Beth Collett > Addleshaw Goddard > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Addleshaw Goddard is ‘the go-to law firm for social housing debt capital markets financing‘. Acting for financial dealers, managers and trustees, the firm is increasingly involved in debt finance outside the social housing sector, though that remains its principal focus. Lead partner Beth Collett is ‘incredibly knowledgeable, personable, very easy to work with, highly professional‘. She advised Barclays Bank PLC, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc and NatWest Markets Plc as joint bookrunners, as well as M&G Trustee Company as bond trustee, on £350m of sustainability bonds issued by Peabody Capital No. 1 plc. Up-and-coming partner Jacqueline Heng and real estate finance specialist Jennie Chilton play key roles in the firm’s social housing finance work. Heng acted for issuer The Hospital Company (Swindon & Marlborough) Limited in a £159m LIBOR consent solicitation transaction to help it transition its issued privately-placed project bonds into the new SONIA benchmark.

Lee Shankland-Gort has led the expansion of the housing finance practice at Addleshaw Goddard to form a new social, sustainable, and green finance team that is praised as ‘really strong and market-leading’. The market-leading practice has an established reputation advising funders and investors, including new entrants to the social housing sector, on matters ranging from finance and property security to debt capital markets. The department assists clients with all aspects of funding, offering advice on debt financing, refinancing, and restructuring; Helen Hunter advised Lloyds as a funder of Swan Housing Association’s merger with Sanctuary Housing Association. Jennie Chilton heads the strong social housing finance property security team, acting exclusively for funders and security trustees. The firm is leading the way on sustainability-linked loans in the sector, advising Barclays on its first green loan to a housing association. Beth Collett leads the debt capital markets group on secured sustainability bonds, with Steve Mackie handling significant debt transactions. Nick Barlow is a lead partner on many of the firm’s transactions, having advised funders in the sector for over 29 years. Tom McHugh left the firm in January 2023.