Martin Forbes
Biography
He is recommended by The Legal 500 UK, 2024 as a “lead on much of the most significant borrower-side work, primarily on behalf of private equity sponsors.”
Overview
Martin is a partner of the Firm's Debt Finance Group in London. He advises borrowers and lenders in connection with a wide variety of financing transactions, including leveraged finance and infrastructure acquisition financings and refinancings. His practice focusses primarily on advising borrowers, including financial sponsors and their portfolio companies.
Clients benefit from Martin's contribution to the Firm's leading US/European leveraged finance product platform. This combines sophisticated finance support with the English, US and local law capability already provided by the Firm in all the major jurisdictions in which private equity firms invest or raise finance.
Experience
Representative transactions and experience include advising:
Sonnendix: Representation of the lenders on a €2.5 billion financing for Sonnedix, a global renewable energy producer. The transaction was structured as a common terms platform with two bank facilities provided by 15 commercial lenders and institutional investors, refinancing more than 44 existing Sonnedix financings across its 1.1 GW portfolio of renewable energy assets in Spain, Italy and France, also giving it the ability to expand with new assets across Europe and the UK.
Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners in connection with the debt financing for the acquisition of Salcef Group, an Italian company listed on the Euronext STAR Milan market which operates in the transportation industry, with a particular focus on the maintenance of railway infrastructure and urban mobility.
Mehiläinen Group, a rapidly developing and growing leader in the social and healthcare services in Europe, and its majority shareholder CVC Partners, on its €2.06 billion syndicated TLB and revolving facility financing.
Rossini S.à r.l, a company controlled by CVC Capital Partners that owns 52.51% of the share capital of Recordati S.p.A, on its €1.85 billion high yield bond and $197.5 million revolving facility financing.
Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners in connection with the debt financing for UltraEdge, a partnership between Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and Altice France S.A. to establish the first nationwide independent distributed colocation provider in France.
Motive Partners in relation to the financing for the acquisition of With Intelligence, a leading provider of investment data and intelligence.
Oatly on a US$430 million financing arrangement, consisting of a private placement of US$300 million 9.25 percent convertible senior PIK notes due 2028, a new US$130 million term loan B credit facility and a SEK2.1 billion amended sustainability-linked revolving credit facility.
Oaktree in relation to the acquisition financing for the acquisition of Atomos, a UK private wealth management and investment businesses.
The initial purchasers and lenders on the offering of €380 million 8.250% Senior Secured Notes due 2028, £475 million 10.000% Senior Secured Notes due 2028 and a £175.5 million super senior revolving credit facility for Pure Gym.
Ali Group, one of the largest and most diversified global leaders in the foodservice equipment industry, in connection with its US$4.8 billion acquisition of Welbilt, Inc., a US public company.
CVC Capital Partners in connection with the €250 senior loan million financing for their investment in Maticmind, an Italian IT company focused on proprietary intelligence technologies and integrated solutions in networking, cybersecurity, datacentres, cloud solutions and IoT.
The mandated lead arrangers including Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Natixis, UBS and JP Morgan in connection with the loan and bond financing for the acquisition by EQT and PSP Investments of Cerba HealthCare and the subsequent acquisition of Lifebrain by Cerba HealthCare. The financing included €1.875bn term loan B facilities, €720m senior secured notes, €525m senior unsecured notes and €400m revolving credit facilities.
BC Partners LLP and SOFIMA on the €1.25 billion high yield bond and €400 million debt facilities for the acquisition of IMA S.p.A., an Italian publicly-traded company and world leader in the design and production of automatic machines for the processing and packaging of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, tea, coffee and tobacco, including through a public takeover offer. The transaction values the equity of IMA at approximately €2.93 billion.
