back- Team Expands the Firm’s Capabilities in Fund Finance and ESG and Includes Dedicated Structuring and Liquidity Advisory Offering
- Group Includes Five Partners, Seven Additional Lawyers and Managing Director - Capital Solutions
LONDON, September 2, 2024 – In a significant expansion of the firm’s Finance and Restructuring practice group in London, King & Spalding has added a 12-lawyer team led by partners Samantha Hutchinson, Nathan Parker, Mathan Navaratnam, James Hoggett and Sukhvir Basran. Also joining the firm as Managing Director – Capital Solutions is Michael Hubbard, who leads the team’s Capital Solutions platform, a dedicated structuring and liquidity advisory offering.
“This team brings a stellar market reputation and experience with highly complex fund finance transactions that position us at the forefront for funds, institutional investors and banking clients seeking innovative and sustainable ways to find liquidity solutions,” said Robert Hays, chairman of the firm. “They have ambitious growth goals that they will be able to achieve on our platform and will make strong contributions to the continued long-term growth of our finance and restructuring practice.”
In addition to the five partners and Managing Director – Capital Solutions, the group includes seven additional lawyers. They all join King & Spalding from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.
Hutchinson, Parker, Navaratnam and Hoggett are fund finance partners who have advised financial institutions, alternative lenders and private markets managers on many of the largest and most sophisticated fund finance transactions in the UK and international markets, including the first ESG-linked subscription credit facility in Europe, one of the first European structured distribution programmes and one of the largest hybrid fund financings.
Basran is a market-leading ESG partner who brings extensive capabilities advising on ESG-related law, regulation, policies, standards and guidance. She has particular experience in sustainable finance and investments and plays a leading role in developing ESG standards and guidance with trade associations and industry bodies, providing a strong complement to the fund finance team.
Hubbard, who was Head of European GP Solutions at Cadwalader, has more than 20 years of experience in finance, including structuring and distributing fund finance products and serving as head of fund finance distribution for a FTSE 100 bank.
The team combines legal counsel with the structuring and liquidity advisory offering led by Hubbard to provide full service to clients across the structuring, distribution, execution and management of all forms of fund finance solutions.
“We are thrilled to be joining King & Spalding. By combining our skills and reputation with this world-class platform, we will be able to offer comprehensive and exceptional service to our clients across all regions and sectors and help continue to expand the firm’s finance and restructuring practice worldwide,” said Hutchinson. “King & Spalding’s extensive international presence and full-service capabilities across other top-tier practices including structured finance, private credit and M&A provide us with the platform to provide unrivalled offerings to our clients.”
King & Spalding’s Finance and Restructuring practice group includes more than 100 lawyers across 11 of the firm’s offices worldwide. The practice serves all the top 10 US banks, most of the largest global banks, private credit funds managed by some of the largest global asset managers, top private equity sponsors and corporate borrowers.
“Adding this team cements our leading position in the burgeoning private credit market, which fund finance is fueling, and positions us to be a leading firm for ESG investment and advisory matters in Europe and beyond,” said Carolyn Alford, co-leader of the firm’s Finance and Restructuring practice group. “This is an innovative group known for developing sophisticated solutions that address the evolving financing needs of banks and investment funds, and they bring the strong combination of excellence and entrepreneurism that thrives on the King & Spalding platform.”
Fund Finance Partners
Samantha “Sam” Hutchinson
Hutchinson, who led the London fund finance practice at Cadwalader, advises financial institutions and private markets managers on the full range of fund finance products across all asset classes, including subscription lines, primary and secondary leverage and liquidity lines, GP and executive financings and coinvest facilities delivered via a number of different structures including framework and umbrella facilities. She is recognised as a preeminent banking lawyer by Chambers UK (Band 1: Banking & Finance: Fund Finance), Legal 500 UK (Leading Individual, Tier 1 – Fund Finance) and IFLR1000. Hutchinson earned her undergraduate degree from Manchester University and her LPC from Chester School of Law.
Nathan Parker
Parker’s practice focuses on acting for financial institutions and private market managers across a full range of fund finance products, including subscription facilities, NAV and hybrid products and GP and co-invest facilities. He has also advised on financings for private sponsors in their leveraged buyout and high yield offerings, as well as direct lenders in the special situations space. Parker, who features in Legal 500 UK and Chambers UK, earned his undergraduate degree and LL.B from Monash University, Australia.
Mathan Navaratnam
Navaratnam has extensive experience advising Lenders and fund managers regarding cross-border debt financing solutions and structures involving various types of investment funds, including private equity secondary, real estate, credit and fund of funds. His experience spans the entire range of fund finance products (including capital call lines, NAV facilities, hybrid facilities, GP and executive support facilities and secondary leverage products. Navaratnam has advised on some of the largest European fund finance transactions to date. Navaratnam was featured as a key lawyer in Legal 500 2022 and was recently selected among Law.com International’s 2022 Private Equity Rising Stars in the UK and Europe and Private Funds CFO’s 2023 Legal Rising Stars. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Leeds and his LPC from the BPP Law School.
James Hoggett
Hoggett focuses on fund finance, advising both lenders and GPs on a wide range of products, including subscription lines, asset-backed and hybrid facilities, as well as GP support and co-invest structures. His experience covers all asset classes and includes acting on several multibillion-dollar facilities to leading primary and secondary funds. Hoggett, who is ranked by Chambers UK, earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Bristol and his LPC from The College of Law.
ESG Partner
Sukhvir Basran
Basran, who was co-chair of Cadwalader’s ESG practice, combines many years of experience as a banking and finance lawyer with advising corporates, financial institutions, funds, trade associations and standard setters on a range of ESG matters, including compliance with sustainability-related law, regulation, ESG strategies and policies, disclosure and reporting, risk management, and sustainable finance and investment transactions. Her work with the Loan Market Association on the Sustainability-linked Loan model provisions, guidance and supporting documents are used globally and received the “Impact and ESG Award” at the FT Innovative Lawyer Awards Europe in 2023. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Wolverhampton, her Master of Law from the University of Cambridge and her LPC from Nottingham Law School.
Managing Director – Capital Solutions
Michael Hubbard
Hubbard brings nearly two decades of banking experience and leads the Capital Solutions platform, aimed at providing lenders and borrowers with advice on structuring and liquidity across all forms of fund finance products. These products include subscription finance, GP and executive finance, NAV finance (across all asset classes), preferred equity and hybrid structures. He has been a finalist in the Drawdown Awards category for Advisor of the Year for two consecutive years. He studied with the Association of Corporate Treasurers, covering financial management accounting, economics and statistical analysis, corporate tax and business law.
About King & Spalding
King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with 1,300 lawyers in 24 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm has handled matters in over 160 countries on six continents and consistently earns recognition for the results it obtains, uncompromising commitment to quality, and dedication to understanding the business and culture of its clients. More information is available at www.kslaw.com.
Media Contact:
Tony Collins
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acollins@kslaw.com