Sanjeev Dhuna > Shearman & Sterling LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

The arrival of Sanjeev Dhuna (who now heads the global finance team) from Allen & Overy LLP in July 2021 was the latest of many recent strategic hires which have galvanised Shearman & Sterling LLP‘s lender focused finance practice. While this has been most starkly felt on work within the leveraged finance space, the firm also maintains strong investment/commercial banking ties, which it advises on less commoditised, bespoke financial structuring for corporate borrowers, often involving a loan and high yield bond component.

‘Able to leverage strong commercial awareness in combination with legal skills to deliver truly innovative solutions’, Shearman & Sterling LLP‘s lender-focused practice is adept at structuring M&A mandates utilising debt throughout the capital structure. Although the team maintains strong ties with commercial and investment banks and is often engaged in large-cap mandates using an integrated bank and bond approach, in recent years it has made more strides in the private credit space, primarily as a result of some astute recent hires. Both team head Sanjeev Dhuna and Rahul Chatterji, who joined in the summer of 2021 from Allen & Overy LLP and Milbank, respectively, have made a significant impact in the space as a result of their connections with numerous funds and prowess at structuring cross-border direct lending transactions from unitranche up to more complex PIK, first and second lien structures. Philip Stopford  and the ‘very diligent and commercial’ Korey Fevzi  are also key members of the team for  private equity sponsors and banks; both recently advised underwriters in connection with T-Mobile’s €2.4bn TLB, revolving facility and intercreditor agreement. The arrival in June 2022 of Shameer Shah from White & Case LLP further strengthens the firm’s leveraged finance capabilities in light of his direct lending expertise.

Shearman & Sterling handles a range of high-profile and high-value India-focused transactions, acting for domestic and international clients in inbound and outbound investments. Key areas of focus for the practice include capital markets, M&A, private equity, project finance, international arbitration and fund formation, and it services clients from various offices across its large international network. Hong Kong-based partner Kyungwon (Won) Lee is a key contact for capital markets work, including corporate finance and securities transactions; Singapore’s Andrew Schleider is another name to note for capital markets, drawing on over 20 years of experience advising underwriters and issuers on a range of corporate finance transactions; and Etienne Gelencsér in Tokyo is recommended for projects and energy-related transactions. Sanjeev Dhuna joined from Allen & Overy LLP in July 2021 in London, while Sidharth Bhasin and James Clayton-Payne left the firm in August of the same year.