge and perfect balance of commercial versus technical requirements.’
‘Team is very responsive and able to close transactions quickly.’
‘Jon Bew has an excellent understanding of ABL transactions and to ensure that we have sufficient protections for our bespoke transactions.’
‘Exceptional client service, strong partner availability, first class technical knowledge and perfect balance of commercial versus technical requirements.’
The strength of our relationship and the consistently high standard of work is the reason we keep using them – they are our number 1 panel firm.’
Key clients
Santander Bank Plc
Investec Bank Plc
ABN AMRO
IGF Business Credit Limited
Arbuthnot Commercial Asset Based Lending Limited
Shawbrook Bank Limited
Secure Trust Bank Plc
Close Brothers
Hitachi
Cath Kidston
Work highlights
- Advised RBSIF and ABN AMRO on the £100m re-finance of the Pertemps Group of Companies.
- Acted for IGF in relation to the provision of further equity funding from existing investors Spring Ventures.
- Advised RBSIF on a £50m back-to-back facility with Time Finance.
Squire Patton Boggs
The regional banking and finance practice at Squire Patton Boggs is fully integrated within the firm’s national and international banking and finance department. As well as a niche expertise in football finance, the practice is well-regarded for asset-based lending work, pension fund related finance and education finance. The team is led by Roy Grist, who primarily advises borrowers and lenders on debt finance.
Practice head(s):
Roy Grist
Other key lawyers:
Yasser Muflahi
Testimonials
‘Very transparent and honest approach to instructions, timelines and fee quotes. Responsive and pragmatic advice presented in a way that is easy for the business to understand and digest. Reliable. Reasonably priced.’
‘Roy Grist – solid and reliable. Take reassurance from the methodical and meticulous approach taken by Roy when delivering his advice. Appreciate his upfront honest approach and ability to manage expectations.’
Key clients
Lloyds Banking Group
National Westminster Bank Plc
ThinCats
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club
Endless LLP
Hackman Capital Partners
Envirogen Group
Barclays Bank Plc
The PNC Financial Services Group Inc
Gordon Brothers
Work highlights
- Advised Amscan International in connection with a £30,000,000 funding package from PNC to support the business through its next stage of growth.
- Advised Hackman Capital Partners in connection with financing the acquisition of two renowned film and television studios in Ireland.
- Advised one of the UK’s largest pension funds in connection with financing an innovative “Help to Own” housing scheme in Wolverhampton which is targeted at key workers.
Aaron & Partners LLP
The banking and finance team at Aaron & Partners LLP is known for handling borrower work and refinancing matters. The practice is led by Hugh Strickland, who leads on most finance work and has a broad range of expertise with regards to the buying and selling of companies.
Practice head(s):
Hugh Strickland; Stuart Scott-Goldstone
Other key lawyers:
Zoe Lloyd
Testimonials
‘Hugh Strickland is always available when required. He likes to understand your business and is in tune with the commercial advice that you are looking for.’
Key clients
Meatpoint BV
Tritech Group
Different Dog
Santander UK plc
Fullbrook Thorpe Investments LLP
Work highlights
- Advised Tritech Group on extensions to its inventory facility, variations in security structure and a new CBILS loan.
- Serving as a panel law firm for Santander, supporting on numerous pieces of work across the country.
- After advising Meatpoint on its refinancing, together with all associated finance, security documents and conditions precedent and on the accession of a UK subsidiary to the group security, supported on an extension to the facility during 2021.
Browne Jacobson LLP
The three pillars of the banking and finance team at Browne Jacobson LLP are asset finance, property finance and health and social care; the latter is the area of expertise of team head Emma Hinton. Paul Hill specialises in corporate lending and infrastructure finance while Paul Ray advises major clients on asset based lending and debt purchase.
Practice head(s):
Paul Ray; Emma Hinton
Other key lawyers:
Paul Hill; Chereta Edmeade; John Swani
Testimonials
‘The banking team at Browne Jacobson are very capable, offer excellent advice and are always available as and when required.’
‘The written and verbal communication of the team is exceptional. Very clear explanations around key points within documentation.’
‘Excellent co-ordination across multiple counterparties. Very happy to support follow up queries after the conclusion of transactions.’
‘Chereta Edmeade is always very bubbly and keen to catch up and build rapport with clients. She is always pragmatic and forward thinking around the transaction journey and very clear in her communications. She works exceptionally hard to find solutions that everyone is happy with understanding the concerns and risks and recommendations along the way.’
‘John Swani’s understanding of our legal documentation requirements coupled with their own bespoke work is commended.’
Key clients
HSBC
Virgin Money/Clydesdale
NatWest
Santander
Shawbrook
RBSIF
BREAL Zeta CF
Investec
BOOST&Co
Rcapital
ThinCats
OakNorth
Lloyds
Work highlights
- Advising HSBC on its funding of the acquisition of Pearn’s Pharmacies Ltd by the Knights Chemist group.
- Advised Rcapital Partners in connection with their investment in Patrick Parsons Group, a specialist engineering consultancy providing design services.
- Advising PBE Group on a multi-jurisdictional corporate holdco financing to facilitate a variety of opco refinancings (across the UK, US and Australia) and to support growth acquisitions – demonstrating our international expertise
DWF
The team at DWF are renowned for their expertise in commercial real estate and hospitality finance. The team is headed by Richard Holmes , a highly experienced banking lawyer focused on hotel development financing and the hospitality sector.
Practice head(s):
Richard Holmes
Key clients
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group
Lloyds Banking Group
Unity Trust Bank plc
ICICI Bank
Nationwide Building Society
West Bromwich Commercial Limited
NM Rothschild & Sons Limited
Ashall Group of Companies
LendInvest Limited
Cannock Group
Work highlights
- Advised the lender on an ESG £95m term loan facility in connection with its first energy storage lending transaction.
- Undertook a large-scale LIBOR repapering exercise for clearing bank on its property backed loan portfolio utilising DWF’s Legal Advisory and Mindcrest divisions.
- Advised a syndicate of lenders on a £52m term loan facility secured against a large property portfolio.
Freeths LLP
James Dyson is a key figure for Freeths LLP in Birmingham; he specialises in advising on banking and debt restructuring transactions. The Nottingham-based national practice has particular expertise in healthcare finance, public sector finance and litigation funding.
Practice head(s):
Chris Freeston
Other key lawyers:
James Dyson; Katie Hillier; Gary Richardson
Key clients
Allied Irish Bank
Santander UK plc
Lloyds Banking Group (Including Lloyds Development Capital)
Clydesdale Bank / Yorkshire Bank
Beechbrook Capital
Redwood Bank
Cambridge & Counties Bank
Frontier Development Capital
ICG Longbow
Chancerygate
Work highlights
- Advised Beechbrook Capital on the provision of a mezzanine finance facility to United Tooling Solutions to support its simultaneous acquisition of two complementary businesses.
- Advised Santander UK plc on the provision of acquisition finance facilities to BDR Group to support its ‘buy and build’ strategy.
- Advised Cambridge & Counties Bank on the provision of real estate supported acquisition finance facilities to MAC Waste Management UK in support of its acquisition of ACL Quarries and Drygon8.
Mills & Reeve LLP
Mills & Reeve LLP works with banks, corporates and charities on local, national and international levels in relation to debt transactions. The team is led by David Varnham who specialises in structured and corporate finance. At the associate level, Amandip Dhillon and Faye Harvard-Jones are key names.
Practice head(s):
David Varnham
Other key lawyers:
Amandip Dhillon; Faye Harvard-Jones
Testimonials
‘Excellent market knowledge and a calm and level-headed approach to negotiation that made the process of agreeing a transaction collaborative rather than combative.’
‘David Varnham impresses with his thorough technical knowledge and pragmatic, commercial approach.’
Key clients
HSBC UK Bank plc
Wells Fargo Bank NA
ASR Group International / Tate & Lyle Sugars
The Folkes Group
BDR Group
Key Assets Group
DIF Capital
Horiba Mira
Rentplus
MCR Property Group
Anesco
Work highlights
- Advised NatWest in relation to debt facilities to local tech company Convergence Group.
George Green LLP
The banking and finance practice at George Green LLP possesses a wealth of experience in handling asset-based lending matters for lenders and borrowers. Team head Phillip Round is a corporate specialist experienced in short term lending and bridge finance. Alex Jayne-Lowe is a specialist in in commercial and real estate lending.
Practice head(s):
Philip Round
Other key lawyers:
Alex Jayne-Lowe
Testimonials
‘A sensible and pragmatic team who are very responsive.’
‘Philip Round – great technical knowledge. Very responsive and is good at persuading and influencing to achieve great outcomes.’
Key clients
Ortus Secured Finance
OakNorth Bank plc
Stondon Capital Limited
CapitalRise Finance Limited
W8 Developments Limited
West Bridging Limited
Kelgate Limited
Hollyblue Healthcare
Marcegaglia
Build Finance Limited
Work highlights
- Advised CapitalRise Finance on the provision of a £6.4 million bridging loan facility to fund the acquisition of a property near Hyde Park Corner.
- Advised Marcegaglia, a leading industrial group, on a £5,250,000 facility from HSBC.
- Advised The Floral Company UK Limited of a £2.6 million facility from FDC.
Hawkins Hatton Corporate Lawyers Limited
The team at Hawkins Hatton Corporate Lawyers Limited is led by Colin Rodrigues, who represents prominent banking clients, assisting them on their work within the manufacturing, IT, leisure and hospitality sectors. The firm advises mainstream lenders such as HSBC, NatWest and Barclays Bank.
Practice head(s):
Colin Rodrigues
Other key lawyers:
Harminder Sandhu
Testimonials
‘Good communicators with a diverse workforce. Wealth of knowledge with a hands on approach from all involved.’
‘Speed of response and immediate understanding of transaction is second to none.’
‘First class client service and attentive team.’
‘Highly motivated, vibrant team willing to make themselves available to answer questions from clients and provide practical and workable solutions.’
‘Colin Rodrigues is always available to discuss complex positions and demonstrates a key ability to apply legal knowledge to somewhat unusual legal/finance positions.’
‘The Hawkins Hatton team are a breath of fresh air when it comes to completing deals for bank customers, be it a transaction or a property purchase. They double head the cases, which ensures there is always someone on hand to help, and make sure the deal progresses in a timely fashion.’
‘Colin Rodrigues is the go to partner for all transactions – he knows his stuff, is very well connected and above all very commercial and practical.’
‘Harminder Sandhu is a first class partner when it comes to disputes and litigation.’
Key clients
HSBC (UK) Bank Plc
NatWest Bank PLC
Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Lloyds Bank
Barclays Bank PLC
Frontier Development Capital
Finance Birmingham
Invest & Fund
Jerroms Mortgage & Finance Ltd
Central Business Finance
Eximia Commercial Finance Limited
CAPC UK Limited
Work highlights
- Acted for HSBC and its borrower on a £6 million refinance of four substantial properties located across the UK.
- Acted for HSBC on a refinance of £8 million for a pharmaceutical business with a portfolio of over 30 pharmacies.
- We acted for NatWest in respect of a refinance worth £3million for its customer who is the UK’s leading supplier of commercial vehicle tyres with a £30 million plus turnover.