Expertise
Andrew was responsible for creating the Banking & finance team at Gateley and has overseen the development of a national team. Having started life as a corporate lawyer in private equity transactions, Andrew’s focus is advising on corporate and banking transactions; he is regularly involved in complex structured finance and corporate lending deals, including leveraged buy-outs, project finance and restructuring.
Andrew’s clients include many of the leading banks and financial institutions operating in the UK, as well as private equity investors and corporate borrowers. Andrew is responsible for managing many of Gateley’s national bank panel appointments. He also advises on ABL transactions, cross-border and syndicated lending.
Having educated at University of Birmingham (LLB) and College of Law, Chester (Solicitors Finals Examination, second-class Hons), Andrew qualified in 1987. He has been a partner at Gateley Plc since 1996. Outside of Gateley, Andrew has served as a non-executive director of a national health service trust and governor of one of the country’s leading further education colleges.
Consistent client praise for continued excellence led to Andrew being inducted into 'The Legal 500 Hall of Fame' in 2018.
How do you help clients?
I help businesses access the funding to enable them to grow. A key part of our approach is to focus on the purpose for which the funding is required and take time to understand how the underlying business works. That way we can apply our skills to ensure the best possible fit between the funder and its customer and ensure funding is provided as safely as possible.
Funding and security documents have become extremely complex, often running into hundreds of pages. I seek to make these accessible to our clients, translating the jargon and focusing attention on the issues to be resolved, how the funding will affect the business and identify its key risks. Because I act for lenders and borrowers and, year in, year out, we work on more deals than any other regional law firm, I have an understanding of what matters.
I enjoy working collaboratively with funders and their customers to deliver on projects and take enormous pride in being able to complete a deal.
Experience
1. Shard Credit Partners
Andrew has advised Shard Credit Partners on all ten of its investments from Shard Credit Fund I and led a team that has provided subsequent portfolio support across a range of transactions, including acquisitions in a ‘buy-and-build’ strategy, covenant management, shareholder disputes and exits. Andrew has supported Shard with training and development support and introductions to regional advisers resulting in funding opportunities. Transactions include advising in relation to senior term loan facilities of:
- £7.0 million to facilitate a transformational debt refinancing and shareholder reorganisation of Midwest Mechanical and Electrical Services Ltd
- £8.75 million in support of the acquisition of The Technology Group by Gradwell Communications Limited, an investee company of Chiltern Capital
- £12.5 million in support of the primary management buy-out of Chameleon Technology
2. Maven Debt Finance
Andrew has supported Maven Debt finance since inception, leading a team that has created streamlined standard form documents and a process that enables deals to be transacted swiftly and efficiently once credit approved. Gateley has now supported Maven Debt finance on well over 100 transactions.
3. Private Equity
Andrew had advised a number of regional PE investors on a wide range of transactions, including:
- LDC on numerous deals including its investments in Ross Trustees, Instinctif Partners and Bramble Foods
- Palatine Private Equity on its investments in TTC Driver Training Group and Westleigh
- Connection Capital on a wide range of equity and debt investments including Carter Accommodation and Mode 4; and
- NorthEdge on its investment in Bridge Farm Group.
