Banking and Finance Solicitors
Coronavirus advice for business
We can provide advice on agreements between lenders and borrowers to restructure and/or waive loan terms (including financial covenants), the introduction of short term payment holidays and additional working capital funding solutions.
- Recent changes affecting recovery for holders of floating charges
- The British Business Bank 2020 Small Business Equity Tracker report
- How can a company protect its assets in the face of trading risk?
- An overview of the Coronavirus (Scotland) (No.2) Act 2020
- Futures Fund offers support for innovative businesses requiring investment – but how will it work in practice
- Job Retention Scheme extended until October - 12 May
- Could light touch administration mean a light at the end of the tunnel for struggling businesses?
- Coronavirus: enforcement of gender pay gap reporting is suspended
- Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and furloughed workers - what you need to know
- Property and lease transacting during the lockdown
- Should commercial landlords grant holiday, suspension or deferral for rent
- What do employers and employees do about holidays during the outbreak?
- How to keep track of the most up-to-date, official coronavirus advice
- Coronavirus: deferment of UK tax
- Coronavirus update – have you asked your bank about the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme?
- Coronavirus advice for business – have you spoken to your bank?
- Coronavirus: update for businesses on Government support package
Key contact
Contact Tony Cameron on:
Tony has significant experience in acting for both lenders and borrowers in a wide range of transactions including acquisition finance, real estate finance, project finance, housing finance, asset finance, working capital solutions and restructuring/refinancing. View full profile.
Trusted finance advisers to funders & borrowers
We are trusted advisers to both banks and borrowers, providing specialist legal advice on banking and finance issues across all sectors.
Our team advised on around 500 transactions in the past year – deals worth around £1 billion in total – and our firm is regarded as one of the country’s leading dealmakers with extensive corporate mergers and acquisitions experience.
We act for most of the main funders active in the UK market, including the biggest international banks, mezzanine funders and crowdfunding lenders.
A significant portion of our work involves advising non funder clients in relation to their interaction with banks and financial institutions. We are trusted advisers to many of the firm’s clients, from SMEs to large corporates, on all banking and finance issues that arise in their businesses.
Our specialists work with funders and businesses at all stages in the economic cycle, from start-up through to specific transactions and from ongoing trading issues to turnaround and restructuring.
Much of our work has multi-jurisdictional aspects and we often work with legal firms across the world in structuring and completing banking and finance transactions.
We are adept at project managing transactions to make the process as straightforward as possible for our clients and are focused on driving deals forward to ensure that we deliver the best outcome possible for our clients in the desired timescale.
Key contacts - get in touch
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Partner
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Partner
Why choose us?
The breadth of our experience with financial institutions, funds and lenders, including in-house placements at major UK banks, means we understand what's important when funding transactions - insight that is invaluable when acting for lenders and borrowers alike.
Our vast experience of advising businesses of all sizes on banking and finance matters means we also understand their key motivations and needs – this makes us ideal advisers to borrowers and gives us an extra dimension when advising funders.
We don’t simply provide the first class advice you expect from your legal advisers, we provide practical, commercially driven solutions to the issues that you face.
Key services
For funders
We are acutely aware of the primary concerns of lenders when funding transactions and ensure that:
- Key assets underpinning the lending are secured or otherwise protected
- The debt and security is workable and flexible
- All financial and other covenants are appropriate to the deal and correctly drawn
- Our advise is clear and concise
- We provide strategic legal solutions
For borrowers
We make it our business to understand the context in which your business operates and ensure that the requirements of your lenders and the terms of funding documentation recognise all relevant factors. We ensure that:
- The funding solution adequately matches your needs
- The security and lending structure does not unduly impinge on your business flexibility
- The availability of funds is sufficiently certain
- Covenants and defaults are not unduly onerous
Other services
General corporate and commercial banking
Advising on day-to-day lending and borrowing matters including new corporate facilities, refinancing and renewal of existing facilities and creation of security. We draft and advise on bank standard documentation, Loan Market Association (LMA) documentation, bespoke documentation and bilateral and syndicated lending.
Acquisition Finance
Advising in relation to various types of transaction, including management buy-outs, management buy-ins, mergers and acquisitions. Our experience includes transactions funded by way of senior, mezzanine and subordinated debt and private equity, regarding complex structures and sizeable deal values.
Property finance
Advising on real estate finance facilities and creating property backed security for a wide range of sectors including trading businesses, healthcare and rural & agriculture.
Project finance
Advising on high-value project finance transactions across a range of sectors. We have extensive expertise in dealing with all aspects of projects including bank and capital market funding, security structures, intercreditor arrangements, due diligence and step in arrangements.
Housing finance
Advising housing providers and lenders on high-value housing finance transactions, bank documentation advice, grant funding agreements and security documentation.
Asset finance
Advising in all areas of asset finance including acting in relation to invoice discounting and receivables, equipment finance and asset-backed lending transactions. Our expertise includes drafting and negotiating asset finance documentation and advising on this form of funding as part of acquisition finance and turnaround transactions as well as an alternative source of working capital.
Restructuring
Advising on a wide range of impaired asset solutions including equity restructuring, property participation, security enhancement and security realisation.
Professional negligence
Extensive experience of advising on professional negligence matters as it affects both those in the banking sector and their customers.
Crossborder transactions
Advising on international and multi-jurisdictional transactions with Scottish aspects.
Our clients include
- AIB
- Clydesdale Bank plc
- Clyde Group
- Fred. Olsen
- Genesis Renewable Energy
- HSBC
- Lloyds Banking Group
- Optical Express Group
- PV Solar Investments
- Santander
- Scottish Motor Auctions
- Webhelp UK
Work examples
Provision of lending facilities
We advised on the provision of facilities by a major bank to an expanding healthcare provider to finance the development of a new facility. We drafted, negotiated and finalised a bespoke LMA based facility agreement. We also drafted, negotiated and finalised the security, guarantee and subordination documentation, provided advice to the bank on a complex ownership and sale structure and carried out property and construction diligence.
Marine Finance
We advised a ship owner on the funding package to acquire a new vessel, refinance an existing vessel and to refinance the investment and debt in reference to a third vessel. We negotiated and finalised all associated lending security, guidance, international and charter documents as well as managing the complex cross jurisdiction aspects of the transaction.
Acquisition finance (cross border)
We advised in a transaction involving the acquisition and refinancing of a major company operating in the UK healthcare sector. We acted as Scottish advisers in drafting, negotiating and finalising the facility and property security documents, together with carrying out the property diligence on the Scottish properties. We also provided a Scots law legal opinion and drafted, negotiated and finalised a bespoke ranking agreement.
Provision of revolving credit facilities
We advised on the provision of revolving credit facilities by a major bank to a range of businesses operating in the food, leisure & hospitality sector. We drafted, negotiated and finalised bespoke revolving credit facility documentation, together with preparing all guarantee, security and ranking documentation and carrying out property diligence on behalf of the bank where required.
Refinancing acquisition costs (cross-border)
We advised on refinancing the costs of a retail site and the development by it of commercial units housing major high street brands, together with the subsequent sale of the site. We drafted, negotiated and finalised the facility, hedging, security and subordination documentation (which included English law aspects), together with carrying out detailed property and construction diligence on behalf of the bank.
Refinancing property development
We advised on the refinancing of the development costs of healthcare property and the provision of further loan facilities to fund an extension. We drafted, negotiated and finalised the facility, security and guarantee documentation. We also advised the bank on the complex funds flow involved in the transaction and carried out diligence on the property and the group restructure on behalf of the bank.
Chambers UK 2021Frequently advises both lenders and borrowers, and notable for its work with inter-creditor issues and crowd funding. Strong real estate and acquisition financing practice, with further capabilities in project finance and debt restructuring. Offers expertise in a variety of industries, including healthcare, social housing and agriculture. P2P lending firms feature prominently on its list of clients. Experienced in advising clients in the hospitality sector.
One interviewee states: "They have a real strong mix of skill sets and are very commercial and forward-thinking but always acting with the client in mind."
Another source notes: "It's a down-to-earth, pragmatic and solution-driven team that's strategic and very responsive."
"The whole team are very client-centric and work very hard to ensure their aims and the client's aims are aligned," according to commentators.
John Pringle frequently advises on acquisition, real estate and development financing, often relating to commercial properties. He acts for a range of borrowers and lenders. "He is skilled in complex matters and easy to contact and communicate with."
Chambers UK 2021
Tony Cameron regularly advises on a variety of financings, including for corporate acquisitions, real estate and projects. He has experience across a broad range of sectors, from shipping and renewable energy to community care and hospitality.
Chambers UK 2021
"Tony is very responsive, focused on delivering to timescales and commercially-minded about finding pragmatic solutions."
"He's practical and pragmatic and knows how to protect our position."
I have used Tony Cameron for legal and commercial advice for eight years across a wide range of sectors, deal size and complexity. He has provided us with invaluable insight and knowledge and brought the Firm's wider expertise to the fore when required. A team player with a critical focus on delivery, executed with pace and passion. He always gets back to you at the first opportunity an excellent communicator and commercially aware just what you need.
Murdoch MacLennan, former Regional Head of Business Development, Clydesdale Bank plc
Bank of Scotland Real Estate team have established an excellent working relationship with Harper Macleod (Jacqui Fraser) over many years. They have acted on our behalf on a large number of transactions incorporating refinances, new acquisitions and development facilities. The service we receive is excellent and we continue to grow the relationship with both parties enjoying reciprocal business on a regular basis. The cohesive approach between Jacqui, her team and the Bank demonstrates great team working and collaboration, delivering a positive outcome for both existing and new property clients.Nigel Walker, National Senior Manager Property, Bank of Scotland
Andrew MacKenzie is a senior associate who is proficient in handling matters for both financial organisations and individual borrowers, including contract disputes and professional negligence actions.
Chambers UK 2021
"Andrew is a consummate professional and I could not have been more impressed with his work."
Strong reputation as a highly able group of litigators equally capable of representing claimants and defendants. Clients include major banks, large corporations and public sector organisations. Active across a range of disputes in the banking and finance sector, including those concerning fraud, debt recovery and insolvency. Also acts for individuals against financial institutions in claims for negligence and breaches of contract.
"We were most grateful for the excellent and tenacious legal representation we received from the firm," says a source.
Chambers UK 2021One client says: "The firm is extremely professional and well regarded, with an abundance of skills and good people."
Contact us
Call the team for free on 0330 159 5555 or complete our online form below for legal advice or to arrange a call back.
