Byron Nicol is a debt finance partner in the London office of Kirkland & Ellis International LLP. He represents financial sponsors and their portfolio companies on a wide range of complex financings at all levels of the capital structure with a focus on multi-jurisdictional leveraged buyouts.
Byron has a broad range of banking and finance experience, including syndicated and direct lending, leveraged acquisitions, take private transactions, special situations and restructurings, corporate lending and general banking.
Experience
Representative Matters
Since joining Kirkland, Byron's representative matters have included advising:
GLP Capital Partners on certain aspects of its existing financing arrangements in connection with GLP’s $3.7 billion sale of GCP International to Ares Management Corporation.
Genstar Capital on the financing aspects of its majority investment in Likewize.
Gryphon Investors-backed Vetnique Labs on the financing aspects of its acquisition of Lintbells.
Triton Partners-backed Ramudden Global on the amendment and extension of its circa €1.2 billion senior secured facilities.
Triton Partners-backed Ramudden Global on the financing aspects of its acquisition of RSG International.
Triton Partners-backed Pharmanovia on the amendment and extension of its circa €1.18 billion senior secured facilities.
Trive Capital Partners on its recommended cash offer for Ten Entertainment Group.
Cerberus Capital Management as a financial creditor of Vedanta Resources in relation to its $1.25 billion new money financing for recapitalisation and liquidity management purposes.
Ad hoc group of financial creditors of Celsa Group on debt financing aspects of the first use of the Spanish Restructuring Plan procedure.
Genesis Care on the debt financing aspects of its financial restructuring by way of parallel UK consent solicitation and parallel Chapter 11 restructuring process.
Prior to joining Kirkland, Byron’s representative matters included advising:
Funding sources in connection with Apax's acquisition of a Scandinavian software group.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in the refinancing of its term and revolving facilities.
Super senior lenders in connection with Groupe Bruxelles Lambert's acquisition of a majority stake in Sanoptis.
Super senior lenders to The Access Group on Europe’s largest ever unitranche financing on record.
Funding sources in connection with Carlyle’s acquisition of AutoForm Engineering GmbH.
Morgan Stanley as underwriter of bridge-to-bond acquisition financing for Permira's acquisition of two target groups operating in Europe, the US and the UK.
Park Square Capital as lender in providing second lien financing to support the acquisition of AEA Partner’s acquisition of a Scandinavian provider of property and fire damage restoration services.
HPS and Blackstone Capital as lenders in providing unitranche financing to support the acquisition of a European based international gaming company.
A finance subsidiary of Punch Pubs Group Limited, in connection with its debut offering of £600 million senior secured notes and related £70 million super senior revolving credit facilities.
Canary Wharf Group in its £906.3 million debut bond offering pursuant to their green bond framework and related super senior revolving credit facility.
Goldman Sachs MBD in providing unitranche facilities for a refinancing of existing debt of Bridgepoint portfolio companies based in the US and the UK.
Direct lenders in providing unitranche financing to support the acquisition of a UK incorporated petfood manufacturer by CapVest Partners.
Goldman Sachs International as lead arranger in providing TLB financing to support the acquisition, by way of scheme of arrangement, of McCarthy & Stone plc by Lone Star.
Mandated lead arrangers on the underwritten financing package supporting the bid by a consortium, including Bain Capital, for Ahlstrom-Munksjö Oyj in a deal valuing the Finnish firm at approximately €2.1 billion. Ahlstron-Munksjö was listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki and Nasdaq Stockholm stock exchanges.
An ad hoc group of bondholders in relation to the debt restructuring of the Italian company Office Maccaferri and its subsidiaries in approximately fourteen jurisdictions.
Barclays Bank plc, Goldman Sachs International and Nomura International plc as joint financial advisers to Stonegate Pub Company in connection with its circa £1.3 billion recommended cash offer for EI Group plc.
Merrill Lynch International as financial advisers to TDR Capital LLP in connection with its £1.9 billion recommended cash offer for BCA Marketplace plc.
Author, “The Legal Effect of Amalgamations and Mergers upon Third Party Contracts Containing Anti-Transfer Provisions”, South African Mercantile Law Journal, Vol. 25, No.1, 2013.
Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
2022, Admitted to practice as a Solicitor of England & Wales
2015, Admitted to practice as an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa
Education
University of the WitwatersrandLL.B.with Distinction2012
