Debra Cooper

Practice Areas

Debra is a banking partner who specialises in real estate finance and has over 18 years’ experience.

Debra also advises clients on general corporate lending and acquisition finance.

Debra has excellent experience in ESG/SLL and green finance.

Career

Debra joined Pinsent Masons as a trainee and qualified into the banking team in 2006. Debra moved to Squire Patton Boggs as a partner in 2015 and then moved to Shoosmiths as a partner in 2020.

Debra is now at Hill Dickinson since joining in 2023.

Professional Memberships

Investment Property Forum – member since 2015 and current chair of the Northern Board

Personal

In addition to being in a partner in the banking team at Hill Dickinson. Debra also heads the financial services sector group.

Debra is chair of the Investment Forum Northern board and is on the board of LandAid North West and also on the NW Props Board.

Debra mentors for Future Leaders of Greater Manchester.

Debra is a keen ultra and fell runner and regularly runs 50 mile trail races.

Debra has two children.

Awards

Clients

Debra acts for a broad mix of lenders and borrowers. Her lender clients include the majority of the UK clearing banks, a number of challenger banks, debt funds and other alternative lenders. Debra also acts for lenders based in the Channel Islands and Gibraltar. Debra’s borrower clients include investors, developers and high net worth individuals.

Work Highlights

Since joining Hill Dickinson in April 2023 Debra has advised on over £3 billion of debt transactions including a number of multi bank club deals and a facility to a Sovereign State. Debra has also acted on a significant number of North West based transactions demonstrating strong relationships in the local market with key participants in the North West real estate finance market.

Industry Sector Expertise

Debra is the head of the Hill Dickinson Financial Service Sector and has 18 years of experience of acting in the financial services sector.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

England and Wales

Languages Spoken

English

Experience

In her 18 year career Debra has acted on all manner of transactions from over £500m club transactions acting for lenders to £5m bilateral facilities for single unit developers. Debra has acted on multi asset and single asset facilities, senior and mezz debt, syndicated and bilateral deals and investment and development real estate finance facilities in each case for Borrowers and for Lenders. Debra is very experienced in project management of large transactions.

Education