Clive J. Wells

Clive J. Wells

Partner, Banking
Clive Wells advises on a wide range of banking matters, including acquisition and leveraged finance, real estate finance, investment grade acquisitions, asset finance, project finance and structured finance transactions. Mr. Wells also advises on restructurings, reconstructions and workouts.

Bio

Mr. Wells has been repeatedly selected for inclusion in The Legal 500, Who’s Who Legal – Banking, IFLR1000, Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Chambers Europe and Chambers UK, which cites sources describing him as being “precise and [having] a strong strategic view,” in addition to being “hugely experienced [with] a wealth of knowledge to his advice.”

Mr. Wells has advised on a number of significant transactions, including representing:

  • Energy Infrastructure Partners in the financings of:
    • its minority investment of up to €700 million in Eni Plenitude, an Italian diversified energy transition company, at an enterprise value of over €10 billion and a post-money equity value of approximately €8 billion
    • the acquisition of a 49% stake in Iberdrola’s €1.425 billion Wikinger offshore wind farm
  • a consortium led by Energy Infrastructure Partners in the financing of the acquisition of approximately 20% of Fluxys Group, an operator of gas pipelines and LNG terminals across Europe, from Canadian pension fund Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, and its partnership with Publigas SA, which owns approximately 77% of Fluxys Group
  • Barclays Bank PLC, Bank of Montreal, Royal Bank of Canada and Citibank, N.A. in connection with the US$4.6 billion debt financing of OpenText Corporation’s US$6 billion acquisition of Micro Focus International plc, which consisted of a US$2.6 billion senior secured delayed draw term loan facility and a US$2 billion senior secured delayed draw bridge loan facility
  • Horvik Limited in relation to the financing of its preconditional mandatory offer to acquire Trans-Siberian Gold plc, an AIM-quoted gold producer
  • Sampo plc in the debt financing for its £1.66 billion takeover bid for Hastings Group Holdings plc, made on a joint offeror basis with Rand Merchant Investment Holdings Limited
  • Fortiana Holdings Limited in the €1.115 billion financing of its acquisition of a 40% interest in Highland Gold Mining Limited, which will trigger a recommended mandatory public bid for the target
  • Iceland Foods Limited regarding its revolving credit facility
  • MJ Gleeson plc regarding its revolving credit facility
  • Hudson River Trading LLC in the financing of its US$1.725 billion term loan B facility arranged by Goldman Sachs, BofA Securities and JPMorgan
  • DigitalBridge (formerly Colony Capital) in numerous matters, including in connection with:
    • its acquisition of The Abraaj Group’s Latin America private equity platform
    • its investment in a joint venture with U+I Group plc
    • €346 million loan on loan facilities arranged by Morgan Stanley
    • its investment in Spencer Place Development Company Limited to finance the acquisition of a waterfront site in Dublin
    • facilities for Irish investor Patrick McKillen in connection with the Berkeley, Claridge’s and Connaught hotels
    • the financing and subsequent refinancing of the Doncaster shopping centre
    • the acquisition and financing of Burlington House
    • the refinancing of John Ronan’s property portfolio
  • Constellation Hotels Holding Limited in its acquisition of the Claridge’s, Berkeley and Connaught hotels, and related financing arrangements
  • Industrial Securities and MCAP Global Finance (UK) LLP in the €492 million disposal of their European logistics portfolio to real estate funds managed by Blackstone
  • Key Safety Systems, Inc. in the financing of its US$1.6 billion acquisition of substantially all of the assets and operations of Takata Corporation, as part of Takata’s Chapter 11 case
  • Vantiv, Inc. in the financing of its US$10 billion acquisition of Worldpay Group plc
  • Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan as financial advisors to Michael Kors Holdings Limited in its US$1.2 billion acquisition of Jimmy Choo plc
  • CF Industries Holdings, Inc. in the financing of its proposed US$8 billion acquisition of the European, North American and global distribution businesses of OCI N.V.
  • Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. in connection with:
    • the financing of its US$5.5 billion acquisition of NEX Group plc
    • US$7 billion 364-day revolving credit facilities and other loan facilities
  • Ball Corporation in the financing of its US$8.4 billion acquisition of Rexam plc
  • Colfax Corporation in the financing of its US$2.4 billion acquisition of Charter International plc
  • AbbVie Inc. in the financing of its US$54 billion acquisition of Shire plc
  • Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc. in the financing of its US$550 million acquisition of Proximagen Group plc
  • News Corporation in the financing aspects of its US$3.6 billion going-private acquisition of NDS Group plc
  • Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. in connection with the financing of its US$3.3 billion acquisition of the 49% stake in Generali PPF Holding B.V., its joint venture with PPF Group N.V., that Generali did not already own
  • Svoboda Corporation in its acquisition of a controlling stake in Rive Gauche Group from Finstar Financial Group
  • Citibank NA, The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, Société Générale and SEB Group in connection with their funding of a bid for a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange
  • Vitol Group and Helios Investment Partners in the financing of their acquisition of the majority of Shell’s stake in most of its existing African downstream businesses spanning 14 African countries
  • J.C. Flowers & Co. in the financing of its acquisition of a controlling stake in Compagnie Européenne de Prévoyance
  • Three Delta LLP in relation to:
    • its consideration of a possible offer for J Sainsbury plc and the acquisition of a strategic stake in J Sainsbury plc
    • the acquisition of the Four Seasons health care group
    • the acquisition of the Senad special schools group
  • Doughty Hanson in the financings of its acquisitions of Caudwell Holdings and Avanza
  • Credit Suisse in relation to:
    • facilities provided to Genstar Capital LLC in connection with its US$400 million acquisition of eResearchTechnology, Inc.
    • facilities provided to AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V. in connection with its initial public offer
  • Roust Trading Limited in a United Kingdom court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement to restructure two series of eurobonds in the amount of US$550 million
  • Mechel OAO in connection with the restructuring of its loan facilities
  • Evraz Group S.A. in connection with:
    • the restructuring of US$10 billion of bank loans and public debt securities
    • an equipment finance facility provided by UK Export Finance
  • Central European Distribution Corporation in connection with its prepackaged Chapter 11 reorganization
  • British Vita in relation to the restructuring of its debt facilities
  • SIBUR Group in connection with a US$1.9 billion loan facility arranged by Gazprombank OJSC
  •  Abengoa Yield plc in relation to various debt facilities
  • Atrium European Real Estate Limited in relation to various debt facilities
  •  PIK Group OJSC in connection with its 23.4 billion Russian ruble facility arranged by VTB Capital
  • Nafta Moskva in connection with various debt facilities and transactions
  • Gazit-Globe Ltd. in connection with various debt facilities
  • Norstar Israel Ltd. in connection with debt facilities
  • BTG Pactual S.A. in connection with various debt facilities and transactions
  • Eco-Bat Technologies Limited in relation to various facilities and other matters

Mr. Wells is a contributing editor of International Financial Law Review and is on the advisory board of LexisNexis PSL.

Credentials

Education

  • LLB (Honours), University of Bristol, 1987
  • College of Law, Guildford (Law Society Final Examinations), 1988

Admissions

  • England & Wales, 1991
  • Hong Kong, 1995

Clive J. Wells