Sam Mahboubian

Sam specialises in syndicated lending and international banking transactions across the credit spectrum, with a particular focus on corporate and event-driven lending, public and private acquisition financings, pre- and post-IPO financings and corporate leveraged finance transactions, with wide-ranging experience acting for both borrowers and lenders, and advising corporates, arrangers and sponsors.

Sam also has a breadth of experience acting on a variety of restructurings and insolvencies, including advising Steinhoff International in respect of its distress debt and subsequent restructuring, and a six month period on-site, advising PwC as Joint Administrators of Lehman Brothers in connection with its administration.

Sam has also completed a number of client secondments including a leading US Headquartered bank's Leveraged Finance desk in 2012, giving him first-hand knowledge of the banking sector and insight into the relationship between banks and law firms.

Work highlights

• a leading US Headquartered bank and SocGen: advising on a £5.6bn acquisition facility and separate take-out financing for Schneider Electric's UK public bid for Aveva.
• The Arrangers: advising on a £330m acquisition bridge facility for a member of the IWG plc Group to acquire Instant Group, and the related amendment and restatement of IWG plc's £950m RCF to ringfence certain members of its group prior to a proposed spin out.
• Helios Towers plc: advising on Group-level senior secured term and revolving credit facilities totalling over US$205m and acquisition facilities for the US$495m acquisition of tower assets in Oman.
• Anglo American PLC: advising on a US$100m sustainability-linked loan with IFC, a US$2bn revolving credit bridge facility and a syndicated US$4.5bn revolving credit facility.
• A global food & drink manufacturer: advising in connection with a US$4bn bridge-to-bond term loan.
• The Arrangers: advising in respect of a SEK3.6bn sustainability-linked secured pre-IPO multicurrency revolving credit facility for Oatly Group.

Further work highlights include:

• Alinda Capital Partners: advising on the financing of its £209m UK public takeover of Energy Assets Group plc.
• The Arrangers: advising on the financing of The Restaurant Group plc's £357m acquisition of the Wagamama restaurant group.
• The Mandated Lead Arrangers: advising on a £170m post-IPO financing for The Watches of Switzerland Group.
• CRH plc: advising on a €6.5bn bridge loan facilities in connection with its acquisition of certain assets from the Holcim-Lafarge group.
• The Arrangers: advising in respect of a £400m acquisition financing for DS Smith plc to finance its acquisition of 80% of Indevco Management Resources, Inc.
• A global food & drink manufacturer: advising in connection with two multicurrency revolving credit facilities totalling over US$9bn.
• The Lenders: advising in respect of term and revolving facilities aggregating US$2.3bn for Koninklijke Philips N.V., including potentially the first corporate RCF in the European loans market to include sustainability-linked pricing provisions.
• Steinhoff International Holdings N.V. and certain of its subsidiaries: advising in connection with the restructuring of over €4bn of indebtedness.
• The Arrangers: advising in connection with UBM plc's US$365m acquisition facility to acquire Allworld Exhibitions.
• The Lenders: advising in respect of €1.4bn revolving credit facilities for DS Smith plc.
• Barclays Bank plc: advising in connection with an up to £100m pre-IPO financing for the acquisition of shares in The Hut Group by then-existing shareholders.
• The Arranger: advising in respect of a €250m ECP 'backstop' swingline facility for América Móvil B.V., guaranteed by América Móvil, S.A.B. de C.V.

Sam also mentors a number of students from East London enrolled at the Eastside Young Leaders Academy, a supplementary school which provides educational and leadership opportunities for Black and ethnic minority young people.

Sam holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (LPC) from the College of Law and a Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP (GDL). For his undergraduate degree, Sam obtained a Bachelor of Science in Politics (1st class) from Bristol University.