Cecil Quillen | Lawyers

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United States

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Capital Markets

Sectors

Banks

"For over 35 years, I’ve advised clients on US law and regulation in a wide range of engagements running the full gamut of capital markets products and disciplines, particularly in the cross-border setting. I enjoy helping clients achieve their objectives where there are difficult disclosure, financial or structuring issues, in challenging circumstances and jurisdictions, often in the emerging markets. I work extensively with non-US SEC reporting companies and other companies on strategic, transactional and disclosure matters."

Overview

Cecil is a London-based US partner who is a leading senior US capital markets practitioner in the London market. He became a partner in the New York office in 1996 and transferred to the London office in 2000. He works on a broad spectrum of securities and finance matters and has extensive experience in offerings of debt, equity, regulatory-capital and structured securities in established and emerging markets, as well as in liability management transactions and restructurings. He works extensively on strategic, transactional, compliance and disclosure matters with SEC reporting companies. Cecil has also gained significant experience in the financial-institutions sector through his membership of the Board of Directors of Lion Finance Group PLC (formerly Bank of Georgia Group PLC), the London-listed/FTSE-250-constituent holding company for the largest commercial bank in Georgia and a leading commercial bank in Armenia. He chairs the remuneration committee and previously served on the audit committee.

Work Highlights

advising Rio Tinto on its US$9 billion 8-tranche SEC-registered notes offering and generally on all US-related disclosure and reporting issues and US capital-raising platforms
advising Unilever on capital-markets aspects of its Magnum spin-off and on its recent SEC-registered offering of its US$1.75 billion dual-tranche senior notes, as well as all its SEC-registered offerings of debt securities and on US securities-law matters generally
advising the underwriters on HSBC Holdings plc’s recent US$5 billion 3-tranche SEC-registered senior notes offering, its US$1.5 billion SEC-registered subordinated notes offering, its US$2 billion SEC-registered alternative tier 1 regulatory capital securities offering and all SEC-registered HSBC Holdings plc offerings of regulatory capital and debt securities
advising the underwriters on Barclays PLC’s recent US$3.25 billion 3-tranche SEC-registered senior notes offering and all SEC-registered Barclays PLC and Barclays Bank PLC offerings of regulatory capital and debt securities
representing the underwriters for Santander UK Group plc’s recent US$2.75 billion SEC-registered senior notes offering, as well as on all SEC-registered offerings of debt securities
advising the underwriters on the recent SEC-registered US$750 million notes offering by Diageo plc and all SEC-registered Diageo offerings of debt securities
representing the lead managers on Nationwide Building Society’s US$2.05 billion three-tranche senior notes offering under Rule 144A and on US-facing capital-raising transactions by Nationwide generally
representing Yellow Cake PLC in its recent placement of its AIM-listed ordinary shares and in multiple previous share placements
representing Experian plc on its recent US$500 million notes offering and on all its previous yankee debt offerings and on US securities-law matters generally
advising Prosus N.V. on its recent €750 million notes offering and on US securities-law matters generally
advising the lead managers on Egypt’s recent US$1.5 billion sukuk offering and multiple other Rule 144A offerings of sovereign bonds, including Egypt’s US$3 billion senior notes offering in 2021 and its groundbreaking US$2 billion multi-tranche offering in 2020 (Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Middle East Sovereign Debt Deal of the Year)
representing the initial purchasers on the Kingdom of Bahrain’s US$2.5 billion combined sukuk and notes offerings
representing the lead managers on the US$700 million notes offering by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
advising the lead managers on Nordea Bank’s recent Rule 144A offerings of US$850 million AT1 securities and US$1 billion senior notes and all US-facing offerings of Nordea Bank debt securities
representing the lead managers on the US$2.2 billion Rule 144A offering of notes by Imperial Brands PLC and on US-facing capital-raising transactions by Imperial Brands generally.
representing the lead managers on Air Baltic’s €340 million 14.5% Secured Bonds due 2029 (Rule 144A stress refinancing of pre-existing indebtedness of key regional airline)
representing Energy Development Oman on its recent US$750 million Rule 144A sukuk offering (5.662% Trust Certificates due 2031) as well as its earlier debut US$1 billion Rule 144A sukuk (5.875% Trust Certificates due 2033) (Middle East Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Deal of the Year)
advising the lead managers on Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s US$3 billion dual-tranche jumbo bond issuance and other relevant international capital raisings
advising the lead managers on Serbia’s offering of US$1.5 billion 6% Notes due 2034 and previous US-facing bond offerings by Serbia
representing the lead managers on London Stock Exchange Group plc’s US$1.25 billion dual-tranche bonds and previous US-facing offerings of debt securities by London Stock Exchange Group plc
advising Allied Irish Bank plc on its US$1 billion Fixed to Floating Senior Notes due 2035 and all US-facing offerings of regulatory capital and debt securities and US securities-law matters generally
advising Tate & Lyle PLC on US law aspects of its sale of its Primary Products and related businesses in North America and Latin America
advising Omantel on its debut US$500 million Rule 144A sukuk (Sukuk Trust Certificates due 2031 (part-refinancing of Omantel’s secured notes which financed its acquisition of its stake in Zain Telecom))
advising the initial purchasers on BT’s US$1 billion debut Rule 144A offering of hybrid capital securities
advising Hong Kong Airport Authority on its US$1.5 billion debut US issuance of debt securities
representing Assemblin on its €250 million senior secured floating-rate high-yield notes offering
advising ALMEX as selling shareholder and Halyk Bank as issuer in connection with ALMEX’s US$344 million secondary offering of Halyk Bank GDRs
advising, on a pro bono basis, the World Health Organization on securities-law and related issues associated with its involvement in the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) and the funding of the PEF by the World Bank’s Catastrophe-Linked Capital at Risk Notes (IFLR Americas Structured Finance and Securitisation Deal of the Year)
advising SAB Miller on US securities-law-related matters in connection with the AB InBev/SAB Miller acquisition

For Cecil's additional transactional experience, click here

Beyond the Office

Cecil is a recognised senior US practitioner in the London market and speaks regularly at a variety of professional conferences. He is an officer of the Securities Law Committee of the International Bar Association, sits on the Advisory Committee for Securities Regulation in Europe of the Practising Law Institute and served from 2005 until 2016 as a member of the board of directors of the High Yield Division of the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (formerly the European High Yield Association). Cecil is a member of the board of directors of Lion Finance Group PLC (formerly Bank of Georgia Group PLC), the London listed/FTSE-250-constituent holding company for the largest commercial bank in Georgia and a leading commercial bank n Armenia (he chairs the renumeration committee and previously served on the audit committee). He also is a trustee of Dulwich Picture Gallery the University of Virginia Law School Foundation, UK Friends of Harvard University and the Harvard Global Foundation.

For speeches, click here (link to Magna Carta speech)

Education and Qualifications

Cecil received an A.B., magna cum laude with highest honors in History & Literature, in 1985 from Harvard University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. in 1988 from the University of Virginia, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif and was a notes editor of the Virginia Law Review. He served as a law clerk to Hon. John D. Butzner, Senior Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 1988-89. Cecil is admitted to practice in New York (1989) and the District of Columbia (1991),and is a registered foreign lawyer in England and Wales.

State Admissions:

New York

District of Columbia

Overview

Work Highlights

advising Rio Tinto on its US$9 billion 8-tranche SEC-registered notes offering and generally on all US-related disclosure and reporting issues and US capital-raising platforms

advising Unilever on capital-markets aspects of its Magnum spin-off and on its recent SEC-registered offering of its US$1.75 billion dual-tranche senior notes, as well as all its SEC-registered offerings of debt securities and on US securities-law matters generally

advising the underwriters on HSBC Holdings plc’s recent US$5 billion 3-tranche SEC-registered senior notes offering, its US$1.5 billion SEC-registered subordinated notes offering, its US$2 billion SEC-registered alternative tier 1 regulatory capital securities offering and all SEC-registered HSBC Holdings plc offerings of regulatory capital and debt securities

advising the underwriters on Barclays PLC’s recent US$3.25 billion 3-tranche SEC-registered senior notes offering and all SEC-registered Barclays PLC and Barclays Bank PLC offerings of regulatory capital and debt securities

representing the underwriters for Santander UK Group plc’s recent US$2.75 billion SEC-registered senior notes offering, as well as on all SEC-registered offerings of debt securities

advising the underwriters on the recent SEC-registered US$750 million notes offering by Diageo plc and all SEC-registered Diageo offerings of debt securities

representing the lead managers on Nationwide Building Society’s US$2.05 billion three-tranche senior notes offering under Rule 144A and on US-facing capital-raising transactions by Nationwide generally

representing Yellow Cake PLC in its recent placement of its AIM-listed ordinary shares and in multiple previous share placements

representing Experian plc on its recent US$500 million notes offering and on all its previous yankee debt offerings and on US securities-law matters generally

advising Prosus N.V. on its recent €750 million notes offering and on US securities-law matters generally

advising the lead managers on Egypt’s recent US$1.5 billion sukuk offering and multiple other Rule 144A offerings of sovereign bonds, including Egypt’s US$3 billion senior notes offering in 2021 and its groundbreaking US$2 billion multi-tranche offering in 2020 (Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Middle East Sovereign Debt Deal of the Year)

representing the initial purchasers on the Kingdom of Bahrain’s US$2.5 billion combined sukuk and notes offerings

representing the lead managers on the US$700 million notes offering by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

advising the lead managers on Nordea Bank’s recent Rule 144A offerings of US$850 million AT1 securities and US$1 billion senior notes and all US-facing offerings of Nordea Bank debt securities

representing the lead managers on the US$2.2 billion Rule 144A offering of notes by Imperial Brands PLC and on US-facing capital-raising transactions by Imperial Brands generally.

representing the lead managers on Air Baltic’s €340 million 14.5% Secured Bonds due 2029 (Rule 144A stress refinancing of pre-existing indebtedness of key regional airline)

representing Energy Development Oman on its recent US$750 million Rule 144A sukuk offering (5.662% Trust Certificates due 2031) as well as its earlier debut US$1 billion Rule 144A sukuk (5.875% Trust Certificates due 2033) (Middle East Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Deal of the Year)

advising the lead managers on Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s US$3 billion dual-tranche jumbo bond issuance and other relevant international capital raisings

advising the lead managers on Serbia’s offering of US$1.5 billion 6% Notes due 2034 and previous US-facing bond offerings by Serbia

representing the lead managers on London Stock Exchange Group plc’s US$1.25 billion dual-tranche bonds and previous US-facing offerings of debt securities by London Stock Exchange Group plc

advising Allied Irish Bank plc on its US$1 billion Fixed to Floating Senior Notes due 2035 and all US-facing offerings of regulatory capital and debt securities and US securities-law matters generally

advising Tate & Lyle PLC on US law aspects of its sale of its Primary Products and related businesses in North America and Latin America

advising Omantel on its debut US$500 million Rule 144A sukuk (Sukuk Trust Certificates due 2031 (part-refinancing of Omantel’s secured notes which financed its acquisition of its stake in Zain Telecom))

advising the initial purchasers on BT’s US$1 billion debut Rule 144A offering of hybrid capital securities

advising Hong Kong Airport Authority on its US$1.5 billion debut US issuance of debt securities

representing Assemblin on its €250 million senior secured floating-rate high-yield notes offering

advising ALMEX as selling shareholder and Halyk Bank as issuer in connection with ALMEX’s US$344 million secondary offering of Halyk Bank GDRs

advising, on a pro bono basis, the World Health Organization on securities-law and related issues associated with its involvement in the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) and the funding of the PEF by the World Bank’s Catastrophe-Linked Capital at Risk Notes (IFLR Americas Structured Finance and Securitisation Deal of the Year)

advising SAB Miller on US securities-law-related matters in connection with the AB InBev/SAB Miller acquisition

For Cecil's additional transactional experience, click here

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Overview

Work Highlights

Beyond the Office

Education and Qualifications