Cecil Quillen | Lawyers

Admissions

United States

Services

Capital Markets

Sectors

Banks

“For nearly 40 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

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-100-constituent holding company for the largest commercial bank in Georgia and a leading commercial bank in Armenia. He chaired the remuneration committee until June 2026 and previously served on the audit committee.

Experience

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 SEC-registered offering of its US$1.75 billion dual-tranche senior notes
advising the underwriters on HSBC Holdings plc’s 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
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 SEC-registered US$750 million notes offering by Diageo plc and all SEC-registered Diageo offerings of debt securities
representing the underwriters on WPP plc’s US$600 million SEC-registered fixed-rate notes offering
advising Prosus N.V. on its recent US$1.65 billion dual-tranche senior notes offering and concurrent cash tender offer for two series of debt securities, and on US securities-law matters generally
advising the lead managers on the recent US$750 million “blue notes” offering by Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) and previous US-facing securities offerings by TAQA
advising the lead managers on a dual-tranche US$1.75 billion notes offering by Imperial Brands PLC and on US-facing securities offerings by Imperial Brands generally
representing the lead managers on Nationwide Building Society’s US$1.75 billion senior non-preferred notes offering and on US-facing securities offerings by Nationwide generally
representing Experian plc on its recent US$1 billion senior notes offering and on all previous yankee bond offerings and on US securities-law matters generally
representing the initial purchasers on the recent notes offering ($1 billion) and sukuk trust certificates offering (US$800 million) and on previous US-facing securities offerings by Bahrain
advising the lead managers on Nordea Bank’s offering of US$1 billion dual tranche senior preferred notes and all US-facing offerings of Nordea Bank debt securities
advising the lead managers on Egypt’s recent US$1 billion senior notes offering and multiple other Rule 144A offerings of sovereign bonds, including its innovative US$1.5 billion sukuk offering and its groundbreaking US$2 billion multi-tranche senior notes offering in 2020 (Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Middle East Sovereign Debt Deal of the Year)
representing the lead managers in the US$2 billion dual-tranche trust certificates (sukuk) offering by stc group (Saudi Telecom Company)
representing OPEC Fund for International Development on its recent US$1.25 billion notes offering and on previous yankee bond offerings and on US securities-law matters generally
advising the lead manages on the recent US$3 billion three-tranche notes offering by London Stock Exchange Group plc and previous US-facing offerings of securities by London Stock Exchange Group
advising the lead managers on Ma’aden’s offering of US$1 billion trust certificates (sukuk)
advising the underwriters on Barclays PLC’s recent US$4.5 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 Energy Development Oman on its US$650 million Rule 144A sukuk offering as well as its earlier debut US$1 billion Rule 144A sukuk (Middle East Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Deal of the Year)
advising the lead managers on Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s recent US$2 billion bond issuance and other international capital raisings
advising the lead managers on Serbia’s offering of €1.9 billion dual-tranche notes and US$1.25 billion notes and previous US-facing bond offerings by Serbia
representing Yellow Cake PLC in its recent placement of its AIM-listed ordinary shares and in multiple previous share placements
representing the lead managers on the US$700 million notes offering by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
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)
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-100-constituent holding company for the largest commercial bank in Georgia and a leading commercial bank in Armenia (he chaired the renumeration committee until June 2026 and previously served on the audit committee). He is also a trustee of Dulwich Picture Gallery, the University of Virginia Law School Foundation and the Harvard Global Foundation.

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

Education, Qualifications and Languages

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

Experience

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 SEC-registered offering of its US$1.75 billion dual-tranche senior notes

advising the underwriters on HSBC Holdings plc’s 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

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 SEC-registered US$750 million notes offering by Diageo plc and all SEC-registered Diageo offerings of debt securities

representing the underwriters on WPP plc’s US$600 million SEC-registered fixed-rate notes offering

advising Prosus N.V. on its recent US$1.65 billion dual-tranche senior notes offering and concurrent cash tender offer for two series of debt securities, and on US securities-law matters generally

advising the lead managers on the recent US$750 million “blue notes” offering by Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) and previous US-facing securities offerings by TAQA

advising the lead managers on a dual-tranche US$1.75 billion notes offering by Imperial Brands PLC and on US-facing securities offerings by Imperial Brands generally

representing the lead managers on Nationwide Building Society’s US$1.75 billion senior non-preferred notes offering and on US-facing securities offerings by Nationwide generally

representing Experian plc on its recent US$1 billion senior notes offering and on all previous yankee bond offerings and on US securities-law matters generally

representing the initial purchasers on the recent notes offering ($1 billion) and sukuk trust certificates offering (US$800 million) and on previous US-facing securities offerings by Bahrain

advising the lead managers on Nordea Bank’s offering of US$1 billion dual tranche senior preferred notes and all US-facing offerings of Nordea Bank debt securities

advising the lead managers on Egypt’s recent US$1 billion senior notes offering and multiple other Rule 144A offerings of sovereign bonds, including its innovative US$1.5 billion sukuk offering and its groundbreaking US$2 billion multi-tranche senior notes offering in 2020 (Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Middle East Sovereign Debt Deal of the Year)

representing the lead managers in the US$2 billion dual-tranche trust certificates (sukuk) offering by stc group (Saudi Telecom Company)

representing OPEC Fund for International Development on its recent US$1.25 billion notes offering and on previous yankee bond offerings and on US securities-law matters generally

advising the lead manages on the recent US$3 billion three-tranche notes offering by London Stock Exchange Group plc and previous US-facing offerings of securities by London Stock Exchange Group

advising the lead managers on Ma’aden’s offering of US$1 billion trust certificates (sukuk)

advising the underwriters on Barclays PLC’s recent US$4.5 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 Energy Development Oman on its US$650 million Rule 144A sukuk offering as well as its earlier debut US$1 billion Rule 144A sukuk (Middle East Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Deal of the Year)

advising the lead managers on Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s recent US$2 billion bond issuance and other international capital raisings

advising the lead managers on Serbia’s offering of €1.9 billion dual-tranche notes and US$1.25 billion notes and previous US-facing bond offerings by Serbia

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

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

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)

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

Experience

Beyond the Office

Education, Qualifications and Languages