Thomas Smith > Debevoise & Plimpton LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Drawing upon ‘strong technical knowledge’ within the fund space in particular, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is well-positioned to advise private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies on the full scope of their financing activities at a fund level, including new money deals as well as in a refinancing context. Alan Davies has an ‘immense amount of market knowledge’ which he imparts very effectively for a range of clients including private equity managers and corporates, across the full scope of the capital structure. The ‘very commercial and calm’ Pierre Maugüé also has a strong reputation among borrower clients as does Thomas Smith, who co-heads the team alongside Davies and Maugüé and is best-known for his fund finance offering.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is renowned for its borrower-focused practice and global reach. The team’s deep understanding of private equity sponsors has been shaped by its activity on leveraged finance transactions. Working behalf of multiple high-profile clients, the team also assists with ESG-linked facilities, collateralised loan products, as well as other innovative deals. The team is spearheaded by Thomas Smith who has led some of the practice’s most significant transactions, including a €6bn ESG subline. Pierre Maugüé’s international perspective is welcomed on the team’s cross-border structured transactions. Within his fund finance and leverage-focused practice, Alan Davies regularly receives instructions from global private equity sponsors and lenders. Other key figures include Almas Daud and Felix Paterson, both of whom have amassed considerable experience working with the firm’s big-ticket client base.