CMS is home to a ‘proactive and strong’ banking and finance group, which operates under the supervision of Gordon Hay. The team’s well-established client base includes various institutional lenders, energy groups, capital management companies, and financial services entities. Hay is recognised for his energy expertise, helping finance major solar, wind, and other renewables projects. Caryn Miller is noted for her capabilities in high-value refinancings, while Jenny Allan has considerable equity investment experience. John Waller is a name to note for retail financing across Scottish and UK-wide mandates. Cameron Smyth-Milne is also a key name in the team, and Stephen Phillips is a go-to lawyer for advisory banking matters, while Alan Fulton is proficient in leveraged finance deals.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- Alan Fulton - Alan has a vast depth of experience across the global banking market, and we benefit from that as he works with us to launch innovative credit strategies and grow our business. Alan is calm and considered in his negotiation and commands respect for the manner in which he supports our interests, with good end results for us and our clients. He is often my first port of call when I need an expert to give me a guiding hand on new concepts, and he effectively leverages the combined knowledge of his firm to collate invaluable advice.
- The CMS Banking team in Scotland has long been a go-to for us as a trusted partner who knows our business inside out and requires no hand-holding in achieving the standard of legal output required by our business. This alignment means that they offer genuine support to us both in terms of expertise and efficiency of resourcing, with their service picking up at the exact point where our internal capabilities cease. They have played a significant role in the growth of our strategy to date.
- Jenny Allan is one of my favorite lawyers - her advice is pragmatic and commercially focused and it's always a pleasure to be in her company.
- In-depth subject matter expertise is available both in Scotland and England, willing and able to provide solutions in a timely and cost-effective fashion to align with our internal processes.
- Excellent, in-depth market knowledge and expertise spanning all of the jurisdictions our business is concerned with.
- Darren Craig provides excellent relationship management and is a trusted adviser across all transactions. He is typically the first phone call on new deals and is highly responsive and approachable throughout. Darren is always willing and open to discussing issues as they arise, which helps drive efficiency and maintain momentum. He brings a pragmatic, commercial approach and is focused on finding workable solutions, making him a key part of any deal team. Laura King’s key strength is her very strong technical expertise, combined with her diligence in identifying potential issues and challenges early in the process and working through these to find appropriate, practical solutions. Her speed of response and ability to turn matters around efficiently are particularly impressive, providing reassurance on more complex or technically sensitive transactions. Cameron Smyth Milne is also technically very strong and particularly valued for his pragmatic, solutions-focused advice. He is always open to discussing different approaches and is effective at highlighting appropriate solutions to issues, clearly explaining why lenders should be comfortable with a proposed position rather than simply outlining the legal position. Cameron is highly approachable and works collaboratively as part of the wider deal team.
Key clients
- Scottish National Investment Bank plc
- Monument Bank Limited
- Avellinia Capital
- Cynergy Bank Plc
- Close Leasing Limited
- Santander UK plc
- Constantine Energy
Work highlights
Advised Scottish National Investment Bank plc, Centrica Innovations UK Limited and Goldman Sachs International Bank on the project financing of Highview Energy’s Hunterston stability island.
Advised Monument Bank Limited on its funding line to fintech Firenze, supporting the expansion of Firenze’s Lombard lending offering to wealth management clients.
Advised Close Leasing Limited on a credit facility provided to a subsidiary of Environmena Developments Limited to fund a portfolio of UK ground mounted solar projects.
Lawyers
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Leading associates
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Practice head
Gordon Hay
Other key lawyers
Caryn Miller; Jenny Allan; John Waller; Cameron Smyth-Milne; Stephen Phillips; Alan Fulton