Expertise

John has a broad range of corporate banking experience advising borrowers, lenders and investors throughout the UK in a variety of fields including leveraged finance, investment trusts, general corporate lending and acquisition finance. He is familiar with complex investment and debt structures and focuses on providing precise but pragmatic and commercial advice to clients.

John also has substantial experience in real estate finance, advising on the financing, refinancing and restructuring of various listed property investment vehicles as well as property developments and investments in various sectors (including hotels, serviced apartments, care homes, casinos, education, student accommodation and social housing) and has worked closely with various lenders, borrowers and some of the leading UK asset and investment managers.

John's recent experience includes:

• Advised a leading global asset manager in connection with an RCF to fund the acquisition and financing of a prestigious development of a luxury townhouse complex in central Edinburgh
• Advised an overseas property investment company on the financing of various acquisitions of hotels and serviced apartments throughout the UK 
• Advised a clearing bank in connection with term loan facilities made available to a leading Scottish real estate development group in connection with the development and construction of a hotel, leisure / retail / office units in Glasgow city centre
• Advised a leading sponsor of international real estate funds in connection with the financing of one of the largest real estate transactions in Scotland in recent years
• Advised a FTSE 250 listed property investment trust on a £360m refinance of its commercial property portfolio, which was structured to allow long term fixed rate debt to be raised from an alternative lender and shorter term debt and a revolver to be obtained from a major UK bank
• Advised an actively managed Guernsey based property investment trust on a £300m refinance of its commercial property portfolio with multiple lenders and its subsequent group restructure and conversion to a UK Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT)
• Advised a specialist UK SME investment fund on multiple leveraged investments including negotiating the loan agreements and intercreditor arrangements required to regulate the secured investor and management loan notes that were put in place alongside traditional bank debt
• Advised various investment managers and non-Exec Boards on debt facilites provided to investment trusts
• Advised a variety of private equity houses on leveraged M&A transactions.