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Acquisition & Leveraged Finance
Vinson & Elkins’ Finance lawyers assist lenders and borrowers / sponsors with financings for large-scale acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, dividend recapitalizations, initial public offerings (IPOs), business expansion, and development of new facilities.
Chambers USA: Banking & Finance (Texas) (Band 1), 2021
The Legal 500 US: Finance – Commercial Lending – Advice to Borrowers and Finance – Commercial Lending – Advice to Lenders, 2021
We deftly handle the logistical and administrative challenges posed by leveraged financing and extensively collateralized transactions. We have particular experience in debt financing for energy-focused companies, including master limited partnership (MLPs) dropdowns.
With lawyers strategically located across the U.S. and in London, the Acquisition & Leveraged Finance team has experience with all types of loans and credit facilities, including the following:
- Syndicated term loans
- High-yield bonds
- Revolving credit facilities
- Reserve and other asset-based facilities
- Second lien loans
- Bridge facilities (including “bridge-to-bond” and equity bridge facilities)
- Senior, mezzanine, PIK and other subordinated financings
- Unitranche financings
- Fund financing
Collaborating with lawyers firm-wide, we offer comprehensive service, including tax, capital markets, real estate, employee benefits, environmental, and ERISA guidance.
Structuring Solutions
V&E Finance lawyers structure solutions regarding all aspects of debt financing, including the origination, arrangement, underwriting, and syndication of buyouts and corporate acquisitions. We also assist with refinancings, distressed loans, and bankruptcy-related financing. Our lawyers possess a deep understanding of the global markets, the products, and current market trends. This enhances our ability to design products and instruments that minimize risk, offer flexibility, and balance strategic considerations with financing needs.
We take a pragmatic and business-oriented approach, offering sophisticated advice that considers how legal issues impact each client’s business and future growth potential.
Experience Highlights
The Blackstone Group in its leveraged buyout of a majority investment in Geosyntec Consultants, Inc., an environmental engineering and design consulting firm
Blackstone Infrastructure Partners in the leveraged financing and complex acquisition financing involved in its $3.3 billion acquisition of a controlling interest in Tallgrass Energy, a midstream energy infrastructure company and subsequently, together with affiliates of Enagas, GIC, NPS and USS, the acquisition of all outstanding publicly-held shares
Goldman Sachs-led arranger group in connection with $1.565 billion of underwritten financing consisting of secured and unsecured high yield bonds, a term loan B and revolving credit facility, for Cablevision Lightpath LLC, a subsidiary of Altice USA in connection with Altice’s sale of a 49.99% stake in Cablevision Lightpath LLC to Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners
Tinicum L.P. in its leveraged acquisition of a controlling interest in Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company
TPG Growth and The Rise Fund in connection with their leveraged buyout of CLEAResult, a provider of energy efficiency solutions for utility companies
TPG Pace Energy Holdings Corp. in connection with financing its acquisition of oil and gas assets within EnerVest’s South Texas Division for approximately $2.66 billion in cash and stock
Maxar Technologies Holdings Inc. in a $3.75 billion secured revolving term loan in connection with the merger of DigitalGlobe
Nexeo Solutions, a chemicals and plastics distributor and TPG Capital portfolio company, in its $1.575 billion merger with WL Ross Holdings Corp.
Targa Resources Partners and Targa Resources Corp. in the $7.7 billion acquisition of Atlas Pipeline Partners and Atlas Energy
Energy XXI in its $2.3 billion acquisition of EPL Oil & Gas Inc., creating the largest publicly traded independent oil and gas producer on the Gulf of Mexico Shelf
A subsidiary of Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. in connection with the acquisition financing for the Holtwood and Wallenpaupack hydroelectric power projects