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Richard Kitchen is a partner in King & Spalding's London office and a member of the Firm’s Private Credit & Special Situations team. Richard’s practice focuses on general banking, alternative credit and international acquisition and leveraged finance transactions. Richard has significant experience acting for private equity sponsors, corporate borrowers and creditors on a wide range of debt capital structures in the European mid-cap and large-cap markets. He draws on a wealth of experience including syndicated cov-lite and cov-loose financings, second lien loan financings, super senior revolving credit facility and high yield bond financings, stretched senior and unitranche financings, as well as subordinated instruments including PIK and preferred equity.

Richard’s clients include private equity sponsors, investment banks and providers of alternative credit.

Richard is ranked in Chambers UK and Chambers Global in the category Banking & Finance. His clients and peers describe him as “very calm and measured…an intelligent lawyer who has seen it all" , “an excellent lawyer…if you want a good job doing, Richard Kitchen is your man". Richard was named a “Rising Star” in the “40 under 40” List by Private Debt Investor 2020. IFLR rates Richard as a “Rising Star”.  Richard is also named in Legal 500 UK for the category Bank Lending: investment grade debt and syndicated loans.

Full Bio

Credentials

L.P.C., BPP Law School

G.D.L., College of Law, Guildford, UK

B.A., University of Nottingham, England

England and Wales

Named Rising Star


Private Debt Investor, 2020

Recognized in Banking & Finance: Lenders: Mid-Market (Band 3)


Chambers UK, 2024

Recognized as a Leading Lawyer in Banking & Finance


Chambers Global, 2022

Named Rising Star


IFLR, 2019

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Recognition

Named Rising Star


Private Debt Investor, 2020

Recognized in Banking & Finance: Lenders: Mid-Market (Band 3)


Chambers UK, 2024

Recognized as a Leading Lawyer in Banking & Finance


Chambers Global, 2022

Named Rising Star


IFLR, 2019

Matters

Sponsor representations

Advised Oakley Capital on the financing for its acquisition of PRIMAVERA, a Portuguese business software solutions company.

Advised Oakley Capital in connection with the Unitranche financing of the acquisition of Contabo GmbH, a provider for hosting services.

Advised Oakley Capital on a senior financing in respect of its acquisition of maritime e- learning businesses Seagull and Videotel.

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Matters

Sponsor representations

Advised Oakley Capital on the financing for its acquisition of PRIMAVERA, a Portuguese business software solutions company.

Advised Oakley Capital in connection with the Unitranche financing of the acquisition of Contabo GmbH, a provider for hosting services.

Advised Oakley Capital on a senior financing in respect of its acquisition of maritime e- learning businesses Seagull and Videotel.

Advised Oakley Capital in connection with term loan facilities to support its acquisition of 7NXT, an online fitness subscription platform.

Advised Oakley Capital in connection with the debt financing for its investment in Dexters, the London estate agency.

Advised Abry Partners on the financing for its acquisition of Reward Gateway.

Advised Abry Partners in respect of the financings provided by Ares for the acquisition of Aker Systems.

Advised Abry Partners in respect of a unitranche financing provided by Barings and ICG to support the recommended public-to-private acquisition of LINK Mobility Group.

Advised Abry Partners in relation to a proposed unitranche and holdco PIK financing to support its bid for a wealth management company.

Advised Insight Partners in connection with a cov-lite unitranche financing for its investment in IAD.

Advised Ambienta in respect of the refinancing of its investment in Namirial SpA.

Private credit representations

Advised Barings on the acquisition financing of Exclaimer Group Limited, a portfolio company of Insight Partners.

Advised Barings on the financing for the acquisition of Trace One by STG.

Advised Barings in respect of a second lien financing supporting the acquisition of PhysIOL Group SA by BVI (Beaver-Visitec International).

Advised Barings on the acquisition financing of PSPDFKit, a portfolio company of Insight Partners.

Advised Barings in relation to the proposed financing supporting a sponsor’s bid for a payment services business.

Advised Sixth Street in relation to the financing supporting Marlin’s investment in Medius.

Advised Sixth Street in relation to financing supporting a sponsor’s bid to acquire a professional services company.

Advised Sixth Street in relation to a financing supporting a sponsor’s bid to acquire a European software company.

Advised Alliance Bernstein in relation to a unitranche financing and equity investment for a UK-headquartered payroll systems company.

Advised European Capital in relation to the term and capex facilities for BlueGem Capital Partner’s acquisition of DMC and Wool and the Gang.

Advised European Capital in relation to the term and revolving facilities for Palatine’s acquisition of UK house builder Westleigh Homes.

Second lien and subordinated creditor representations

Advised the second lien investors in respect of the privately placed second lien facility to finance Hellman & Friedman’s €5.3 billion public-to-private acquisition of Nets A/S.

Advised the preferred equity investor in respect of the $63 million subscription for preference shares in connection with the acquisition by a tier 1 private equity sponsor of a Swedish based technology and infrastructure provider for financial institutions.

Advised the holdco PIK investor in respect of the €30 million PIK facility provided to a mid- market private equity sponsor in respect of its acquisition of a leading provider of insulation headquartered in Belgium.

Advised the private debt investors in respect of a €600 million private high-yield financing for the acquisition of Setefi by Italian financial institution ICBPI, a portfolio company of Advent International and Bain Capital.

Advised a sovereign wealth fund in relation to a $160 million holdco PIK facility for a Bermuda based satellite communications company owned by a top tier European private equity sponsor.

 

Investment bank and syndicated lending representations

Advised multiple banks and funds in relation to debt facilities provided for US based aerospace and defense supplier Cobham’s public-to-private bid to acquire UK competitor, Ultra Electronics.

Advised the mandated lead arrangers on a $3 billion financing package for Bain Capital’s acquisition of a majority stake in Kantar from British multinational advertising and public relations firm WPP.

Advised the mandated lead arrangers in respect of the financing for Advent International’s acquisition of Caldic and combination of the business with GTM.

Advised Goldman Sachs and Citigroup as arrangers in respect of the financing for the recommended public-to-private acquisition by Advent International of Laird PLC for over £1 billion.

Advised Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, HSBC, JPMorgan, BNP Paribas, and Lloyds as arrangers in respect of €900 million of senior facilities to finance the acquisition of IPH Group by Brammer, a portfolio company of Advent International.

Advised Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and HSBC as arrangers in respect of the financing for Advent International and Bain Capital’s €700 million acquisition of German payment services business Concardis.

Advised a sovereign wealth fund in relation to its investment in first lien, second lien and preferred equity instruments in respect of the financing for a Hong Kong-based private school group owned by a top tier Asian private equity sponsor.

Advised Lloyds, ING, and HSBC as arrangers in respect of financing for the UK public to private acquisition of Brammer plc by Advent International.

Advised The Royal Bank of ScotlandBank of Ireland, Lloyds, and NIBC as arrangers in respect of the financing for Vitruvian Partners’ acquisition of UK-based services and technology company Phlexglobal.

Pro bono representations

Pro bono representation of Just for Kids Law in collaboration with UNICEF and Coram in relation to the use of the section 45 defense for trafficked children under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Matters

Sponsor representations

Advised Oakley Capital on the financing for its acquisition of PRIMAVERA, a Portuguese business software solutions company.

Advised Oakley Capital in connection with the Unitranche financing of the acquisition of Contabo GmbH, a provider for hosting services.

Advised Oakley Capital on a senior financing in respect of its acquisition of maritime e- learning businesses Seagull and Videotel.

See more

Close

Matters

Sponsor representations

Advised Oakley Capital on the financing for its acquisition of PRIMAVERA, a Portuguese business software solutions company.

Advised Oakley Capital in connection with the Unitranche financing of the acquisition of Contabo GmbH, a provider for hosting services.

Advised Oakley Capital on a senior financing in respect of its acquisition of maritime e- learning businesses Seagull and Videotel.

Advised Oakley Capital in connection with term loan facilities to support its acquisition of 7NXT, an online fitness subscription platform.

Advised Oakley Capital in connection with the debt financing for its investment in Dexters, the London estate agency.

Advised Abry Partners on the financing for its acquisition of Reward Gateway.

Advised Abry Partners in respect of the financings provided by Ares for the acquisition of Aker Systems.

Advised Abry Partners in respect of a unitranche financing provided by Barings and ICG to support the recommended public-to-private acquisition of LINK Mobility Group.

Advised Abry Partners in relation to a proposed unitranche and holdco PIK financing to support its bid for a wealth management company.

Advised Insight Partners in connection with a cov-lite unitranche financing for its investment in IAD.

Advised Ambienta in respect of the refinancing of its investment in Namirial SpA.

Private credit representations

Advised Barings on the acquisition financing of Exclaimer Group Limited, a portfolio company of Insight Partners.

Advised Barings on the financing for the acquisition of Trace One by STG.

Advised Barings in respect of a second lien financing supporting the acquisition of PhysIOL Group SA by BVI (Beaver-Visitec International).

Advised Barings on the acquisition financing of PSPDFKit, a portfolio company of Insight Partners.

Advised Barings in relation to the proposed financing supporting a sponsor’s bid for a payment services business.

Advised Sixth Street in relation to the financing supporting Marlin’s investment in Medius.

Advised Sixth Street in relation to financing supporting a sponsor’s bid to acquire a professional services company.

Advised Sixth Street in relation to a financing supporting a sponsor’s bid to acquire a European software company.

Advised Alliance Bernstein in relation to a unitranche financing and equity investment for a UK-headquartered payroll systems company.

Advised European Capital in relation to the term and capex facilities for BlueGem Capital Partner’s acquisition of DMC and Wool and the Gang.

Advised European Capital in relation to the term and revolving facilities for Palatine’s acquisition of UK house builder Westleigh Homes.

Second lien and subordinated creditor representations

Advised the second lien investors in respect of the privately placed second lien facility to finance Hellman & Friedman’s €5.3 billion public-to-private acquisition of Nets A/S.

Advised the preferred equity investor in respect of the $63 million subscription for preference shares in connection with the acquisition by a tier 1 private equity sponsor of a Swedish based technology and infrastructure provider for financial institutions.

Advised the holdco PIK investor in respect of the €30 million PIK facility provided to a mid- market private equity sponsor in respect of its acquisition of a leading provider of insulation headquartered in Belgium.

Advised the private debt investors in respect of a €600 million private high-yield financing for the acquisition of Setefi by Italian financial institution ICBPI, a portfolio company of Advent International and Bain Capital.

Advised a sovereign wealth fund in relation to a $160 million holdco PIK facility for a Bermuda based satellite communications company owned by a top tier European private equity sponsor.

 

Investment bank and syndicated lending representations

Advised multiple banks and funds in relation to debt facilities provided for US based aerospace and defense supplier Cobham’s public-to-private bid to acquire UK competitor, Ultra Electronics.

Advised the mandated lead arrangers on a $3 billion financing package for Bain Capital’s acquisition of a majority stake in Kantar from British multinational advertising and public relations firm WPP.

Advised the mandated lead arrangers in respect of the financing for Advent International’s acquisition of Caldic and combination of the business with GTM.

Advised Goldman Sachs and Citigroup as arrangers in respect of the financing for the recommended public-to-private acquisition by Advent International of Laird PLC for over £1 billion.

Advised Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, HSBC, JPMorgan, BNP Paribas, and Lloyds as arrangers in respect of €900 million of senior facilities to finance the acquisition of IPH Group by Brammer, a portfolio company of Advent International.

Advised Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and HSBC as arrangers in respect of the financing for Advent International and Bain Capital’s €700 million acquisition of German payment services business Concardis.

Advised a sovereign wealth fund in relation to its investment in first lien, second lien and preferred equity instruments in respect of the financing for a Hong Kong-based private school group owned by a top tier Asian private equity sponsor.

Advised Lloyds, ING, and HSBC as arrangers in respect of financing for the UK public to private acquisition of Brammer plc by Advent International.

Advised The Royal Bank of ScotlandBank of Ireland, Lloyds, and NIBC as arrangers in respect of the financing for Vitruvian Partners’ acquisition of UK-based services and technology company Phlexglobal.

Pro bono representations

Pro bono representation of Just for Kids Law in collaboration with UNICEF and Coram in relation to the use of the section 45 defense for trafficked children under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Credentials

L.P.C., BPP Law School

G.D.L., College of Law, Guildford, UK

B.A., University of Nottingham, England

England and Wales

Named Rising Star


Private Debt Investor, 2020

Recognized in Banking & Finance: Lenders: Mid-Market (Band 3)


Chambers UK, 2024

Recognized as a Leading Lawyer in Banking & Finance


Chambers Global, 2022

Named Rising Star


IFLR, 2019

Close

Recognition

Named Rising Star


Private Debt Investor, 2020

Recognized in Banking & Finance: Lenders: Mid-Market (Band 3)


Chambers UK, 2024

Recognized as a Leading Lawyer in Banking & Finance


Chambers Global, 2022

Named Rising Star


IFLR, 2019