Philip Stopford is a partner in our European and Middle East Finance practice based in London.

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 lenders in connection with the financing in support of the acquisition by Groupe Bruxelles Lambert of a majority stake in Sanoptis.
• The lenders in connection with the senior financing in support of the acquisition of Forterro by Partners Group, acting on behalf of its clients. The transaction values Forterro at an enterprise value of €1 billion.
• The banks in connection with T-Mobile Netherlands Holding B.V.'s €2.4 billion term loan B, revolving facility and intercreditor agreement.
• The lenders on the financing of TDR Capital's £563 million public-to-private acquisition of Arrow Global, as well as the arrangers on the £1.2 billion bond financing and new £285 million revolving credit facility and intercreditor agreement.
• The banks in connection with the revolving credit facility and intercreditor agreement for Aggreko and the arrangers in connection with the company's senior term loan B facility in an aggregate principal amount of $750 million and €500 million.
• The lead arrangers in connection with the financing of the €5.1 billion acquisition by Apax Funds and Warburg Pincus of the entire issued share capital of T-Mobile Netherlands Holding B.V.
• The lenders in connection with the senior financing in support of the €3.1 billion public-to-private acquisition of Iliad Group by Xavier Niel.
• The initial purchasers on the £165 million offering, consent solicitation and senior TLB exchange of Stonegate Pub Company, a TDR Capital portfolio company.
• The sole global coordinator and bookrunner in connection with David Lloyd's inaugural bond financing including a €300 million offering of floating rate senior secured notes and £645 million 5.50% senior secured notes due 2027 by Deuce FinCo plc, the Company's new revolving facility agreement and intercreditor agreement, and advised the investors in connection with a £250 million pay-in-kind term loan to Deuce Holdco Limited.
• The lenders in connection with HIG Capital's £400 million acquisition of KPMG's UK restructuring business.
• The lenders in connection with the financing of TDR Capital's £563 million public-to-private acquisition of Arrow Global.
• The lenders in connection with the financing of TDR Capital and I Squared Capital’s £2.3 billion public-to-private acquisition of Aggreko.
• The note purchasers in connection with Stonegate Pub Company Limited’s private placement of $500 million senior secured notes by Stonegate Pub Company Financing 2019 plc and their private placement of an additional £120 million senior secured notes by Stonegate Pub Company Financing 2019 plc.
• Citibank N.A. as agent on a DIP loan for Weatherford and its debtor and non-debtor affiliates.
• 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.
• The lead arrangers 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

• ADNOC Global Trading (AGT) in connection with its $1.2 billion credit facility with a club of seven major banks: Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Deutsche Bank, Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Banking, SMBC and UniCredit Bank.
• Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) in connection with the establishment and launch of its crude oil trading unit: ADNOC Trading, based in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). 
• Mubadala Capital, the financial investment arm of Mubadala Investment Company, a sovereign investor owned by the Government of Abu Dhabi, in connection with the establishment of an evergreen origination platform with Barings, one of the world’s leading financial services firms.
• Synthomer plc in connection with its inaugural high yield bond offering of €520 million 3.875% senior notes due 2025.
• Frigoglass S.A.I.C. in connection with the high yield notes offering of €260 million 6.875% senior secured notes due 2025 by its wholly owned subsidiary, Frigoglass Finance B.V.
• DBAY Advisors in connection with the financings for the acquisition of the Eddie Stobart Group.
• Ardagh in connection with its offering of $1.8 billion of notes, consisting of €440 million 2.125% senior secured notes due 2026, $500 million 4.125% senior secured notes due 2026 and $800 million 5.250% senior notes due 2027.
• 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 ranked in Band 6 for Banking & Finance: Big-Ticket for Chambers UK 2023. They note that “Philip is very responsive, understands our business and is able to anticipate our needs.”
• Philip is ranked as“Next Generation Partner” in Acquisition Finance for Legal 500 UK 2023. Philip is also recognised as a “Key Lawyer” in Acquisition Finance and Bank Lending: Investment Grade Debt and Syndicated Loans.
• Legal 500 UK 2022 recognised Philip as a “Key Lawyer” in Acquisition Finance and Bank Lending: Investment Grade Debt and Syndicated Loans. In the 2022 edition they note that “Philip Stopford is a consummate professional who provides good, clear, reliable, actionable advice. He is a true trusted advisor with a great delivery and a sense of humour that makes him a great communicator. They also note that “Philip Stopford is detail oriented, very commercial, and will always make himself available.”
• Philip was 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.”
• 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

• Co-author, “Taking Security in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” 27 August 2020
• Co-author, “UK Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020” 9 July 2020
• Co-author, “Covid-19 Changes Announced to UK Insolvency Law and for AGMs” 31 March 2020
• Co-author, “Anti-Net Short Provisions: emergence and migration to the European Market” Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law, 2020
• “Certainty of Funding: The Operation and Evolution of the U.K. and U.S. Approaches”, Journal of International Banking and Finance Law