Gordon Houseman

Overview

Gordon Houseman is a partner in the Finance practice based in London.

He focuses on leveraged finance and international capital markets transactions with a particular emphasis on high yield bonds and TLBs. He has acted for sponsors, corporate issuers and financial institutions on cross-border corporate and acquisition financings and liability management transactions. He also has experience acting for borrowers and lenders private placements and direct lending financings. In 2018, Gordon rejoined the firm with Ward McKimm from another leading international law firm.

Gordon is ranked as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ in Legal 500 UK 2024.

Experience

Leveraged Finance

Various sponsors on committed financings for acquisitions by BC Partners, Bridgepoint, CVC Capital Partners, Cinven, Centerbridge, Electra Partners, Hellman & Friedman, TPG, and Warburg Pincus.^*
Various arrangers on committed financings for acquisitions by Advent International, Apax, Apollo, Bain Capital, Carlyle, Cinven, Nordic Capital and TDR.

Investment Grade / Debt Capital Markets

Nokia on SEC-registered bond offerings.
Sasol Limited in connection with its multiple SEC-registered bond offerings.

Public to Private Financings

Senior lenders in connection with the first lien financing in support of the acquisition by the Barentz group of the Maroon Group.
Certain finance providers on Apollo’s committed financing for its public cash tender offer to purchase all of the issued and outstanding shares of RPC Group plc, a public limited company listed on the London Stock Exchange.
The initial purchasers in connection with the €3.7 billion (equivalent) four-tranche USD and Euro-denominated bond issue in support of the public to private acquisition of Iliad Group by Xavier Niel.
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.
Certain finance providers on Loxam S.A.S.’s committed financing and high yield notes offering for its public cash tender offer to purchase all of the issued and outstanding shares of Ramirent plc, a public limited company listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.
The lenders in connection with the senior financing in support of the acquisition of Rodenstock Group by funds advised by Apax
Certain finance providers on Stonegate’s committed financing for its public cash tender offer to purchase all of the issued and outstanding shares of Ei Group plc, a public limited company listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Certain finance providers on TDR Capital’s committed financing for its public cash tender offer to purchase all of the issued and outstanding shares of BCA Marketplace plc, a public limited company listed on the London Stock Exchange.

High Yield - Issuers

Ardagh on various financing and liability management transactions, including:
- $3.1 billion equivalent secured fixed and floating rate and unsecured fixed rate notes offering.
- $710 million senior PIK notes and €250 million senior PIK notes offering.
- $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.
Bridgepoint and Element Materials Technology in connection with Element's $220 million second lien floating rate notes due 2025 and €300 million PIK floating rate euro-denominated notes offerings.
Carlson Travel Inc. in connection with its $415 million senior secured notes, €330 million senior secured floating rate notes and $250 million senior notes offerings.^*
Hellman & Friedman in connection with the financing for Hellman & Friedman’s €600 million acquisition of TeamSystem from HgCapital, including an English governed senior secured bridge and New York governed privately placed floating rate notes.^*
Hurricane Finance Plc and its subsidiaries in connection with its add-on issuance of £15 million senior secured notes due 2025.
Jaguar Land Rover Automotive plc on various financings and liability management transactions, involving over $2.5 billion equivalent of senior notes through five separate offerings.
Motor Oil Hellas on its €350 million inaugural senior notes offering.
Parex and CVC in connection with Parex’s €150 million senior notes offering.^*
Public Power Corporation on its €700 million inaugural senior notes offering.
RAC and CVC in connection with RAC's £275 million senior secured notes offering.^*
Synthomer plc in connection with its proposed offering of €300 million senior notes offering.^*
TalkTalk Telecom Group PLC in connection with its £400 million senior notes offering.^*
Tereos SCA in connection with its inaugural high yield bond offering of €300 million 7.500% senior notes due 2025 and in connection with a high yield bond offering of €125 million 7.500% senior notes due 2025 through its subsidiary Tereos Finance Group I SA.
Transportes Aéreos Portugueses, S.A. (TAP Airlines) in connection with its inaugural high yield bond offering of €375 million 5.625% senior notes due 2024.
Trivium Packaging in connection with its offering of $2.85 billion of notes, consisting of €625 million 3.750% senior secured notes due 2026, $1.05 billion 5.500% senior secured notes due 2026, €355 million secured floating rate notes due 2026 and $700 million 8.500% senior notes due 2027.VIA Outlets B.V. in connection with their inaugural green bond financing consisting of a €600 million offering of 1.750 percent senior notes due 2028.
Worldpay Finance plc in connection with its €500 million inaugural senior notes offering.^*
ZPG plc on its £200 million senior notes offering.^*

High Yield - Initial Purchasers

The underwriters in connection with Arcelormittal’s $2.2 billion offering of its 2027 and 2032 fixed-rate notes.
The initial purchasers in connection with the offering of €550 million 4.50 percent senior secured notes in the context of the acquisition of Agrifarma by Cinven.
BNP Paribas, Crédit Industriel et Commercial S.A., Société Générale and Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank as initial purchasers in connection with Derichebourg SA's $300 million offering as part of the financing of the proposed acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Groupe Ecore Holding S.A.S., the holding company of the Ecore group.
BNP Paribas and Credit Suisse in connection with Schmolz + Bickenbach’s €200 million senior secured notes offering.^*
BNP Paribas, Barclays, HSBC and Lloyds in connection with Premier Foods’ £210 million floating rate senior secured notes offering.^*
BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole CIB and Deutsche Bank, London Branch in connection with Loxam’s €300 million 2.875% senior secured notes due 2026 and €200 million 4.500% senior subordinated notes due 2027.
Citigroup Global Markets, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs International, ING Bank, RBC Capital Markets and Scotia Capital in connection with Cable and Wireless' $500 million offering of senior secured notes by its wholly owned subsidiary C&W Senior Financing Designated Activity Company.
Citigroup Global Markets, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse, J.P. Morgan Securities, RBC Capital Markets and Scotia Capital in connection with Cable and Wireless’s $400 million offering of 5.750% senior secured notes due 2027.
Citigroup Global Markets, Credit Suisse, J.P. Morgan Securities and Scotia Capital in connection with Cable and Wireless' $300 million offering of 6.875% senior notes due 2027.
Citigroup in connection with Schoeller Allibert Group B.V.’s €210 million inaugural senior secured notes offering and revolving credit facility.^*
Citigroup on Global Ship Lease, Inc.’s $420 million inaugural senior secured notes offering.
Credit Suisse and Barclays on Bibby Offshore Services Plc’s £175 million inaugural senior secured notes offering.
Credit Suisse in connection with Schmolz + Bickenbach’s €150 million senior notes offering.^*
BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, Coöperatieve Rabobank, Crédit Industriel et Commercial, Natixis, Société Générale, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, and Mediobanca – Banca di Credito Finanziario as initial purchasers in connection with Elior Group’s €550 million offering of 3.75 percent senior notes due 2026.
Goldman Sachs in connection with Almaviva S.p.A.'s €250 million senior secured notes offering.^*
Goldman Sachs, HSBC and Lloyds in connection with Daisy Group plc's proposed offering of £385 million fixed and floating rate notes.^*
HSBC and the other initial purchases in connection with Motor Oil Hellas’ €350 million senior notes offering.^*
HSBC, BNP Paribas, Barclays and Lloyds in connection with Premier Foods' £300 million senior secured notes offering and concurrent tender offer.^*
HSBC, NatWest Markets, DNB Markets, ING, MUFG and Santander Corporate & Investment Banking as initial purchasers in connection with TalkTalk Telecom Group PLC's offering of £110 million additional aggregate principal amount of 3.875% Senior Notes due 2025.
HSBC Bank as the Solicitation Agent in connection with the successful completion of TalkTalk’s consent solicitation for its £685 million 3.875 percent Senior Notes due 2025.
Jefferies Finance as lead arranger and the lenders in connection with the $2.15 billion acquisition financing for Mavis Tire Express Services, consisting of $1.915 billion first-lien term loan facility and $200 million revolving credit facility, to finance a portion of the purchase price for the acquisition of Mavis Tire by an investor group led by BayPine, in partnership with TSG Consumer Partners.
J.P. Morgan SE, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft, Barclays Bank Ireland PLC, BofA Securities Europe SA, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, Crédit Industriel et Commercial S.A., Natixis, and Société Générale, as initial purchasers, in connection with Loxam’s €300 million new money offering of senior secured notes due 2028.
J.P. Morgan Securities, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs and Scotia Capital as initial purchasers in connection with Liberty Cablevision of Puerto Rico’s $1.2 billion offering of 6.750% senior secured notes due 2027 by LCPR Senior Secured Financing Designated Activity Company. The note purchasers in connection with Liberty Communications of Puerto Rico’s private placement of $90 million additional aggregate principal amount of 6.750% senior secured notes due 2027 and the initial purchasers in connection with Liberty Communications of Puerto Rico’s $820 million offering of 5.125% senior secured notes due 2029 by LCPR Senior Secured Financing Designated Activity Company.
The nine mandated lead arrangers of a €345 million five-year senior secured revolving credit facility for Loxam Group.
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.