Philip Stopford is a partner in the European and Middle East Finance practice.

He has extensive banking and finance experience advising primarily on cross-border leveraged and acquisition financings, direct lending and complex restructuring transactions. He represents investment and commercial banks, private equity sponsors, corporate borrowers, and alternative lenders on super senior, senior and subordinated financing arrangements in Europe and the Middle East.

Lenders and Other Credit Providers

• The banks in connection with the senior financing in support of the £2.3 billion public-to-private acquisition of Aggreko plc by TDR Capital and I Squared Capital.
• The lead arrangers in connection with the bridge and term loan financings related to Comcast’s £30 billion public-to-private acquisition of Sky plc.
• The lead arranger in connection with a £135 million bridge facility entered into with Stonegate Pub Company, a portfolio company of TDR Capital, in order to finance four different acquisitions.
• BNP Paribas, HSBC, KKR Capital Markets and Unione di Banche Italiane in connection with the financing of Bain Capital's acquisition of Fedrigoni, a leading European manufacturer and distributor of specialty paper.
• HSBC Bank as super senior lender in connection with the refinancing of Care UK, a portfolio company of Bridgepoint.
• BNP Paribas in connection with the €85 million bridge financing provided to Autodis, a portfolio company of Bain Capital, and the subsequent take-out financing.
• Albacore Capital in connection with various financings, including direct lending transactions.
• Jefferies Finance in connection with the £130 million public-to-private acquisition financing made available to TPG Capital in connection with its acquisition of Prezzo plc.
• The lenders in connection with various refinancing transactions of Virgin Media's bank debt.
• Various distressed debt funds in connection with the first and second lien debt restructuring of several asset based loans secured on four ships.

Borrowers

• Beacon Rail Leasing in connection with the €1.45 billion equivalent refinancing of its senior debt facilities into a new multi-creditor common terms platform.
• GlobalFoundries, an entity indirectly wholly owned by the Government of Abu Dhabi, in connection with several multi-source, syndicated and bilateral financings including facilities made available by Export-Import Bank of the United States, facilities insured by Atradius Dutch State Business and commercial bank facilities.
• The Frigoglass group in connection with the restructuring of its existing €250 million senior notes and over €80 million of existing bank debt across eight facilities agreements which was implemented by way of scheme of arrangement, a consensual bank restructuring and an equity rights issue.
• DBAY Advisors in connection with the financings for the acquisition of the Eddie Stobart Group and the public-to-private acquisition implemented by way of scheme of arrangement of Creston plc.
• Bridgepoint in connection with its acquisition financing of Element Materials Technology and Element Material Technology's £620.3 million bolt-on public-to-private acquisition of Exova plc.
• Eddie Stobart Group in connection with its £100 million post-IPO financing made available to it by Bank of Ireland, Allied Irish Bank, BNP Paribas and KBC Bank.
• Nokia in connection with the €1.7 billion facilities provided by J.P. Morgan in connection with its acquisition of Siemen’s 50% stake in their joint venture Nokia Siemens Networks.
• Ziggo in connection with the €4 billion credit facilities made available to it by a syndicate of banks led by Bank of America and Credit Suisse in connection with its acquisition by Liberty Global.

Awards & Accolades

• Philip is recommended by Legal 500 UK 2020 for Acquisition Finance and Bank Lending: Investment Grade Debt and Syndicated Loans. In addition, Legal 500 UK 2020 has recognised Philip's “growing profile in the market across a range of cross-border acquisition finance mandates, including on public-to-private transactions” and highlighted his recent representation of “the lead arrangers in connection with the bridge and term loan financings related to Comcast’s £30bn offer for Sky.”
• Philip was recommended by Legal 500 UK 2019 for Acquisition Finance and Bank Lending: Investment Grade Debt and Syndicated Loans.
• Shearman & Sterling was “Commended” in the category “Managing Complexity & Scale” in the Financial Times European Innovative Lawyers Awards 2018, for its work on the Frigoglass restructuring.
• Shearman & Sterling was honoured for “Corporate Turnaround” at the 10th Annual Turnaround Atlas Awards and Restructuring Forum 2018, for its work on the Frigoglass restructuring.
• Shearman & Sterling was “Highly Commended” at the Legal Business Awards 2018 for Restructuring Team of the Year, for its work on the Frigoglass restructuring.

Publications

• “Certainty of Funding: The Operation and Evolution of the U.K. and U.S. Approaches,” Journal of International Banking and Finance Law