James Martin

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

James has also advised:

• the arrangers on a series of IPO-related margin loans for financial sponsors, including over shares in ConvaTec Group, Worldpay, NETS, Intrum Justitia and Network International
• a private equity fund on a series of hybrid secured capital call and margin loan financings
• Sappi, the South Africa-based paper and pulp company, on its €525m revolving facilities and its €1.6bn secured senior loan and high yield bond financing arrangements
• the lead arrangers on £800m and £250m syndicated facilities for Dixons Carphone
• the lead arrangers on a series of corporate purpose and acquisition facilities culminating in the US$1.2 facilities for Hikma Pharmaceuticals
• the lead arrangers on the €2.6bn and US$3bn facilities for Qatar National Bank
• the coordinating committee on the US$10bn restructuring of Dubai Group