Chris Lenton

Full Profile

Chris has extensive experience in real estate finance, leveraged/acquisition finance and insurance related finance, and has also acted on a number of project finance, debt restructuring, asset backed finance and general corporate lending transactions, including work on a number of high profile cross border transactions in Europe, the Middle East, the Far East and the USA. Prior to joining Clyde & Co Chris spent 12 years at Clifford Chance including spells in their Dubai, Singapore and Tokyo offices.

Experience

• Advising Corinthian Homes in relation to their £90m financing with Oaktree in partnership with Fairfield Real Estate Finance to facilitate the design and construction of a new mixed-use development at Hayle Harbour in Cornwall of over 550 homes together with a hotel, retail units, industrial, fishing units, a community building and green space with a GDV of £300,000,000.
• Advising Oaknorth Bank in connection with over £150,000,000 of financing for various corporate and property acquisitions, refinancings and development financings, including various acquisition and development facilities aggregating circa £50,000,000 for a UK care home operator with a focus on dementia care, including a £9,400,000 facility to fund the acquisition of a care home in Birmingham through the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of the care home owning SPV and a £9,580,000 add on facility to fund the development of a care home in Aberdeen.
• Advising Regal London as borrower/purchaser on the acquisition and debt financing of a complex and significant site due to its location next to Camden Roundhouse and the ongoing regeneration of the area, with a view to redevelopment of the site for a mixture of office and residential uses including affordable housing.
• Advising Anquila Corporation on a £109,500,000 term loan facility in relation to the refinancing of a development loan into an investment loan with additional various ultra-high net worth guarantor confirmations from Hong Kong based beneficial owners for a mixed use flagship property at Buckingham Gate, London.
• Advising the developer/borrower on the complex financing of a mixed-use regeneration scheme to transform the southern end of Bromley Town centre from a car park into a new residential and leisure quarter including a cinema, restaurants, a hotel, residential apartments, affordable housing and new car park.
• Advising Secure Trust Bank on the £35,200,000 development financing of a student accommodation building in Portsmouth.
• Advising the developer/borrower on the £75,000,000 development financing provided by Manchester City Council (as senior lender) and Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (as mezzanine lender) for the acquisition and construction of a mixed use three tower development comprising residential apartments, commercial units, retail units, restaurants and car parking in Manchester.
• Advising the borrower on the refinancing of Chelsea Harbour – a mixed use development in Central London situated on the north bank of the River Thames in Chelsea containing a five star luxury hotel, offices, showrooms and a small marina. The refinancing was valued at £133,250,000.
• Advising a luxury hotel group on the £180,000,000 refinancing of its group-wide facility, as well as advising on the funding for the acquisition and refurbishment of new hotels acquired by the group.
• Advising a Hong Kong property investment company on the £110,000,000 development financing provided by Bank of East Asia for the construction of an office, residential and retail development in central London.
• Advising the arrangers and financiers (National Australia Bank and Barclays) on a US$250 million revolving credit facility for Enstar Group Limited.
• Advising the arrangers and financiers on a US$1.1 billion term loan facility financing a consortium bidding for the acquisition of Transatlantic Re.
• Advising ING Bank N.V on a £68 million letter of credit facility to provide Funds at Lloyd’s to support and stand account for reinsurance to close business undertaken through a managed Lloyd’s syndicate.
• Advising the lender on a US$158 million letter of credit facility made available to support the obligations of a prominent UK insurance company under a whole account quota share reinsurance agreement.