Robert Spedding

Robert regularly acts on high-value syndicated loans, corporate lending, refinancing, leveraged acquisitions, and complex financing transactions across various industries and jurisdictions worldwide, providing strategic financial guidance, deal structuring advice, assistance with due diligence, and negotiation of key terms.

• Advised facility agents and syndicate banks in connection with a large number of high-value syndicated loans (both secured and unsecured) in numerous jurisdictions, both European and worldwide.
• Advised well-known American and Middle Eastern banks as documentation agents and arrangers of many very high-value multicurrency syndicated loans to banks in Turkey.
• Advised the London branch of a well-known Chinese bank in relation to numerous bilateral unsecured revolving credit facility agreements for listed investment funds.
• Advised facility agents and syndicate banks in connection with the refinancing of existing loan facilities.
• Acted for Dentons entities in the financing of a global service hub for the Dentons Verein in the Netherlands, guaranteed by Dentons entities in England, Canada, and Europe.
• Advised the syndicate members in relation to the sale of their loan participations to a purchaser connected to the obligors and contemporaneous transfer of the facility and security agent roles.
• Acted for the lender in relation to a long-term secured financing for a Premiership football club.
• Advised the lenders in relation to a lengthy process of multiple financing arrangements relating to a tungsten mine in England to enable additional monies to be invested by one of the shareholders. Thereafter, following the administration of its listed Australian parent, advised the lenders in relation to the administration of the tungsten mine operator.
• Advised the financiers of a steel mill in Africa in relation to the injection of additional funding, along with repayment of certain shareholder loans and the amendment and restatement of certain documents.
• Advised a property-owning group of companies in relation to their refinancing of existing facilities with a senior and mezzanine funder, a subsequent repayment of the mezzanine lender and a further amendment and restatement of the facilities to extend their maturity.
• Advised a petroleum exporter as borrower under a large secured margin financing facility.
• Advised the banks and facility agent in relation to a proposed leveraged acquisition of a mining facility in Australia.
• Advised a well-known mobile telephone company in relation to the disposal of one of its brands.

Robert provides guidance to clients facing financial challenges. He advises on refinancing, creditor relationships, insolvencies, enforcement of security, and distressed business and assets sales.

• Acted for the operator of a hotel group in relation to the refinancing of its banking arrangements and problems caused by the Covid pandemic.
• Acted for a well-known supermarket to protect it and its farm suppliers in anticipation of the insolvency of a large dairy company.
• Advised the Official Receiver as liquidator and PwC as special managers in relation to the treatment and renegotiation of existing contracts and relationships with creditors of the Carillion group.
• Advised a government department in relation to the sale of its claim in the administration of a collapsed EEA financial institution.
• Advised the coordinating committee and lenders in relation to the loans made available to a PFI infrastructure vehicle.
• Advised the administrators of a group of sub-prime lenders in relation to the sale of their portfolio of personal, commercial, regulated and unregulated loans in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man and England, along with transitional arrangements.
• Advised the administrators of a chain of pubs and bars in relation to the sale of the business and assets and ongoing trading arrangements.
• Advised the administrators of a large group of English and Scottish care homes in relation to the proposed sale of the business and ongoing trading issues.
• Advised the administrators of a chain of well-known holiday camps in relation to the sale of its business and assets.
• Advised the administrators of an oil refinery in relation to their funding arrangements and ongoing supply and sale of crude and refined products.
• Advised the administrators of a well-known chain of restaurants in relation to the sale of their flagship London sites.

Robert advises lenders, financiers, exporters, banks, and administrators within the energy sector on corporate lending, general banking, syndicated loans, secondary debt trading, and non-contentious restructuring and insolvency.

• Advised the lenders in relation to a lengthy process of multiple financing arrangements relating to a tungsten mine in England to enable additional monies to be invested by one of the shareholders. Thereafter, following the administration of its listed Australian parent, advised the lenders in relation to the administration of the tungsten mine operator.
• Advised the financiers of a steel mill in Africa in relation to the injection of additional funding, along with repayment of certain shareholder loans and the amendment and restatement of certain documents.
• Advised a petroleum exporter as borrower under a large secured margin financing facility.
• Advised the banks and facility agent in relation to a proposed leveraged acquisition of a mining facility in Australia.
• Advised the administrators of an oil refinery in relation to their funding arrangements and ongoing supply and sale of crude and refined products.

Robert advises high-profile banks in relation to bilateral financing of loans to top-ranked law firms.

• Acted for Dentons entities in the financing of a global service hub for the Dentons Verein in the Netherlands, guaranteed by Dentons entities in England, Canada, and Europe.
• Acted for a well-known UK bank in relation to its bilateral financing of a loan to a Magic Circle law firm.
• Acted for a high-profile UK bank in relation to its bilateral financing of a loan to a top 5 law firm.
• Acted for US bank in relation to its bilateral financing of a loan to a Magic Circle law firm.
• Acted for a UK clearing bank in relation to bilateral loans to a top 50 UK law firm.

Robert advises on complex financial transactions in the African continent, specialising in restructuring and refinancing projects for a range of clients including banks and telecommunication companies.

• Advised the financiers of a steel mill in Africa in relation to the injection of additional funding, along with repayment of certain shareholder loans and the amendment and restatement of certain documents.
• Advised the facility agent and the banks in relation to facility agreements for certain well-known banks in Nigeria.
• Advised the facility agent and the banks in relation to a facility agreement for a well-known bank in South Africa.
• Advised the facility agent and the banks in relation to a facility agreement for a well-known bank in Zambia.
• Advised the facility agent and the banks in relation to numerous syndicated and bilateral facility agreements for a well-known supranational pan-African lender based in Egypt, both as borrower and lender.
• Advised the facility agent and the banks in relation to the international and domestic currency financing of mobile telephone networks in South Africa.

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Bank Lending: Investment Grade Debt and Syndicated Loans 2024–2026

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Projects, Energy and Natural Resources: Power 2024