Devonshires Solicitors LLP

Julian Barker

Julian is a partner and head of the banking and capital markets team. The team is recognised in Chambers 2015 as 'of the highest standards' when it comes to acting for borrowers. He advises on all aspects of finance made available to registered providers, including bond issues (wholesale and retail, secured and unsecured), private placements, syndicated and bilateral loans, the funding of LSVTs, PFI funding, intra-group funding and interest rate derivatives and related security. He also advises on security trustee arrangements in connection with the group funding arrangements of registered providers. Notable transactions include acting for numerous registered providers on their own name bond issues, including Circle Anglia, Genesis, London and Quadrant, Notting Hill, Moat, Amicus Horizon, Hyde, Saffron Housing Trust, Clarion, Great Places, Radian, Together Housing Group, WM Housing Group, Southern Housing, BPHA, Thrive Homes, Yorkshire Housing and Swan, acting for A2Dominion Group on its unsecured retail bond issues and wholesale bond issues; acting for Catalyst Housing Group, Bromford, Newlon, Suffolk Housing Society, Regenda, Waterloo, Aldwyck and Orbit Group on their private placements; advising numerous registered providers on funding for lending loans and borrowing from THFC and Affordable Housing Finance plc, acting for numerous registered providers in connection with their group refinancings. A natural sciences graduate from Durham University, Julian completed his legal training at Simmons and Simmons. From there he went on to a role in the general banking groups at Allen & Overy and then to Eversheds’ Cambridge office where he acted for both banks and borrowers on various acquisitions, MBOs and property financing transactions.

Andrew Cowan

Andrew is a Partner and  a member of our banking and governance team. His team acts for over 200 social housing providers and local authorities in England, Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland and as panel solicitors for the Homes and Communities Agency including For Profit providers. Andrew and his the team act for funders and over 180 housing associations based over England, Wales and Scotland on their general fundraising and project specific finance (such as PFI and joint ventures). Andrew has a particular specialism in governance and regulation of for social housing, and M&A within the social housing sector and joint ventures. Andrew is a regular contributor in relation to policy issues affecting the social housing sector.  He is a regular speaker on housing finance, group structures and housing strategies. Andrew is a trustee of HACT, the Theatre Royal Stratford, Swan Mountain Trust and non-executive director of Seymour Street Homes, a subsidiary of British Land PLC and a member of the finance committee of the Theatre Royal Stratford.

Chris Drabble

Chris advises funders and borrowers on security related transactions in the social and affordable housing sector such as syndicated and bilateral loan financings, private placements, bond issues, group restructurings and large-scale voluntary transfers. Chris is also recognised for his work in the PV/renewables industry, in which he has helped the Council of Mortgage Lenders formulate its guidance.

Sharon Kirkham

Sharon is a partner and heads up the securitisation team of over 35 securitisation specialists. Sharon joined Devonshires in 1994 as a trainee legal executive and studied part-time, qualifying as a solicitor in October 1998 and winning the Law Society Prize for Outstanding Performance, becoming a partner in 2006. Sharon’s team acts for over 90 registered providers. Her experience includes the securitisation of residential street properties and developments under loan facilities of amounts varying from £1m to £450m on behalf of registered providers. Sharon’s notable transactions include acting for Circle in their merger with Affinity Sutton in 2016 to create Clarion, acting for Circle, Orbit, Great Places, Regenda, Wythenshawe and Your Housing on their large scale refinancing exercises, acting for Swan Housing and Riverside Housing in the switch from their syndicated facilities to bilateral facilities and acting for AmicusHorizon (now Optivo), BPHA, Bromford Housing Group, Circle (now Clarion), Great Places Housing Group, Hyde Group, London & Quadrant Housing Trust, Midland Heart, Moat Homes, Notting Hill Housing Trust, Radian Housing Group, Raglan Housing, Riverside Housing, Swan Housing and Yorkshire Housing (to name just a few) in the property charging on their bond issues/private placements. Clients state that ‘Sharon Kirkham’s commitment, understanding and support in securitisation work is second to none’. Sharon is seeking to achieve ‘stress-free securitisation’ in the sector by giving Security Training Seminars to RPs throughout the whole of England and Wales.

Gary Grigor

Gary heads up the Leeds banking team and is a member of the firm’s management committee. He also co-heads the Leeds office with Chris Drabble. He has extensive experience of advising on a range of financial instruments and arrangements, including syndicated and bilateral loan facilities; facility restructurings; mergers; group collapses; intra-group funding; interest rate derivatives; private shelf facilities, and high-value private bond issues. He acts for borrowers, lenders and trustees on real-estate finance related arrangements, with a renowned specialism in social housing finance.