Banking & Finance

We act for banks, sponsors, borrowers and advise on all aspects of structuring, negotiating and documenting transactions that involve banking and finance whilst providing the added benefit of have long-standing relationships with industry regulators and local expertise to help our clients achieve complete compliance.

Areas of Expertise:

  • General Financial & Regulatory Advice (Providing current developments and advising on the practical effects of local regulatory environment)
  • Loan & Credit Facilities (Structuring and documenting all types of credit facilities, secured and unsecured)
  • Project Finance (Structuring and documenting project finance transactions in various sectors)
  • Security (Advising on and facilitating type of collaterals available)

Recent Experience

  • Representation of TAEL One Partners on a phased transaction to, (i) provide financing on a secured funding basis to acquire shares in BTS Group Public Co. Ltd., one of Bangkok’s 50 largest SET listed companies, and (through subsidiary Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc), the sole concessionaire of the city’s Sky Train core network, and (ii) structure a loan from UOB-Kay Hian Private Limited, a major Singapore brokerage, on sub-participating, on a secured funding basis, a portion of TAEL’s original financing in BTS Group. Deal value: US$125 million (approx.).
  • Representation of TMB Bank Public Company Limited, as Facility Agent and Lender, on its participation in financing by way of a syndicated loan from a group of Thai banks for one of the largest acquisitions ever made in Thailand valued at THB 38.5 billion for the BIG C Supercenter Public Company Limited acquisition of the Carrefour (Thailand) hyper-market chain of supermarkets.
  • Acting for Goldman Sachs, Citibank, HSBC, Commerzbank, Credit Suisse, Société Générale, Caja de Ahorros y Monte De Piedad de Madrid, The Royal Bank of Scotland plc and Lloyds TSB Bank plc as Mandated Lead Arrangers and Rabobank as Issuing Bank in the €10.8 billion financing for the cash portion of Mittal Steel N.V.’s €25.8 billion bid to acquire French rival, Arcelor SA.
  • Arcelor SA. Acting for Goldman Sachs, Citibank, HSBC, Commerzbank, Credit Suisse, Société Générale, Caja de Ahorros y Monte De Piedad de Madrid, The Royal Bank of Scotland plc and Lloyds TSB Bank plc as Mandated Lead Arrangers and Rabobank as Issuing Bank in the €10.8 billion financing for the cash portion of Mittal Steel N.V.’s €25.8 billion bid to acquire French rival, Arcelor SA.
  • Acting for Deutsche Bank as Initial Lender, Mandated Lead Arranger, Underwriter and Bookrunner in connection with the €12 million mezzanine property financing for the purchase of real estate assets and the establishment of a business relating to the annuities/mortgage markets in Easter Europe (including drafting of ancillary documents such as: subscription agreement, shareholders agreement, equity investors side letters, warrant agreement and warrant certificates, and various security documents)
  • JVH Gaming Group. Acting for the mandated lead arrangers, CIBC World Markets plc and The Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland in connection with the €172.5 million senior and €32.5 million mezzanine facilities provided to Waterland Private Equity Investment B.V. for the acquisition of gaming company, JVH Gaming B.V. from ABN AMRO and NPM Capital.
  • Richmond Foods plc. Acting for Deutsche Bank AG London as Initial Lender, Mandated Lead Arranger, Underwriter and Bookrunner in connection with the €355 million senior and €50 million second lien financing for the acquisition by Oaktree Capital Management LLC, via a newly incorporated company, of Richmond Foods plc (a UK-listed company and the largest ice cream manufacturer in the UK by volume) by way of a scheme of arrangement and the subsequent combination of the Richmond Group with the Roncadin Group (an existing portfolio of Oaktree with ice cream operations in Germany, France and Poland) for a total deal value of €530 million (which includes €123.5 million of equity).
  • CSM N.V. Acting for sponsors CVC and Nordic Capital in the acquisition of CSM N.V.’s sugar confectionary division, involving a guaranteed and secured senior bilateral loan of €695 million provided by a Swedish bank, representing one of the largest European bilateral loans ever made in the leveraged market.  The transaction involved acquisitions of assets and shares in 14 jurisdictions.
  • NTL/Telewest/Virgin Mobile. Acting for the senior banks, Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch, Goldman Sachs International, J.P. Morgan plc and The Royal Bank of Scotland plc in connection with the £5.1 billion financing for the merger of UK cable operators NTL Incorporated, acting through a wholly owned subsidiary and Telewest Global, Inc. The total consideration was valued at approximately US$6 billion and included the refinancing of existing indebtedness following the NTL/Telewest merger and facilities for the subsequent acquisition of the Virgin Mobile Group in 2006 (for which the team won the Banking Team of the Year Award for 2004).
  • ATF Bank JSC. Acting for Standard Bank plc in connection with the US$30,000,000 credit facilities provided to ATF Bank JSC.
  • JSC Kazkommertsbank. Acting for Standard Bank plc in connection with a US$25,000,000 unsecured term loan provided to JSC Kazkommertsbank.
  • JSC Alliance Bank. Acting for the  mandated lead arrangers and the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. (London Branch) as agent in a US$400,000,000 trade finance facility with an extension option to JSC Alliance Bank of Kazakhstan. Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd., Citibank, N.A. London Branch, Raiffeisen Zentralbank Osterreich AG and  Standard Charted Bank were mandated lead arrangers and a syndicate of numerous banks served as lenders (including a global sub-participation agreement).
  • JSC Halyk Bank. Acting for Standard Bank plc as arranger in connection with the US$50,000,000 unsecured facility to JSC Halyk Bank.
  • Acting for ING Bank as Agent in connection with a US$100,000,000 term loan facility provided to Nurbank Joint-Stock Company with ING Bank and Citibank as mandated lead arrangers (including an amendment and restatement agreement).
  • Advised Citigroup and Nordea Bank on the financing of the US$1.65 billion capital restructuring of Frontline Limited.  The financing involved a senior debt facility and a high yield bond issue used to purchase a fleet of ships from the existing Frontline Group by a newly restructured Bermuda-held group.
  • Acting for the sponsors Cinven and Goldman Sachs in the refinancing, restructuring and recapitalisation of the Ahlsell Group (a Nordic distribution business with operations in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Russia), involving a secured senior, second lien, mezzanine and PIK syndicated facilities of SEK2,836 billion provided by Morgan Stanley and Nordea bank as arrangers.
  • Eco Spa. Acting for Nordic Capital as sponsor in connection with the financing of the €905 million acquisition of Eco SPA (a leading global copper business) from Lybra.
  • Thule. Acting for Nordic Capital as sponsor in connection with the €1.35 billion financing of the acquisition of Thule AB (a leading global company in sports utility transportation) from Candover.