Claire Shepherd is a partner in the firm's financial institutions group. Claire advises lenders and borrowers on all aspects of commercial lending, including the following:

• Syndicated and bilateral sterling and multicurrency term loan and revolving facilities whether they be secured or unsecured;
• Syndicated and bilateral invoice discounting facilities;
• Treasury operations;
• PFI/PPP transactions;
• Private equity backed and debt only acquisition finance;
• Investment property and development finance;
• Security issues;
• Public to private transactions;
• Restructuring.

On all the above mentioned types of finance, Claire acts for both borrowers and lenders/issuers and, in the case of PFI/PPP transactions, the public sector and in the case of private equity backed acquisition finance transactions, private equity houses. Her experience in advising borrowers and, in the case of PFI/PPP transaction, the public sector and in the case of private equity backed acquisition finance transactions, private equity houses, means that she is well placed to anticipate the requirements of any particular transactions.

Claire is regularly listed as a leading banking and finance lawyer in the North West of England in both The Legal 500 UK and Chambers and Partners' Chambers UK.

Representative Experience

• Advising SSL international plc on its £410 million syndicated multi currency credit agreement and accompanying hedging programme.
• Advising Stobart Group on its £100 million facility from Prudential/M&G UK Companies Financing Fund LP.
• Advising The Co-operative Bank plc as agent and security trustee on its funding for the redevelopment of Urmston town centre, Greater Manchester.
• Advising a private equity house on the restructuring of its investment in a Northern based manufacturing company;
• Advising an Irish bank on the restructuring of its receivables and term facilities to a recruitment business and its subsequent exit;
• Advising a funder on the successful restructuring of its facilities to a property business;
• Advising funders and borrowers on various PFI transactions involving schools, doctor's surgeries, hospital equipment and fire brigades.