Addleshaw Goddard’s team has extensive expertise in providing holistic advice on banking and financing matters and is well-equipped to manage real estate, healthcare and energy finance work for both lenders and borrowers. Alan Shanks heads the department and focuses on financing and refinancing transactions in the renewable energy sector. Gaenor Cassell is a key contact for banks, private equity houses and investors for banking work. John Waller departed the team in June 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'I have found the team at AG to be very user friendly, entirely focused on understanding our needs and specific business requirements and not afraid to challenge banks. As a whole the team is very impressive, diligent and goes the extra mile.'
- 'Gaenor Cassell is very impressive. She always looks at the big picture and ensures that our overall commercial aims are at the centre of each transaction. She is extremely conscientious and delivery focused.'
- 'Key strengths include their approachability, good commercial awareness, quality of output, fairness around fees / billing, and strength in depth across the team and more widely with other departments where wider collaboration is required. Providing what we need when we need it which can be quite demanding as part of material transactions or when there are tight deadlines. It is the combination of these strengths that make Addleshaw Goddard stand out as other firms can deliver in some of these areas, but not as well across them all as a whole.'
- 'Addi Spiers - easy to deal with as she communicates clearly, is happy to talk through any questions / concerns, and provide a good balance between managing risk and being commercial which aligns well with the bank's appetite / approach to our clients.'
- 'Addi Spiers stands out as being happy to help with ad hoc queries even if they haven't been mandated on something. A willingness to take a wider relationship view in this regard is very helpful as it adds value and helps the bank manage its own client relationships.'
Key clients
- Lloyds Banking Group
- The Royal Bank of Scotland / NatWest
- Clydesdale Bank Plc / Virgin Money
- Scottish Enterprise
- OEG Energy Group
- Shawbrook
- National Wealth Fund (previously UK Infrastructure Bank)
- Coutts
- Cynergy Bank
- Onsite Energy
- HSBC
- Care Concern
Work highlights
Advised Hillhouse Group on the debt financing of its recent acquisition of Skene Group Construction Services Limited.
Advised the Hallmark Care Homes Group on its £150m funding arrangements with HSBC and Barclays.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Alan Shanks
Other key lawyers
Gaenor Cassell; Addi Spiers