Leon is a leading partner in Reed Smith's fund finance team which is one of the market leading global funds finance practices. He works with bank and non-bank lenders, managers, general partners and limited partners on fund financing transactions with private equity, secondaries, real estate, direct lending and infrastructure funds. He is also an elected member of the firm’s Executive Committee.
Experience
Representative matters
Representative matters
Represented NatWest Markets on its role as lead arranger and facility agent for The Carlyle Group on a €2.3 billion ESG-linked credit facility for its European private equity and real estate platform. The facility was formed to support Carlyle’s 30% board diversity target, to tackle climate change by having more accurate and comprehensive measurements of greenhouse gas emissions across all portfolio companies, and to improve ESG outcomes through better governance by providing ESG-competent board training for all Carlyle board directors.
Represented a large US investment bank in relation to a NAV facility to a secondary fund secured against LP interests
Represented RBS in relation to various subscription line and hybrid facilities to a large direct lending fund
Represented NatWest Markets on its role as lead arranger and facility agent for The Carlyle Group on a €2.3 billion ESG-linked credit facility for its European private equity and real estate platform. The facility was formed to support Carlyle’s 30% board diversity target, to tackle climate change by having more accurate and comprehensive measurements of greenhouse gas emissions across all portfolio companies, and to improve ESG outcomes through better governance by providing ESG-competent board training for all Carlyle board directors.
Represented a large US investment bank in relation to a NAV facility to a secondary fund secured against LP interests
Represented RBS in relation to various subscription line and hybrid facilities to a large direct lending fund
Represented Lloyds Bank on a facility to a large credit fund
Represented Société Générale in relation to a capital call facility to a large debt fund
Represented HSBC on a £100 million capital call facility to a large infrastructure fund
Represented JP Morgan on a US$250 million co-investment facility to the partners of a large private equity fund
Represented Standard Chartered on a facility to a US$1 billion fund
Represented Natixis on a large funds financing to an Asia-based private equity fund
Represented Silicon Valley Bank on several equity bridge facilities
Represented Investec on a facility to a private equity fund in the amount of £5 million
Represented Barclays on a €50 million subscription facility to a hedge fund
Represented Barclays on a £50 million capital call facility
Represented Barclays in connection with a capital call facility for a large European private equity fund
Represented JP Morgan in a £50 million capital call facility to an English law limited partnership with a Scottish General Partner
Advised Arco Capital Corporation Ltd on a €41 million secured financing for the acquisition of CableTEL’s assets and businesses, involving acquisitions in Bulgaria and Macedonia
Represented OakNorth on the financing of LEON restaurants
Acting for Unicredit Bank in various financing transactions in Central and Eastern Europe.
Acting for Siemens on a large financing to a Russian borrower
Acting for Gramercy in relation to a Euro 60 million loan to a Eastern European oil company
Represented a large U.S. private equity fund in relation to a $125 million subordinated PIK loan instrument
Represented a large U.S. private equity fund in relation to a $615 million syndicated facility
Represented Gramercy Advisors on a €86 million securitised loan secured by real estate.
Represent Arco Capital Corporation in connection with the EUR103.3 million refinancing of Business Park Sofia arranged by UniCredit Bank Austria AG and UniCredit Bulbank AD
Represented the General Partner of and named investor in a fund with primary investment focus in African telecommunications development.
Recognitions
- Ranked in Chambers UK for London Banking & Finance: Fund Finance, 2021-2026
- Listed as a Leading Partner in The Legal 500 UK 2026 for Investment fund formation and management: Fund finance
- Listed as a Notable Practitioner in IFLR1000 Global for United Kingdom Banking, 2020-2024
Credentials
Education
Education
- Nottingham Trent University, 1995, LPC
- University of Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College, 1994, B.A., Hons
- University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, 2000, Paris Chamber of Commerce Certificate of Commercial and Economical French & Annual Diploma of French Language and Civilisation
Professional admissions & qualifications
Professional admissions & qualifications
- England and Wales
- New York
Professional affiliations
Professional affiliations
- Member of the Loan Market Association and sits on the LMA Documentation Committee
- Member of the New York Bar Association
- Member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs
- Member of the British American Business Inc.
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