Active across a host of financing mandates including project finance, real estate finance, refinancing and restructuring mandates, and receivable purchase facilities, the team at Morton Fraser MacRoberts provides ‘exceptional legal guidance combined with commerciality and first-class communication and service’, acting for lenders and borrowers across the UK and beyond. Beverley Wood and Norman Martin head up the team and are highly reputed for their respective asset based lending and corporate finance expertise. The ’very experienced, pragmatic and responsive’ Andrew Meakin is principally noted for his strong work in the real estate sector, while Ross Caldwell, who also possesses real estate financing capabilities, is well-positioned to advise on leveraged and acquisition finance transactions. Billy Kay joined the firm from Burness Paull LLP in November 2023, adding further project finance expertise, while Lauren Hart enjoys close connections to a number of clearing and challenger banks.
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Our ongoing workflow is handled both quickly and more importantly, commercially. There is always a need to balance the needs of the client and the desire to complete the underlying contract, and the advice remains always on ensuring both can be satisfactorily achieved.’
‘Exceptional legal guidance combined with commerciality and first-class communication and service makes Morton Fraser MacRoberts a key partner to our business as a principal lender.’
‘The team at Morton Fraser MacRoberts provide exceptional support to our business through legal support for our lending business. The quality of legal advice is first class, the service levels, approachability and availability of the team mean they are key to our continued growth.'
‘Andrew Meakin is very experienced, pragmatic and responsive.’
‘Pragmatic, commercial advice provided in a way which is easy to understand and delivered by a team which is always a pleasure to work with.’
‘The Morton Fraser MacRoberts Banking Team are very impressive. Across the team there is a significant amount of knowledge and experience particularly within the asset backed and marine finance sectors. The people are straight-talking and commercial with a can-do attitude and client-focused approach.’
‘The team are client-focused and provide speedy responses and commercial view taking. The team are very approachable and quick to build rapport and trust.’
Key clients
- Spire Global, Inc.
- DNB
- Schuh Group
- Stellus Capital Partners
- The Royal Bank of Scotland
- National Westminster Bank
- Lloyds Bank
- Bank of Scotland
- HSBC Bank
- Barclays Bank
Work highlights
Acted as Scots counsel for Canada Life managed debt funds in the provision of a £148m 16-year term loan facility to LXi REIT plc secured on a portfolio of 50 properties in the UK, seven of which were situated in Scotland.
Acted for DNB in relation to Scottish aspects of additional facilities of CAN$100m being made available to the Cooke Aquaculture Group - total loan facilities now exceed CAN$1bn.
Acted as Scots counsel for Circet Europe on the acquisition financing, comprising a €1.6bn term loan and a €250m senior revolving facility, that was used to allow Circet Europe to acquire Qube GB Limited.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Beverley Wood; Norman Martin
Other key lawyers
Andrew Meakin; Ross Caldwell; Billy Kay; Lauren Hart