Banking & Finance | Europe

UK regional managing partner Michael Bates is recognised as one of the foremost experts in infrastructure financing matters. He also comes highly recommended for his expertise when acting for corporate borrowers and bank lenders.

Robert Lee is the global practice area leader for finance at the firm. His broad finance practice spans cross-border M&A, corporate lending and fund finance matters, among others.

Stephen Kensell is the managing partner of the firm’s London office. He remains a go-to for major banks and financial institutions on complex financings.

Stephen Lucas acts as a member of Kirkland & Ellis's executive committee. He maintains an excellent reputation for his expert representation of sponsors in structured and leveraged finance matters. He is regarded as a go-to for major private equity houses to advise on complex matters.

Co-head of the firm's global leveraged finance group, Denise Gibson has a respected practice advising on a range of financings, regularly assisting with particularly complex deal structures. She is especially versed in handling lender-side mandates, with ample experience advising traditional as well as direct lenders on high-value international transactions.

Dominic Newcomb is regarded as a premier choice for prominent sponsor clients. His practice regularly involves acting on a number of high-value domestic and international debt financings.

Ian Barratt continues to be regarded as one of the premier choices for sponsor-side representation. He is frequently instructed by leading private equity clients to advise on leveraged acquisition finance matters and is well versed in cross-border transactions.

Jayanthi Sadanandan is a highly regarded practitioner with a broad practice, representing sponsor, borrower and lender clients. Her work spans leveraged and investment-grade financings, in both the UK and international markets.

Neel Sachdev remains a leading authority in the finance market, noted for his stellar representation of sponsor-side clients. He is regularly called upon to advise on complex, multi-jurisdictional debt finance matters, in particular acquisition financings and take-privates. He also acts as co-head of Paul, Weiss's London office and co-leads its global finance and capital markets group.

Co-head of the firm's global leveraged finance practice Suhrud Mehta is regularly instructed on complex cross-border matters. He is a practitioner of choice for leading financial institutions on big-ticket transactions.

Alex Mitchell is global co-head of Freshfields' leveraged finance group and regularly acts for investment fund and private equity clients. He is well positioned to act on complex multi-jurisdictional financings while also handling mid-sized domestic transactions for portfolio companies.

Christopher Kandel of Morrison Foerster is regarded as a go-to player in the London banking and finance market. His expertise includes complex and high-value cross-border leveraged and corporate finance matters.

Christopher Shield is held in high regard for his leveraged finance expertise and regularly acts for an impressive list of private equity clients on large-cap mandates such as public-to-privates and acquisition financings.

Co-chair of the firm's global finance practice Mohamed Nurmohamed is highlighted for his adept handling of lender-side mandates. He is frequently instructed by investment banks and private creditors to assist with complex cross-border financings.

Nick Syson is renowned in the market for his wealth of experience assisting banks with large-cap financings. He is adroit at advising on leveraged finance and debt restructuring matters.

Co-head of the firm's global private equity practice, Robin Harvey comes recommended for his strengths advising across the finance space. He is particularly adept at acting for prominent sponsors on private equity financing matters and also assists their portfolio companies.

Sam Hamilton is noted for his expertise in acting for sponsors on leveraged finance matters. He also advises corporate borrowers on refinancings and other credit facilities.

Tom Richards is noted for his expert representation of private equity sponsors, which he advises on the gamut of leveraged finance matters. He is regularly sought after to assist clients on complex multi-jurisdictional transactions.

Emma Folds has a respected corporate lending and debt restructuring practice. She is highlighted for her representation of banks and alternative capital providers. She handles varying deal sizes and financing structures.

Global head of private credit and direct lending at the firm, Gareth Eagles is an expert in this area. He is well placed to advise on big-ticket acquisition financings.

Jeremy Duffy is active across the finance space and noted in particular for his expertise in leveraged buyouts. He is regularly instructed by domestic and international lender-side clients.

Jim MacHale is well regarded for his expert handling of leveraged finance and corporate loan matters. His practice includes both domestic and cross-border mandates. He is particularly active on the lender side, frequently advising mandated lead arrangers. He has additional experience in private credit transactions.

Luke McDougall is routinely called upon by prominent lender-side clients for assistance with domestic and cross-border acquisition finance matters. His client roster includes both traditional bank and speciality lenders.

Nicholas Benham of Davis Polk & Wardwell is adept at advising on leveraged and investment-grade acquisition financings. He is able to act for clients across the space, from lenders to corporate borrowers and sponsors.

Co-head of global banking and of the private capital group at the firm, Philip Bowden is regularly called upon to advise on domestic and cross-border matters. He is adept at handling both leveraged and investment-grade acquisition financings as well as structured finance matters.

Simon Roberts has expertise within the corporate lending space. He regularly advises on domestic and international financing transactions, and is also highly capable in the field of real estate financing.

Chris McLaughlin is regularly instructed by sponsors and financial institutions on a range of leveraged and corporate acquisition financings. He is additionally noted for his expert representation of private debt funds.

Clive Wells has considerable experience acting for large corporates on investment-grade transactions. His practice involves advising on all manner of financings, including acquisition and structured finance. He has additional experience advising sponsors and lenders.

David Campbell can handle both leveraged and acquisition finance, with particular expertise in investment-grade matters. He advises well-known banks and syndicates as well as corporate borrowers and he has particular experience in Nordic region transactions.

David Robson is noted for his experience advising lenders across the financing space. He is particularly adept at handling leveraged and M&A financings.

Oliver Sceales is co-head of the firm's leveraged finance practice. He is recognised for his skill in advising well-known sponsors on both mid-cap and big-ticket transactions.

Ross Anderson is recommended for his expert representation of lenders, including mixed groups of banks and funds. He centres his banking practice on leveraged finance matters.

Taner Hassan is noted for his expertise in acting for sponsors, regularly advising private equity clients on leveraged finance matters. He has experience handling cross-border mandates involving the Nordics and the USA, among other jurisdictions.

Annette Kurdian acts for domestic and international banks as well as direct lenders, whom she regularly advises on high-value cross-border leveraged finance transactions.

Christopher Davis is a capable adviser to both corporate and private equity clients on cross-border financings. He is noted for his expertise in leveraged and acquisition finance.

Head of the firm's banking practice in the EMEA region, Colin Harley is a go-to in the leveraged finance space. He typically represents sponsor-side clients in complex domestic and cross-border transactions.

Edward Aldred joined Cleary Gottlieb in May 2023. He is respected for his expertise in international finance matters. Particularly active for sponsors, his areas of knowledge include acquisition finance, bank/bond structures and capex facilities.

Fergus Wheeler of Akin Gump has substantial expertise in direct lending matters. He acts across the capital structure, counting a number of private credit funds and alternative capital providers among his client base.

Gregory Brown is adept at advising financial institutions and other lenders on debt financings, as well as borrower clients. He has experience handling transactions in a number of other areas, including emerging markets and fund finance.

Martin Hutchings is noted for his adept representation of both lender and borrower-side clients. He advises on everything from cross-border financings to corporate treasury matters.

Pete Coulton is noted for his representation of private equity sponsors on big-ticket financings. He has experience of leveraged finance matters and is also adept at advising on corporate borrowers on investment-grade transactions.

Peter Hayes is experienced in acting for sponsors, borrowers and lenders on complex leveraged and acquisition finance matters. He is recognised for his expert handling of cross-border financings.

Ross Pooley regularly advises on leveraged and acquisition finance with expertise in cross-border matters. He is well versed in advising banks on high-value bilateral loans, with additional experience acting for private lenders.

Sarbajeet Nag is highlighted for his expertise in acquisition finance and regularly advises leading financial institutions on high-value transactions.

Co-head of corporate and structured lending, Toby Grimstone is adept at advising on syndicated and secured bank financings. He is regularly instructed by bank and borrower clients and specialises in acquisition and general corporate financing matters.

Alan Davies acts for domestic and international clients on a range of transactions. His finance practice spans structured, acquisition and asset finance matters, in addition to fund financing.

Alexandra Grant is noted for her work on cross-border leveraged finance matters. She regularly acts on behalf of international investment and merchant banks, with additional experience acting for borrowers.

Daniel Maze is particularly adept at acting for direct lenders on leveraged finance transactions and emerging market financings. He is experienced in advising on large-cap mandates involving a range of sectors, including TMT and technology.

Darren Hanwell advises on leveraged financings in the big-ticket market and typically acts on behalf of lenders.

David Irvine is co-head of the firm's leveraged finance practice. He assists sponsors on big-ticket acquisition financings, with additional experience in fund finance transactions. He also brings an excellent understanding of Asian markets, having gained expertise practising in Hong Kong.

Jim Ho regularly advises clients on multi-jurisdictional financing transactions. His banking and finance capabilities are complemented by expertise in bond financings.

Kirsteen Nicol is a go-to practitioner in the London finance market and is noted in particular for her strength in large-cap cross-border financings. Her clients include a number of leading sponsors.

Martin Forbes advises both corporate borrowers and sponsor-side clients on a wide range of financings. He is particularly adept at handling cross-border transactions and has a keen understanding of US leveraged products.

Matt Moore has a growing reputation for his work on acquisition and leveraged finance mandates. His client base includes a variety of lenders from banks to alternative capital providers.

Matthew Tobin has particular experience advising on investment-grade lending and capital markets transactions. He is a trusted adviser to large corporates, whom he advises on deals including acquisition bridge facilities, corporate loan refinancings and reorganisations as well as bond issuances.

Co-head of the global leveraged finance group at the firm, Nicholas Clark has a respected practice, recently most focused on lender clients. He regularly assists bank syndicates with leveraged finance mandates.

Oliver Edwards is co-head of corporate and structured lending and specialises in margin lending matters. He is a sought after by banks to advise on cross-border transactions, including leveraged and investment-grade financings as well as secured facilities.

Paul Hibbert has an active finance practice advising sponsor and lender-side clients. He offers niche expertise in infrastructure finance matters as well as real estate and fund financings.

Peter Dahlen has a practice that sees him assist both borrowers and lenders on complex financing arrangements. He has a particular focus on the Nordic region.

Reena Gogna has a wealth of knowledge that spans from leveraged financings to debt restructurings. Her sophisticated client roster includes both private credit providers and traditional bank lenders.

Robert Byk is adept at advising corporate borrowers on cross-border financings, with particular experience in the manufacturing, oil and gas, and life sciences sectors. He has a broad practice which spans structured acquisitions and bid financings, in addition to capital markets expertise.

William Nevin regularly advises on multi-jurisdictional acquisition finance matters. He acts for an impressive list of corporates and bank clients, typically on large-cap syndicated financings.

Aled Batey has a growing reputation for his representation of sponsor-side clients as well as corporate borrowers. He typically acts for his clients in acquisition financings, including take-privates, and has experience in bridge to bond facilities.

Up-and-comer Caroline Phillips advises borrower-side clients on financing transactions across domestic and international markets. She is able to handle a variety of deal types for well-known corporates and financial services companies, including revolving credit facilities and Tier 3 facilities as well as pension scheme facilities.

Emma Foster typically advises private credit funds on big-ticket financings.

Evgeny Zborovsky regularly acts for well-known mid-cap as well as big-ticket sponsors, including on transactions with sophisticated structures and across jurisdictions.

Fergus O'Domhnaill enters the rankings thanks to high activity levels on sizeable transactions. He is especially adept at advising corporate borrowers and sponsors and regularly handles cross-border financings.

Up-and-comer Jane Glancy acts for both borrower and lender-side clients on a wide range of financings, including high-value acquisition financings and the refinancing of corporate loans.

Karan Chopra acts for lender-side clients on an array of UK and cross-border financings. He is particularly noted for his expertise on the private credit side.

Neil Sinha is a well-known up-and-comer in the London market. He advises borrower and sponsor clients on a range of financing transactions, such as refinancings and add-ons to existing facilities as well as new acquisition financings.

Richard Lloyd enters the rankings based on showcasing notable work for leading lenders, from whom he receives sterling feedback. He advises both banks and credit funds and frequently acts on cross-border transactions.

Thomas Critchley handles sophisticated and high-value financings for high-profile sponsor clients. His experience includes sustainability-linked products.