With comprehensive financial products knowledge and leveraging deep subject matter knowledge in core areas of firmwide sector expertise, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP is well-positioned to provide a very effective service to stakeholders across a range of mid to upper-mid market acquisition finance deals. The firm’s extensive roster of leading FTSE corporate clients continues to generate some big-ticket financing mandates on strategic M&A deals, while on the lender front it is picking up an increased flow of work as designated counsel on sponsor-backed syndicated financings. Will Nevin has been key to the growth of the lender practice and has developed strong ties with a number of US and European banks, while Thomas Bethel excels at advising banks (including multilateral financial institutions) on oil and gas-related upstream acquisition finance mandates. Kristen Roberts, William Breeze and Gabrielle Wong co-head the banking and finance team.
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Key clients

  • Standard Chartered Bank
  • Citibank
  • UBS Switzerland
  • African Export-Import Bank
  • Mérieux NutriSciences Corporation
  • Aquiline Capital Partners
  • Waterland Private Equity
  • Scantox Group
  • Fidelio Capital
  • DWS Infrastructure
  • Blackstone Capital Partners
  • Odevo

Work highlights

Advised Citibank on the financing for Aviva plc's proposed acquisition of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.
Advised the lenders to Carlyle on the $400m reserve-based lending acquisition financing for Carlyle's $945m acquisition of a portfolio of gas-weighted exploration and production assets in Italy, Egypt and Croatia from Energean plc.
Advised African Export-Import Bank on a $500m senior secured reserve-based lending facility, with participation from Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited, and a $150m junior facility from Mercuria Energy Group. The facilities were used to finance Oando PLC’s acquisition of 100% of the shareholding interest in Nigerian Agip Oil Company Ltd from Eni S.p.A.

Practice head

Kristen Roberts; William Breeze; Gabrielle Wong

Other key lawyers

Will Nevin; Ambarish Dash; Heather Culshaw; Thomas Bethel; Oliver Henderson; Stacey Pang; Chelsea Fish