Leveraging its deep-rooted firmwide institutional ties with a high proportion of FTSE-listed corporates, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP is best-known for its borrower work. This includes advice across the full scope of their ongoing debt finance needs, including in the context of revolving credit facilities and strategic M&A, both of which often involve banking syndicates. Kristen Roberts, who oversees the firm’s well-received annual corporate debt and treasury report it produces in collaboration with the Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT), has deep insight into market trends ensuring he is very well-placed to advise corporates on their debt and treasury needs, including identifying arbitrage opportunities. ‘Very strategic’ US-qualified partner Gabrielle Wong has a focus on advising corporates on New York-law governed financing terms, and is pivotal to the firm’s success advising on finance structures to borrowers in the music and royalty space. On the lender front, the team is best-known for its emerging markets work, particularly in the context of multi-sourced financings, as well as for banks funding reserve-based lending transactions in the oil and gas sector. William Breeze co-heads the team alongside Wong and Roberts.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Gabrielle Wong is very strategic and provides spot-on and decisive advice on time-sensitive and fast moving transactions.'

Key clients

  • Natixis
  • DNB Bank
  • Lloyds
  • BNP Paribas
  • Bank of China
  • Citibank
  • Synthomer plc
  • HarbourVest Global Private Equity Limited
  • Shaftesbury Capital Plc
  • EML Payments Limited
  • MusicBird AG
  • MusicBird Rights AG

Work highlights

Advised Natixis SA and the other lenders on a $1.4bn reserve-based loan to BlueNord ASA to refinance its existing reserve-based loan.
Advised Synthomer plc on the amendment and restatement of its $400m revolving credit facility and its €287.5m and $230m term loan facilities backed by UK Export Finance.
Advised HarbourVest Global Private Equity Limited (HVPE) on a new $1.2bn multicurrency NAV-based revolving credit facility, to provide an enhanced level of support for HVPE's balance sheet reflecting its net asset growth.

Lawyers

Leading partners

The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Kristen Roberts

Practice head

Kristen Roberts; Gabrielle Wong; William Breeze

Other key lawyers

Will Nevin; Heather Culshaw; Thomas Bethel; William Breeze; Stacey Pang; Chelsea Fish; Ollie Henderson