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Bank and Institutional Finance

Bank and Institutional Finance — London (Holborn Gate)

Our London branch at Holborn Gate, 330 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7QH, advises banks, institutional lenders and corporates on financing across England and Wales. The practice covers syndicated and bilateral lending, acquisition and project finance, asset-based and structured finance, securitisation and the interlocking regulatory and insolvency issues that affect cross-border transactions.

Core services and transactional work

Typical matters include negotiation and documentation of:

  • Senior and mezzanine syndicated loan facilities and bilateral credit lines;
  • Acquisition and leveraged finance structures;
  • Asset-backed lending and receivables financing; securitisation and repo arrangements;
  • Intercreditor and subordination agreements, debt purchase and participation arrangements;
  • Derivatives documentation for interest rate and FX hedging (close-out and netting considerations);
  • Restructuring and workout advice in distressed and insolvency scenarios.

Regulatory and compliance landscape

Lenders and institutional counterparties must navigate a dense regulatory framework. Key themes are capital and prudential requirements, conduct of business rules, anti-money laundering and sanctions screening, and the UK implementation of international banking standards. The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) set supervisory expectations; HM Treasury issues policy on macro‑prudential and sanctions matters. Cross-border business often raises licensing, passporting (where still relevant) and local regulatory consent issues.

For transactions involving real property, note the divergence of law and registration mechanisms in Scotland (standard security and the Registers of Scotland) compared with England and Wales (mortgages and HM Land Registry).

Documentation, perfection and enforcement

Market-standard documentation (facility agreements, security documents, intercreditor arrangements and ISDA-type derivatives documentation) must be tailored to ensure enforceability and ease of enforcement. Key practical points include perfection steps (Companies House charges, Land Registry registration, deed execution), priority management between fixed and floating charges, retention of title, and the interaction of enforcement remedies with corporate insolvency procedures such as administration.

Practical checklist for lenders and borrowers

  • Confirm governing law and enforceability opinion scope early.
  • Identify required security and perfection steps (Companies House, Land Registry or Registers of Scotland) and timetable for registration.
  • Carry out regulatory diligence: licensing, sanction screening, AML/KYC and PRA/FCA considerations.
  • Ensure documentation aligns across facilities, intercreditor provisions and derivatives close‑out mechanics.
  • Validate cross-border enforcement routes and insolvency recognition in relevant jurisdictions.
  • Assess tax withholding, stamp duty (where applicable) and reporting obligations.

Jurisdiction and sources

General information only; not legal advice and not a substitute for advice on a particular matter.