Toby Grimstone > Linklaters LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Headed from London by Oliver Edwards and Toby Grimstone, as well as being able to leverage vast international resources, Linklaters LLP is well-positioned to advise lenders and borrowers on big-ticket syndicated cross-border financings to provide liquidity for general corporate lending facilities and corporate M&A financing. The team’s expertise ‘extends across all product areas, and their ability to handle complex matters is exceptional’, with Edwards offering niche experience in margin lending and Grimstone excelling in handling emerging markets financings – in part a function of his strong ties with a number of mining-focused corporates. Caroline Courtney regularly advises investment-grade corporates on general corporate lending matters, including her recent work for a consumer goods multinational on numerous revolving credit facilities (RCFs); she also excels at handling work in the maritime/offshore sector. Ian Callaghan stands out for his advice on complex fund financings as well as continuing to lead on public M&A financings, margin loans and other structured loan products. The ‘very user-friendly’ Atish Shah is gaining a strong reputation in the market among banks and borrowers for his ‘pragmatic advice’ on acquisition financing and general investment-grade and crossover financing matters.

Leveraging expertise ‘across all product areas’ throughout the capital structure and also able to tap into lawyers in key financial global centres throughout the firm’s network of offices, Linklaters LLP is a ‘very safe pair of hands’ for clients providing and receiving financing to facilitate M&A transactions across the world. On the lender front, the firm’s longstanding roster of high-profile banking clients, as well as its popularity with sponsors as “designated counsel”, ensures that it has been picking up work as markets have thawed, despite remaining macro challenges. Nick Syson is particularly popular as designated counsel. The ‘very proactive’ Toby Grimstone has excellent insight into creditor and debtor perspectives by dint of a fairly balanced lender and corporate client roster, and regularly advises on big ticket corporate-led M&A financings, including his work for one of the largest takeovers by a UK company in 2023. Leveraged finance head Oliver Sceales is the driving force behind the firm’s private equity finance offering, regularly advising sponsors on bank and credit fund-led financing deals to facilitate cross-border M&A, including take-private mandates. Other key practitioners include Pathik Gandhi, who is adept at advising banks and credit funds lending into sponsor-backed M&A deals. Former leveraged finance co-head David Irvine joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, and Daniel Peach joined Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP.

Linklaters LLP has a strong focus on the corporate and financing aspects of mining, including M&A transactions, project financing, capital markets, and investments. It advises across the entire supply chain from acquisition and financing to development, expansion, and disposal. The team leverages its other departments to provide regulatory, taxation, IP, and ESG advice. James Inglis, Robert Cleaver and Emma Simpson jointly head the London team. Aisling Zarraga specialises in public and private M&A, joint ventures, equity issues and general corporate advice. Ian Hunter advises on major M&A transactions and equity offerings, as well as on general corporate governance. Toby Grimstone specialises in international banking with a focus on structured financing within the mining sector.