Stuart Fitzsimmons > Dentons > Glasgow, United Kingdom > Lawyer Profile

Dentons has experience working with financiers and borrowers, demonstrating a ‘very wide range of expertise’ and a ‘commercially aware and pragmatic’ approach towards transactions. Cross-border deals continue to be a major aspect of the group’s work, as well as real-estate centred mandates; the team attract instructions from notable corporates and global investors. Stuart Fitzsimmons heads up the practice and excels at asset-based lending and investment trust work. Susan Kelly is a seasoned adviser across a wealth of sectors and acts for a host of clearing banks and notable industry players. James Wilson is a key contact for real estate finance work, active on leveraged finance, fund finance, and restructuring mandates, as well as Shariah-compliant structures. Lorna Henderson has recently focused on borrower and lender instructions in the food and drink and real estate sectors, while Kirsty McBirnie works alongside real estate investors and investment trusts. Pamela Gilmour joined from Pinsent Masons LLP in November 2023.

Recently advising on financial regulatory and governance mandates, Dentons acts for a variety of clients, with a particular emphasis on closed-ended listed funds; the team is also expanding its fund formation offering. Team lead Claire Armstrong is the first port of call for close-ended listed funds, and also assists fund managers and sponsors with regulatory and transactional matters. Stuart Fitzsimmons is well-regarded for his strength in financing transactions, while Owen McLennan has recently advised on impact investing and fund establishment issues for first-time managers. Sarah Wylie provides further regulatory, advisory and transactional capabilities, while Sam Smart has been involved in investment and merger mandates.

Acting on its own as well as able to leverage the firm’s impressive international footprint, Dentons advises a lender-focused client base on domestic and cross-border new money and refinancing deals, utilising the full suite of ABL techniques. Key practitioners include Ian Clements, who regularly employs ABL techniques as part of his broader structured trade and commodity finance offering, and Glasgow-based Stuart Fitzsimmons, who handles ABL work, including within the whisky space, as part of his wide-ranging finance practice. Former team head Simon Prendergast joined Mills & Reeve LLP in May 2024.