United Kingdom

Hogan Lovells is a global, full service law firm, with a particularly strong presence in the UK market. It has a long-established reputation as one of the leading firms for project development and finance, and is well regarded for its financial services regulatory expertise.

The London team, including Malcolm Parry, advises sponsors, governments and financiers across the full project lifecycle, from development and structuring through to financing and delivery. The team regularly advises on first-of-a-kind matters across energy transition, infrastructure, financial markets and regulatory reform.

Hunton Andrews Kurth has a market-leading energy and infrastructure practice with a strong focus on project development and project finance across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The London team has been significantly strengthened by senior hires including Charles Morrison, Dimitri Papaefstratiou, Ayesha Waheed and Simon Collier.

The firm is widely recognised for its expertise in large-scale power, renewables and infrastructure projects. It advises sponsors, lenders and governments on PPPs, project financings and development mandates, with particular strength in energy transition, renewables and emerging markets. Hunton is well known for delivering first-of-a-kind and award-winning projects.

Milbank has been active serving clients in London for over 40 years. The firm has over 140 lawyers across Europe, Asia and Europe and a market leader in leveraged finance, capital markets, project development and project finance. The firm’s London practice is led by Suhrud Mehta (banking), Apostolos Gkoutzinis (high yield) and Matthew Brown and John Dewar (projects). Milbank is especially renowned for sponsor and lender-side leveraged finance, high yield bonds and innovative bank/bond structures, as well as marquee energy and infrastructure projects. The firm regularly advises leading banks, private credit funds and sponsors on Europe’s largest and most sophisticated financings.

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett is a New York-headquartered elite US firm, with over 10 offices globally and a long-standing presence in London. The firm has a market-leading reputation across private equity, banking and restructuring. The London practice is led by senior figures including Adam Gallagher (restructuring), Ben Spiers (private equity), Nicholas J Shaw and Shahpur Kabraji (leveraged finance). Owing to its integrated UK-US platform, the firm is particularly dominant in sponsor-side leveraged finance, high-end restructurings and complex private equity transactions, acting for many of the world’s largest sponsors and credit funds. 

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is a leading global law firm headquartered in London. The firm combines deep City roots with an international reach spanning Europe, the US and Asia-Pacific. The UK practice is led by managing partner Ewan McIntyre, supported by a highly regarded senior bench including Malcolm Lombers, John Taylor, David D’Souza and Eleanor Shanks in private equity, and Jenny Stainsby, Clive Cunningham and Hywel Jenkins in financial services regulation. The firm is particularly strong in M&A, private equity and financial services regulatory work, acting for major financial institutions, sponsors and global corporates.

Clifford Chance is a Magic Circle law firm headquartered in the UK, with Chinwe Odima-Chapman serving as the Office Managing Partner in London. The firm is distinguished by its depth of eminent practitioners, including Simon Thomas, Adrian Cartwright, Christopher Roe, Jill Concannon, and Spencer Baylin. The team is known for its technical excellence, cross-border capability and ability to deliver innovative solutions across the full spectrum of corporate M&A, finance, capital markets and investment management work. Clifford Chance has a particularly strong reputation across equity and debt capital markets, banking, private equity, funds, restructuring and derivatives.

Davis Polk & Wardwell is a leading US law firm with a prominent London presence. The London office is led by Will Pearce, head of the firm’s Europe and M&A practice, alongside Gordon Milne, who joined from A&O Shearman in 2024 to lead private equity, and senior partners Reuven Young and Michael Taufner in high yield capital markets.

The firm is particularly strong in M&A, private equity, equity and debt capital markets, and high-yield finance, regularly advising on complex cross-border public and private transactions. Davis Polk is consistently ranked for ECM and DCM globally, and its London team is recognised for advising on high-profile IPOs, takeovers, leveraged financings and liability management transactions for major corporates, sponsors and investment banks.

A&O Shearman is an elite transatlantic firm formed in May 2024 from the merger of Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling. The firm advises on high-end banking, capital markets and corporate/M&A mandates, leveraging an integrated UK–US platform. Denise Gibson serves as the firm’s first UK Managing Partner and is supported by standout practitioners including Robin Harvey, Annette Kurdian and Greg Brown.

The firm is recognised as a global market leader in equity and debt capital markets, with one of the deepest and most experienced finance benches in London. The London team is particularly noted for its expertise in IPOs, rights issues and high-yield and investment-grade bond offerings. A&O Shearman is consistently at the forefront of innovation in capital markets, with standout strength in MTN programmes, high-yield financings and ESG-linked products, and a long track record of advising on market-defining transactions across EMEA.

Alston & Bird is a US-headquartered international law firm with a strong reputation for capital markets and finance work. The practice is led by senior partners with deep expertise in structured finance and regulatory matters, regularly acting for banks, funds and corporate issuers. 

Recent highlights include advising Deutsche Bank on the ECAPS 2 claim, securing a settlement in 2024 following earlier High Court and Court of Appeal victories concerning the Lehman Brothers insolvency waterfall. The firm also advised Qredo on its rescue financing and subsequent distressed M&A, and acted on the £370 million UK Logistics 2024-2 CMBS issuance.

Arnold & Porter is a leading international law firm with a highly regarded investment funds and life sciences practice, under the leadership of Simon Firth. The firm advises asset managers, funds and institutional investors on fund formation, regulatory compliance and complex structuring matters, with particular strength in alternative investment funds and UK and EU financial regulation. The team is also widely recognised for its life sciences expertise, acting for major pharmaceutical and biotech clients on high-value M&A and strategic transactions.

Skadden is a US-based law firm, with 22 offices across the globe. Its London practice is led by senior figures including Lorenzo Corte in M&A, Ben Spiers in private equity, Adam Gallagher in restructuring, and Nicholas J. Shaw and Shahpur Kabraji in leveraged finance.

The firm is particularly strong in premium M&A and sponsor-led transactions, consistently advising on some of the largest and most strategically significant deals in the UK and Europe. Skadden’s private equity practice is among the strongest in the market, acting for leading sponsors such as CVC and Blackstone. Skadden also has a top-tier leveraged finance and capital markets capability, advising across the full capital structure on syndicated loans, private credit, high-yield bonds, bridge facilities and hybrid financings. Its sponsor-side finance practice is particularly strong, supported by deep US and UK law capability.

Fieldfisher is an international law firm with a strong reputation for advising clients in highly regulated and innovative sectors. The team is led by senior practitioners including Emma Dwyer and John Budd, and is distinguished by its market-leading financial services regulatory and capital markets expertise. The firm is particularly strong in derivatives, structured finance, securitisation and complex regulatory matters, with notable expertise in CLOs, securities financing and private credit. 

Burges Salmon is a UK law firm with a strong national platform and a growing reputation for corporate and private equity work. The firm’s corporate practice is anchored by a deep bench of senior partners, including Andrew Mills, Danny Lee and Malcolm Donald, and is particularly well regarded for its strength in complex, mid-market M&A transactions. The team advises across a broad range of sectors including energy, infrastructure, financial services, healthcare and technology, and clients include major corporates, financial sponsors and institutional investors. 

Dechert is a global, full-service firm with 900 lawyers globally and 160 lawyers in the London office, which opened in 1972. The firm is particularly noted for its lender-side banking and mid-market finance work, with strong capabilities in private credit. Recent hires from Orrick have added strength to Dechert’s structured finance offering, particularly in CLO work. The firm advised on over 90 CLO deals in 2024 with total deal value exceeding US$39.5 billion. 

Key clients  

Alcentra, Apollo Asset Management, Ares Management Limited, Baring Asset Management, Bank Audi, Bentley System, BlackRock, Blackstone, Estancia Capital Partners, Exiger Limited, Gemcorp Capital Management, GIC, Graham Partners, KKR, Metric Capital Partners, MidEuropa, Warwick Capital Partners 

Highlights 

Dechert’s debt, equity and M&A teams advised Ares Management on the sale of DCS Holdings Group by way of a merger between the Daisy Group and the Wavenet Group. Wavenet is worth over GBP 1 billion after the merger, with Macquarie as the largest individual shareholder. The deal closed in June 2024.  
 
Dechert advised the Kingdom of Bahrain on the issuance of US$1 billion 7.5% Notes due 2036 and US$1 billion Trust Certificates due 2031 under its Global Medium Term Note Programme and Trust Certificates Programme. The joint lead managers for both tranches were Citigroup Global Markets, Emirates NBD Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC Bank, J.P. Morgan Securities, National Bank of Bahrain, and Standard Chartered Bank. 

Dechert advised Barings on the structuring and launch of Barings inaugural Euro Middle Market CLO 2024-1 DAC, a market-first transaction. The CLO, valued at €380 million, was backed by a portfolio of European middle-market senior secured loans and rated by S&P and Fitch. 

Personnel Changes 

In June 2025, Dechert added a four-lawyer team from Orrick, led by Sushila Nayak and James Jirtle to bolster capabilities in CLOs, securitisations and private debt. Nicholas Tomlinson joined as a partner in the corporate department from Gibson Dunn in February 2025. 

Dechert added Linklaters’ high yield and US securities finance partner Colin Chang to its capital markets team.  Partner Anthony Lombardi joined the team from DLA Piper in October 2024.   

Leveraged finance duo Philip Butler and David Miles, who previously co-led Dechert’s global leveraged finance practice departed the firm for Mayer Brown in July 2025. Private equity partner Mark Evans also joined Mayer Brown that month.

Testimonials 

“Dechert are private credit specialists, with an impressive client roster including Ares Management” - Private credit

“Sam Kay is a very capable lawyer specialising in private equity funds work” - Private equity funds

“Dechert have had a strong hedge fund practice for many years” - Hedge funds 

“Dechert is a reputable firm with high-quality lawyers” - Private equity funds 

Reed Smith is a full-service international firm with offices across the UK, US, Europe, Middle East and Asia. The London practice is led by senior figures including Brendan Gallen (funds), Philip Taylor and Tom Whelan (private equity), Michael Young (M&A), and Chris Borg and Robert Falkner (financial services regulation). The firm is particularly well regarded for complex cross-border private equity transactions, fund formation and finance, and sector-driven M&A, with notable strength in energy, media, financial services and transport. The firm has a broad practice, covering banking, capital markets and regulatory work.

Bracewell occupies a unique position in the London market as the only international law firm exclusively focused on the energy and infrastructure sectors. The office has built a standout reputation across oil and gas, power, renewables and energy transition work, acting on some of the market’s most complex and innovative transactions.

The London team is led by senior energy specialists, including partners François Feuillat and Mark Hunting, who advise on high-value M&A, project development, and infrastructure financings. The firm is particularly noted for first-of-a-kind mandates across energy and natural resources, with a strong track record in cross-border transactions and emerging market projects.

Greenberg Traurig was founded in 1967 and established its London office in 2009. The firm’s London team includes senior figures such as Paul Maher, Fiona Adams and Henrietta Walker, and is widely recognised for its depth in real estate funds, private equity and restructuring work.

The firm is especially noted for its market-leading expertise in real estate fund formation, credit funds and GP-led secondaries, as well as its strength in restructuring and special situations. Greenberg Traurig is also highly active in M&A and complex restructurings, acting for sponsors, lenders and corporates on high-value, multi-jurisdictional mandates across Europe and beyond.

Latham & Watkins is a global transactional powerhouse and one of the largest US firms in London, forming a core hub of the firm’s international platform. The London finance practice is led by senior figures including Dan Maze (sponsor-side banking) and Brent Cassidy (high yield), supported by a deep bench across leveraged finance, capital markets, restructuring and M&A. The firm is particularly dominant in private equity finance, high yield and complex cross-border restructurings, advising sponsors, banks and credit funds on the market’s most innovative and high-value transactions.

Morgan Lewis & Bockius operates in London and has offices across North America, Europe and Asia. The firm has a broad transactional platform spanning banking, private equity, capital markets and restructuring. The London practice is led by Mark Geday (private equity) and Paul Denham (banking), with key partners including Tim Corbett, Tom Wozniak and Iain Wright across M&A and capital markets. The firm is particularly well regarded for leveraged finance, fund finance, private equity and emerging markets work, and has a strong reputation in hedge funds and financial services.