William R. Burke
M +44 75 5794 0378
Overview
William Burke is state of the art in terms of financial sponsor representation, and simply the best as far as leveraged finance is concerned.” - Chambers UK, 2024
William Burke is a partner in Kirkland’s London office and practices in Kirkland’s Capital Markets Practice Group. William has extensive experience in U.S. and international finance and capital markets transactions. He has represented issuers and sponsors both in the U.S. and abroad with respect to high yield offerings, registered equity offerings, investment grade offerings, restructurings, debt tender/consent solicitations, private placements and preferred securities offerings. William also represents private equity sponsors and other clients in acquisitions, dispositions, mergers and material commercial agreements.
External Recognition
- Chambers UK (2024): Ranked in High-Yield Products – London and described by clients as a “always well engaged, thoughtful and intelligent with his input.”
- The Legal 500 UK (2024): Recognised as a “Hall of Fame” lawyer in High Yield
- IFLR1000 (2023): Recognised as “Market Leader” for Capital markets: Debt
Experience
Representative Matters
Strategic Value Partners and Pfleiderer to close a liability management transaction
Sani/Ikos Group on its offering of €350 million of senior secured notes
Blue Owl on its acquisition of Kuvare Insurance Services LP
GoldenTree’s Travelodge to complete senior secured notes offering
Ardagh on $1.1 billion unrestricted subsidiary financing
An ad hoc committee of creditors, including Strategic Value Partners, Cross Ocean and Deutsche Bank, on the successful $2.2 billion restructuring of the Intu SGS Group
Galderma Group AG on the structuring and implementation of its IPO on the SIX Swiss Exchange
Triton on the win of the most significant restructuring litigation case of the last 20 years
AlbaCore Capital on the restructuring and refinancing of Babylon Health
Travelodge on its high-yield refinancing and shareholder distribution
The ad hoc bondholder committee on the restructuring of Matalan
Technicolor on the spinoff and listing of its creative visual arts services division
Sani/Ikos Group on its recapitalization and strategic partnership agreement with GIC
An ad hoc group of bondholders on the ongoing restructuring of Olympic Entertainment Group
Thomas H. Lee Partners and its portfolio company AutoStore on its $12.4 billion IPO on the Oslo Stock Exchange
LSF9 Balta Issuer S.à r.l. in connection with an exchange offer to exchange €234.9 million of its outstanding senior secured notes for newly issued senior secured notes and/or cash consideration as well as a related consent solicitation and scheme solicitation
Centerbridge Partners on the sale of its majority interests in APCOA
Centerbridge Partners and APCOA Parking on its €685 million Senior Secured Notes offering and €80 million Super Senior Revolving Credit Facility
Sani/Ikos Financial Holdings 1 S.à r.l. in connection with its offering of €300 million in high yield bonds
Maxeda DIY Holding B.V., a portfolio company of Ardian and GoldenTree Asset Management, in connection with its private placement of €50 million of additional 57/8% senior secured notes due 2026
EQT VI on the sale of Anticimex, a global pest control specialist
Pfleiderer, a portfolio company of Strategic Value Partners, in connection with its offering of €750 million sustainability-linked senior secured fixed and floating rate notes
CT Investment GmbH in connection with the offering of €470 million in aggregate principal amount of its 5.500% Senior Secured Notes due 2026
Thomas H. Lee Partners and AutoStore on the $2.8 billion sale of a 40% stake of AutoStore to SoftBank
The initial purchasers in connection with Pinewood Studios’ offering of £200 million 3.25% Senior Secured Notes due 2025
Klöckner Pentaplast, a portfolio company of Strategic Value Partners, in connection with its €1.9 billion refinancing, which included senior secured notes, senior unsecured notes and a term loan with ESG-linked ratchet
Maxeda DIY Holding B.V., a portfolio company of Ardian and GoldenTree Asset Management, in connection with its offering of €420 million 57/8% senior secured notes due 2026
Clear Channel International B.V. in connection with the offering of $375 million in aggregate principal amount of its 6.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2025
Algeco Global S.à r.l., a portfolio company of TDR Capital, in connection with the offering by Algeco Global Finance plc of €175 million 6½% Senior Secured Notes due 2023
TDR Capital, as controlling stockholder of WillScot Corporation, on the $6.6 billion combination of WillScot and Mobile Mini, Inc.
The initial purchasers in connection with Pinewood Studios’ offering of £550 million 3.25% Senior Secured Notes due 2025
Smurfit Kappa Group in connection with its offering of €750 million 1.500% Senior Notes due 2027
TVL Finance plc, a member of the Travelodge Group, on its offering of £440,000,000 Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2025
EG Group, a portfolio company of TDR Capital, in connection with the offering by EG Global Finance plc of €300 million 3.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2024, $750 million 6.750% Senior Secured Notes due 2025 and €670 million 4.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2025
Smurfit Kappa Group in connection with its offering of €400 million 2.875% Senior Notes due 2026
Algeco Global S.à r.l., a portfolio company of TDR Capital, in connection with the offering by Algeco Global Finance plc of €85 million 6 ½% Senior Secured Fixed Rate Notes due 2023 and €40 million Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2023
Lone Star on the financing aspects of its approximately €1 billion acquisition of Imerys Roofing, one of the leading roofing suppliers in the French construction market, from Imerys, a world leader in mineral-based specialties for industry
EG Group, a portfolio company of TDR Capital, on its approximately $5 billion of financings for the acquisitions of:
- 762 forecourt convenience sites in the U.S. from The Kroger Group
- Esso Deutschland GmbH (1000 Esso Service Stations in Germany) from Exxon Mobil Corporation
The Lone Star Funds, in connection with the offering by one of its affiliates of €515 million Senior Secured Notes due 2024 to finance the acquisition by Lone Star of the Stark Group
Algeco Scotsman Global S.à r.l., a portfolio company of TDR Capital, in connection with the offering by Algeco Scotsman Global Finance plc of €600 million 61⁄2% Senior Secured Fixed Rate Notes due 2023, $520 million 8% Senior Secured Fixed Rate Notes due 2023 and €150 million Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2023 and Algeco Scotsman Global Finance 2 plc of $305 million 10% Senior Notes due 2023
Alteri Investors on the acquisition of CBR Fashion Group from Swedish financial investor EQT
The initial purchasers in connection with Pinewood Studios’ offering of £250 million 3 3/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2023
Lion Capital LLP in connection with HEMA Bondco I B.V.’s offering of €600 million Senior Secured Floating Rates Notes due 2022 and HEMA Bondco II B.V.’s offering of €150 million 8.50% Senior Notes due 2023
Maxeda DIY Holding B.V. in connection with its offering of €475 million 61/8% Senior Secured Notes due 2022. This transaction won the “Europe High-Yield Bond” award at the IFR Awards 2017
Senvion S.A. in connection with its offering of €400 million 37/8% Senior Secured Notes due 2022
BNP Paribas and HSBC Bank plc in connection with Merlin Entertainments plc's offering of €200 million 23⁄4% Senior Notes due 2022
Smurfit Kappa Group in connection with its offering of €500 million 2.375% Senior Notes due 2024
Lone Star in the financing aspects of its acquisition of the Xella Group, a German-based market leader in building solutions, from PAI Partners and funds managed by Goldman Sachs’ investment arm
Hanesbrands Finance Luxembourg S.C.A., a subsidiary of Hanebrands, Inc., in its offering of €500 million 3.5% Senior Notes due 2024
Travelodge Holdings Limited and its affiliates in their offering of £290,000,000 8 1⁄2% Senior Secured Fixed Rate Notes due 2023 and £100,000,000 Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2023
I Squared Capital in connection with its acquisition of Viridian Group Holdings Limited
Edcon Holdings Limited, a Bain Capital portfolio company, in the exchange offer of its €425.0 million 133⁄8% Senior Notes due 2019 and the restructuring of its capital structure
Autodistribution, a portfolio company of TowerBrook Capital Partners L.P., in connection with the offering by Autodis S.A. of €60 million senior secured notes due 2019
Klöckner Pentaplast of America, Inc., a portfolio company of Strategic Value Partners, Perella Weinberg and UBS, in connection with its offering of €300 million 71/8% Senior Notes due 2020 and the concurrent tender offers for the €255 million 11.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2017 issued by KP Germany Erste GmbH and the 10.250%/11.000% Senior PIK Notes due 2017 issued by Kleopatra Holdings 1
HSBC, Barclays and The Royal Bank of Scotland in connection with Merlin Entertainments plc's offering of €500 million 2 3⁄4% Senior Notes due 2022
Coveris Holdings S.A. in connection with its offering of $85 million 7 7⁄8% Senior Notes due 2019
Albéa Beauty Holdings S.A. in connection with its offering of €45 million 8.75% Senior Secured Notes due 2019
Viridian Group FundCo II Limited in connection with its offering of €600 million 7 1⁄2% Senior Secured Notes due 2020 and concurrent tender offer and redemption
Smurfit Kappa Acquisitions in connection with its offering of €250 million 2.75% senior notes due 2025
Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets in connection with MEIF Renewable Energy UK PLC's offering of £190 million 63/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2020
Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch, HSBC Bank plc, ING Bank N.V., London Branch, J.P. Morgan Securities plc, Standard Chartered Bank and SBICAP (Singapore) Limited in connection with Samvardhana Motherson Automotive Systems Group B.V.'s offering of €500 million 41/8 senior secured notes due 2021
Ideal Standard International S.A., a portfolio company of Bain Capital, in connection with the exchange offer for its outstanding €275,000,000 11¾% Senior Secured Notes due 2018 and the offering of €50,000,000 15.75% Priority PIK Senior Secured Notes due 2018
R&R Ice Cream plc in connection with its offering of €150 million 4 3⁄4% Senior Secured Notes due 2020; AUD152 million 8 1⁄4% Senior Secured Notes due 2020
Smurfit Kappa Group in connection with its offering of €500 million 3.250% Senior Notes due 2021
Credit Suisse, Barclays and J.P. Morgan in connection with R&R Ice Cream plc's offering of £315 million 5½% senior secured notes due 2020 and the concurrent tender offer for €350 million of its 8⅜% senior secured notes due 2017
Ideal Standard International S.A., a portfolio company of Bain Capital, in connection with the exchange offer for its outstanding €275,000,000 11¾% Senior Secured Notes due 2018 and offering of €50,000,000 15.75% Priority PIK Senior Secured Notes due 2018
Monier Braas GmbH in connection with BMBG Bond Finance S.C.A.'s offering of €315 million Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2020
GTCR and Mizzen Bondco Limited in the offering by Mizzen Bondco Limited of £200 million 7% Senior Notes due 2021
A.T.U Auto-Teile-Unger in connection with A.T.U Cayman Holdco Limited's offering of €109 million 12.00% Senior Notes due and its restructuring of its outstanding €375 million 11.00% Senior Secured Notes due 2014, €75 million Floating Rate Senior Secured Notes due 2014 and €150 million Floating Rate Senior Notes due 2014
Parts Holdings Cooperatief U.A. in connection with Autodis S.A.'s offering of €240 million 6.5% senior secured notes due 2019
Adria Bidco B.V. (Serbia Broadband) in connection with their offering of €475 million Senior Secured Notes
Albéa Beauty Partners S.A. in connection with their offering of $150 million Senior Secured PIK Toggle Notes
Sun Capital in connection with Exopack Holdings S.A.'s offering of $325 million 7 7⁄8% Senior Notes
Citigroup Global Markets and the other initial purchasers in connection with Aguila 3 SA's offering of $390 million 77/8% Senior Secured Notes due 2018 to finance the acquisition by Swissport of Servisair SAS
Barclays Bank PLC and Credit Suisse in an offering of €253.0 million of senior PIK/Toggle notes by R&R PIK plc in connection with an acquisition of R&R Ice Cream plc by PAI Partners SAS
Kleopatra Holdings 1 (a parent of the Klockner Pentaplast business) in an issuance of €225.0 million of senior PIK notes
Smurfit Kappa Group in its offering of €400.0 million of senior secured notes
Orion Engineered Carbons Finance & Co. S.C.A. in its offering of $425.0 million of senior PIK/Toggle notes
Verisure Holding AB (Securitas) in its offering of €100.0 million of series A senior secured floating rate notes due 2018
Albea Beauty Holdings in its offering of $650.0 million equivalent senior secured notes to finance its acquisition of the worldwide cosmetics business of Rexam plc
Smurfit Kappa Group in its offerings of €440.0 million of equivalent senior secured notes and €250 million of senior secured floating rate notes
EQT on its partial exit from leading Finnish private healthcare company Terveystalo Oy via IPO on the Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd
More
Recognition
Chambers UK, “William is extremely sophisticated, commercial and adaptable,” 2024
Chambers Global, The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2012–2024
The Legal 500 UK, Hall of Fame lawyer in High Yield, 2024
IFLR1000 UK, Market Leader for Capital Markets: Debt, 2023
IFR Awards, “Europe High-Yield Bond” award for Pinewood's £550 million six-year bond, 2019
IFR Awards, “Europe High-Yield Bond” award for Maxeda DIY Holding B.V.’s offering of €475 million 61/8% Senior Secured Notes, 2017
Transatlantic Legal Awards, “Transatlantic Debt Capital Markets Team of the Year,” 2017
Law360, “Capital Markets Group Of The Year,” 2015
The Legal 500, “Firm Specialism Award for High Yield,” 2014
IFLR Europe, “Team of the Year for High Yield,” 2014
Served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1995–1999
Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- 2003New York
- 2005Illinois
Education
- Columbia Law SchoolJ.D.2002
- University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignB.A., History1995