Acquisition and leveraged finance

Eversheds Sutherland’s Leveraged Finance practice advises financial institutions, private equity houses, portfolio businesses and private companies on finance transactions in primary and secondary markets. Comprising banking and restructuring lawyers and working as a cross-practice team with our private equity colleagues, we have a long list of regular financial sponsor clients and are particularly active in the UK mid-market. We act for all UK clearing banks and have acted for some of the world’s top 50 banks as well as debt funds.

“They clearly had the background and experience on similar transactions in the sector. They were able to bring that to the front when we were discussing specific commercial and technical issues. Similarly, when an issue arose with the pensions work, they could come up with specific ways in which we could protect the bank further.” Andrea Dann, HSBC Bank plc

How can we help?

Our global team has experience of a wide range of financing structures including:

− senior syndicated or bilateral debt
− CLBILS/CBILS
− unitranche facilities
− super senior RCFs
− PIK (and Holdco PIK)
− first-out, last-out and senior/junior structures

Who do we work with?

Some of our recent experience includes advising;

• We advised long-standing client the Daisy Group in relation to its group re-organisation, refinancing and investment by Ares and a club of financial institutions. The financing package, consisting of term, revolving and Holdco PIK facilities, represents one of the largest European private credit transactions to-date.
• We advised GEMS Education in relation to the negotiation of cross border Holdco PIK and term facilities for the acquisition of Bellevue Education.
• We advised Bridges and Viva Gyms on the bolt on cross border acquisition of Duet Fit.
• We advised Livingbridge on the leveraged acquisition facilities for the MBO of Nationwide Hire.
• We advised a senior lender on a non consensual debt for equity swap and subsequent successful solvent exit.