Corporate and Syndicated Finance

Overview

Smith Anderson is a leading North Carolina law firm for borrower and issuer representation in corporate and syndicated finance. Our lawyers help boards and management consider and structure financing alternatives in rapidly changing markets, and we have been involved in many of the largest debt finance transactions for companies in North Carolina and the Research Triangle region. Over the past five years, we have worked with syndicated loan financings and high-yield bond transactions for leveraged buyouts, mergers, asset-based loans (ABL), acquisition finance, working capital and dividend recaps totaling in excess of $15 billion.

We are proud of our record of successfully representing clients in their completion of leveraged finance transactions with lead arrangers, initial purchasers and underwriters. Our clients operate in industries which include manufacturing, distribution, life sciences, health care, technology, telecommunications, media and energy. We bring value to their leveraged finance transactions based on our experience, knowledge of the debt markets and commitment to knowing our clients well and understanding their businesses. We apply that experience, knowledge and commitment through closing and to issues that arise after closing. We also regularly review loan documents, including loan agreements, collateral documents, intercreditor agreements and participation agreements, for syndicate and club lenders.

Since 2011, Smith Anderson has been one of the only North Carolina-based law firms to place in multiple years among the top firms in the nation in law firm league tables published by Thomson Reuters LPC. Smith Anderson has placed in the league tables for volume and number of borrower-side leveraged transactions. In addition, Chambers USA, one of the leading ranking agencies for law firms and lawyers, has recognized our Finance practice and its lawyers as leaders in North Carolina. Additionally, through their annual “Best Law Firms” ranking, U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers® have recognized Smith Anderson as a Metropolitan “Tier 1” law firm in Banking and Finance Law every year since 2011. Several of our finance lawyers also have received recognition from clients and peers in The Best Lawyers in America© and North Carolina Super Lawyers.

Our legal advice is grounded in national and international experience. Our team includes finance lawyers with extensive Wall Street experience, and our practice is backed by the strength of a full-service business and litigation law firm, including lawyers in our Mergers and Acquisitions, Tax, Employment, Labor and Human Resources, Restructuring, Insolvency and Creditors’ Rights and other practices as needed, for each transaction.

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Services

Syndicated and club lending deals
High yield notes and bonds
Leveraged buyout and acquisition financing
Asset-based lending (ABL)
Secured and unsecured bank lending
Securitization and monetization transactions
Project finance transactions
Public finance transactions including IRBs and revenue bonds
Interest rate swaps and other hedging transactions
Letters of credit

Experience

Represented a public contract research organization (with significant private equity ownership) in a series of syndicated loan financings and high yield note offerings, including in connection with its going-private transaction and subsequent IPO; in a $1.95 billion senior secured credit facility and an $800 million senior notes offering; and in more than $5 billion of multicurrency senior secured revolving credit facilities, term loans and senior notes to finance a portion of an approximately $20 billion merger of equals.
Represented a 50% PE-owned provider of bone healing technology in its $215 million first and second lien credit facilities, used to refinance debt relating to the spin-off that formed the company.
Represented a provider of bone healing technology in its $25 million multicurrency revolving credit facility involving a $160 million subordinated shareholder note, Dutch co-borrower and pledge of Jersey equity.
Represented an agricultural manufacturer and its affiliates in a $248 million senior secured credit facility to finance working capital and acquisitions.
Represented a multinational manufacturer and supplier to the papermaking industry in a $280 million cross-border senior secured credit facility, secured by collateral in eight countries, and $240 million senior notes offering.

Represented a provider of lighting-class LEDs and semiconductor solutions in a series of financings, most recently a $500 million revolving credit facility secured by non-U.S. equity and other collateral.
Represented a publicly held convenience store chain in its primary financing transactions for almost 20 years, most recently in a simultaneous $480 million senior secured credit facility and $250 million senior notes offering.
Represented a clinical technology provider in a going-private transaction involving simultaneous $445 million senior secured credit facilities and $250 million senior notes offering.
Represented a holding company in a dividend recapitalization utilizing a $300 million secured term loan.
Represented a communications and real estate company in its $100 million corporate credit facility.
Represented a medical products supplier in its $450 million senior secured credit facility.
Represented a leading public company supplier of water dispensers and bulk water solutions in its $196 million senior secured term loan and revolving credit facilities for the completion of an acquisition.
Represented a wholesale sporting goods distribution company in its $165 million cross-border senior secured credit facility.

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