Overview
James advises arrangers and corporates on all areas of bank lending with a particular focus on M&A and corporate syndicated financings in the UK, Europe and the emerging markets as well as margin loans (often connected with IPOs) and restructurings.
Until his return to the firm’s London office in 2013, James led the firm’s Middle East banking practice, and he continues to lead high-profile, Middle East-related transactions.
James helped develop lending structures involving a combination of Islamic and conventional finance and pioneered transactions involving jumbo pre-IPO syndicated margin loans and hybrid fund financings using proxies for LTVs.
Work Highlights
James has led on a wide range of complex finance transactions in Europe and the Middle East. These include advising:
- Rio Tinto on its US$7bn acquisition facilities for Arcadium Lithium in the US and its $7bn revolving facilities
- The lead arrangers on ArcelorMittal’s loan facilities, including the US$7bn acquisition facility to acquire Essar Steel, the financing for its bid for US Steel and its US$5.5bn revolving facilities
- Petrofac on its pari-bank and high-yield financings and restructuring
- On significant corporate and event financings for AngloGold, Bidvest, Brambles, BHP, Croda, EY, Experian, Marks and Spencer, Ocado, Royal Mail, Currys, and Sappi
- The £1bn Term Loan B and PIK financings for Global University Systems
- Holdco and opco financings for Eurohold and borrowing base financings for Sunrise International
- Takeda on its US$35bn facilities to acquire Shire
- The lead arrangers on the conventional and Islamic US$6bn acquisition facilities and US$5bn long-term facilities for Equate, the global petrochemicals company
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