Andrew Maskill > Addleshaw Goddard > Manchester, England > Lawyer Profile

The practice at Addleshaw Goddard has a strong reputation for its ability to assist clients across the full scope of complex and high-stakes banking and finance matters. The team is headed up by Manchester-based expert Martin O’Shea, who is noted for ‘leading the team from the front’. The group is well-versed in handling high-profile transactions in the region; Richard Oman is particularly experienced in this regard, a key example being his work for HSBC on the cross-border £250m refinancing of a bond facility. Katie Ridehalgh is also particularly noteworthy for her work advising nationally recognised key banks and investors. Notably, the ‘resilient’ Ben Edwards, who focuses on leveraged acquisition finance and corporate banking, and asset finance specialist Elizabeth Wareing were both promoted to the partnership in September 2022. Wareing supports Andrew Maskill, who leads the asset finance practice within the team. Legal director Sarah Jay stands out for her work advising clients on tech-led major change projects, and Lauren Priest-Stephens handles asset-backed lending work.

Leveraging ‘deep knowledge’ of the sector, both out of core regional offices, and London, Addleshaw Goddard provides ‘commercially sensible’ advice to lessors, lessees, lenders and operators. The arrival of vastly experienced partner Simon Gwynne from Norton Rose Fulbright in May 2022 enhances the firm’s capabilities at handling big-ticket leasing/asset finance mandates. Although Gwynne is best-known for his work within the rail sector, he is also noted for his ‘valuable insight into how leasing constructs in other sectors could be relevant’. This was exemplified by his recent advice to Rock Road developing a debt and equity funding solution on the first non-recourse SPV financing of zero-emission buses in the UK. Ed Watt  in Edinburgh spearheads the firm’s efforts on the ship finance front, while in Manchester, Andrew Maskill is noted for his mid-market leasing work, which includes some transport assets, in addition to equipment and machinery.