Banking & Finance: Lenders

Stephen Kensell is the managing partner of the firm’s London office. He remains a go-to for major banks and financial institutions on complex financings.

"I love working with Stephen at Latham & Watkins, who is an excellent lawyer. We really trust his advice; whenever we have him on a deal we feel very confident we are getting appropriate levels of protection. We are very happy to recommend him and have him on our deals."

"Stephen Kensell is the best leveraged finance guy in the market and the person I call for the most complicated deals. He gets the interesting, complicated or novel matters because he has years of experience; he can read any and all situations to give excellent legal and commercial advice."

"It is always a joy when Stephen is on a transaction for you because you just know that you will get top-quality service."

Dominic Newcomb is regarded as a premier choice for prominent sponsor clients. His practice regularly involves acting on a number of high-value domestic and international debt financings.

Jonathan Brownson is held in high regard for his expertise in leveraged finance. He has a wealth of experience, with a particular focus on acting for lenders on both domestic and international mandates.

"He defends lenders' interests with integrity but is also pragmatic to help all parties to get a deal done. He provides commercial, high-quality advice and is also highly available and hands-on."

"Jonathan Brownson is very good and offers exactly the commercial support we need. He is very good at pointing out the points we can get comfortable with because he knows the market and is active on deals."

Fergus Wheeler of Akin Gump has substantial expertise in direct lending matters. He acts across the capital structure, counting a number of private credit funds and alternative capital providers among his client base.

"Fergus is very well regarded in the private credit world."

Ross Pooley regularly advises on leveraged and acquisition finance with expertise in cross-border matters. He is well versed in advising banks on high-value bilateral loans, with additional experience acting for private lenders.

"We rate Ross highly. He stands out in his level of lender-side service."

Daniel Maze is particularly adept at acting for direct lenders on leveraged finance transactions and emerging market financings. He is experienced in advising on large-cap mandates involving a range of sectors, including TMT and technology.

"Dan Maze is pragmatic, calm under pressure, and provides really thoughtful advice."

Joydeep Choudhuri is noted for his leveraged finance expertise, which spans both domestic and European markets. He has particular experience in matters in the direct lending space.

"Joydeep is unflappable, calm under pressure and works in a quick and results-focused manner. You just feel you're in a safe pair of hands with him: he understands the issues, sees a path forward and doesn't block things."

"He is good technically as well as commercially and knows how to get things done."

Prue Criddle is a strong up-and-comer in the London market noted for her leveraged finance expertise.

"Prue Criddle was highly engaged and responsive, understood the transaction well and dealt effectively with difficult issues."

"She has good knowledge of the bank market."