Hall of fameMills & Reeve LLP
Partner and head of banking and finance, advising lenders and borrowers on debt finance including acquisition finance, securitisation and trade and asset finance.
England - East Anglia • Finance
Mills & Reeve LLP
Mills & Reeve LLP's team delivers a ‘strong partner-led service’ and has the deepest bench of banking and finance lawyers in East Anglia. The firm has the region’s only debt capital markets practice, which notably handled more than £1bn worth of public and private bonds in 2022. Cambridge-based practice head William Roles focuses on corporate and acquisition finance and is ‘the perfect lawyer to put in front of a potential client as he is always balanced, fair and well-reasoned in his approach'. Also in Cambridge, not-for-profit finance specialist Sarah Seed and principal associate Matthew Howling are names to note; both recently assisted The University of Hull with a £40m sustainability-linked Revolving Credit Facility and an £86m privately placed issue of green debt securities. Partner Laura Holdaway and principal associate Sarah Greenwood are the key contacts for real estate finance, whilst Bethany Webb is described as being ’the dictionary definition of an up-and-coming lawyer'. In Norwich, Zak Virgin ‘provides consistent and clear advice’ on asset-based lending, and borrower-side and government finance specialist Frances Churchard is also recommended.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘We only partner with organisations who we consider share our ethos of providing high levels of client service, transparency in working whilst being flexible in providing value-added solutions in terms of fees and timelines. The banking and finance team at Mills Reeve have always fulfilled or exceeded our expectations and provide a great service.’
‘We always seem to work with tight deadlines and complicated property requirements and Will Roles always successfully delivers. Communication is critical when time is of the essence and contact channels have always been available.’
‘We have a longstanding relationship with the teams in Cambridge, Norwich and London. In the past they have always provided a strong partner-led service but in recent years we have seen them build out their team with a number of senior associates and associates who have all also provided us with a high level of service.'
- 'One of the things that sets them apart is the amount of time they invest in their juniors and how they look after them from transaction to transaction. At no point do their team members seem overworked, stretched or under competing pressures. Our transactions feel like they get their full attention and this is reflected in the quality of service we receive.'
- 'The team provides us with relevant and tailored updates from time-to-time an example being their suggested specific amendments to our standard security documents last year following a change in law when none of our other panel firms reached out.’
‘Will Roles and Zak Virgin we have worked with for years. Will is the perfect lawyer to put in front of a potential client as he is always balanced, fair and well-reasoned in his approach to transactions. Zak is just as good in front of new clients and also (quite remarkably) seems to remember the position we’ve taken on almost a decade’s worth of transactions, so always manages to provide consistent and clear advice.'
- 'The real change in the past few years with M&R has been their ability to involve more senior associates in our work. If Bethany Webb isn’t the dictionary definition of an 'up and coming lawyer' then we don’t know what is. Bethany is hardworking, readily available and consistent in her drafting.’
Key clients
- HSBC UK Bank Plc
- PNC Financial Services Ltd
- Gravitee Topco Limited
- Mick George Limited
- AgFe LLP
- MedVida
- Marshall of Cambridge Group
- Kadans Group
- Howard Group
- R&Q Insurance Holdings Ltd
- Midwich Group PLC
- Arbuthnot Commercial Asset Based Lending Limited
- Jarrold & Sons Group
- Automoney Limited
- Adnams PLC
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Hall of Fame
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Mills & Reeve LLP
Laura specialises in real estate finance transactions and leads the real estate finance team. Laura has specialised in real estate finance matters since qualification having previously been in house at Sears plc. Laura’s recent work includes advising a London based fund manager on a series of large portfolio refinancings in excess of £350m, advising an AIM listed residential developer on the complex structuring and funding arrangements for a £100m residential development in Stratford; advising a local enterprise partnership on infrastructure findings for high profile development projects and advising a major UK clearing bank on a series of property development and investment facilities in in excess of £100m.
Mills & Reeve LLP
Partner in the finance team specialising in asset-based lending, acquisition finance and non-contentious restructuring and insolvency work. Zak recently led the team acting for PNC Business Credit on substantial asset-based lending facilities for the MBI of the cakes division of McCambridge Group Holdings plc backed by NBGI private equity. He led the teams advising the administrators of the Cardale group, the Brilliant Media group, Silver Spring Soft Drinks and Axminster Carpets on the sales of the businesses and assets issues relating to the administrators’ appointment, duties and distributions to creditors.
Next Generation Partners
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
William Roles