Ward McKimm is the Firm's Europe Regional Managing Partner and the EMEA Finance Team Leader. As part of these roles, Ward contributes to firm strategy and helping the firm achieve its strategic growth ambitions in Europe and beyond.

Widely recognised as one of the leading leveraged finance lawyers in the European market, Ward represents underwriters, sponsors and issuers on a range of complex financings in Europe, the U.S. and internationally, including multi-jurisdictional leveraged buyouts. He began his career at Shearman & Sterling in New York and moved to London with the firm in 1999. He re-joined the firm in 2018. He is one of the leading high yield lawyers in Europe, and has been recognised as:

• A leading practitioner by Chambers and Partners since 2012 who is “exceptional in his field”, “hugely experienced” and “one of the very best on the high yield scene”.
• A “one of the top high yield partners in the market” in Chambers & Partners UK 2020.
• A “leading lawyer” in The Legal 500 2021.

• Tereos SCA in connection with its inaugural high yield bond offering of €300 million 7.500% senior notes due 2025 through its subsidiary Tereos Finance Group I SA.
• Paymentsense in connection with its inaugural high yield bond offering of £290 million 8.000% senior secured notes through Hurricane Finance Plc.
• Synthomer plc in connection with its inaugural high yield bond offering of €520 million 3.875% senior notes due 2025.
• 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 by LCPR Senior Secured Financing Designated Activity Company.
• Barclays, HSBC, NatWest Markets, CIC Market Solutions, DNB Markets, ING, MUFG and Santander Corporate & Investment Banking as initial purchasers in connection with TalkTalk Telecom Group PLC's £575 million offering of 3.875% senior notes due 2025.
• J.P. Morgan, BNP Paribas, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank Securities, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, ING, BofA Securities, RBC Capital Markets, Scotiabank and Societe Generale as initial purchasers in connection with Cable and Wireless's $150 million offering of 5.750% senior secured notes. 
• 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.
• Goldman Sachs International as global co-ordinator, Barclays, HSBC, Morgan Stanley as arrangers and physical bookrunners and BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank’s London Branch, J.P. Morgan, Natixis and Unicredit Bank as book-runners in connection with a €920 million term loan B financing for SYNLAB. 
• Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch, BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, Natixis and Société Générale, as joint bookrunners in connection with Loxam S.A.S.’s high yield notes offering, consisting of €700 million 3.25% senior secured notes due 2025, €450 million 3.75% senior secured notes due 2026 and €250 million 5.75% senior subordinated notes.
• BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole CIB and Deutsche Bank in connection with Loxam’s €300 million senior secured notes and €200 million senior subordinated notes.
• Bain Capital in connection with the financing for Bain’s acquisition of FTE Automotive, including the issuance of €240 million senior secured notes.
• Advent International and Oberthur in connection with Oberthur’s €190 million offering of senior notes.*
• Goldman Sachs in connection with Almaviva S.p.A.'s offering of €250 million senior secured notes.
• Carlson Travel Inc. in connection with its $415 million senior secured notes, €330 million senior secured floating rate notes and $250 million senior notes.
• BNP, Barclays, HSBC and Lloyds in connection with Premier Foods' offering of £210 million senior secured floating rate notes.
• 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.*
• The Blackstone Group and Cinven in connection with their €5.5 billion bid for certain assets of Holcim Lafarge.*
• CVC Capital Partners in connection with the financing, including €550 million floating rate senior secured high yield bonds, of CVC’s acquisition of ParexGroup Participations S.A.S, and in connection with ista’s offering of €350 million senior secured notes and €525 million senior subordinated notes.*
• The Carlyle Group and IDH Finance in connection with IDH’s offering of £200 million senior secured fixed rate notes, £125 million senior secured floating rate notes and £75 million second lien notes.*
• Cinven, Carlyle, Altice and Numericable Finance & Co. S.C.A. in connection with the amendment and extension of Numericable’s senior credit facilities and Numericable’s €360.2 million offering of senior secured notes.*
• Oaktree Capital Management and SGD Group S.A.S. in connection with the offering by SGD Group S.A.S. of €350 million senior secured 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.*
• RAC and CVC in connection with RAC's £275 million senior secured notes offering.*
• Worldpay Finance plc in connection with its €500 million inaugural senior notes offering.*
• ZPG plc on its £200 million senior notes offering.*

* Denotes prior firm experience

• Ward is ranked as a “French Foreign Expert” by Chambers Global.