Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP has seen the personnel in its high yield team change significantly with the departure of Patrick Bright and his team to Paul Hastings LLP, but the firm has been quick to recruit highly experienced partners to continue its growth trajectory. The firm hired ‘strong, reliable high yield bond expert’ Andy Hagan from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, who leads the practice with another new recruit Gilles Teerlinck , who joined from White & Case LLP . Nitin Konchady is another key lawyer in the team, which continues to advise top-tier sponsors, investment banks and bond investors on complex and high-profile acquisition financings and refinancings. Konchady recently advised an ad hoc group of bondholders in relation to their holdings of Yandex’s $1.25bn convertible notes in light of sanctions imposed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The firm’s new hires significantly bolster its capability to represent both corporate issuers and private equity sponsors.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘They have been investing heavily in the last year in putting together a stellar team in high yield and more generally in their London office. Highly focused on getting things done, very smart and efficient.’
‘Andrew Hagan is the absolute go-to guy for our high-yield work. He is brilliant technically, very efficient and a pleasure to work with. Hiring him was a major coup.’
'Strong, broad leveraged finance practice with high quality clients driving their market experience.'
'Andy Hagan is a strong, reliable high yield bond expert.'

Key clients

Advent International (sponsor)
Bain Capital (sponsor)
Advent International Stirling Square Capital (sponsor)
TowerBrook Capital Partners (sponsor)
Paprec (corporate issuer)
The Very Group (corporate issuer)
Morgan Stanley (underwriter)
Goldman Sachs (underwriter)
Odeon / AMC Entertainment (corporate issuer)
Kiloutou (corporate issuer)
Biofarma (Kepler Sp.A.) (corporate issuer)
Ad Hoc Group of Bondholders for Nordic Aviation Capital (restructuring)
Ad Hoc Group of Bondholders in relation to Yandex (restructuring)
Ad Hoc Group of Bondholders of Ukraine’s sovereign debt (restructuring)
Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (in respect of the Cineworld Chapter 11 case)

Work highlights

Issuer counsel to Odeon / AMC Entertainment’s $400 million 12.750% Senior Secured Notes Due 2027.
Advisor on US, English and French law to the initial purchasers of Verisure Holding AB (publ)’s €500 million 9.25% Secured Notes due 2027.
Advisor on US and English law to Biofarma (Kepler S.p.A.) as issuer on its €345 million Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2029.