Expertise
Ben is a Managing Associate in our finance team in the GCC, based in our Dubai office. Ben moved from the firm's Edinburgh office in September 2021, having completed a secondment to our Oman office as part of his training contract. In that time, Ben has gained significant experience advising both regional and international lenders on conventional and Sharia compliant banking and finance matters across the GCC and wider cross-border transactions. He has notable experience advising lenders on transactions in the energy, education and real estate sectors as well as acting on multi-creditor debt restructurings and insolvency processes. In addition to his extensive lender side work, Ben also has experience acting for borrowers having acted for several developers, education providers and family-run conglomerates since moving to the region. His professional development has also included a six-month secondment with the restructuring department of HSBC where he advised the bank on its distressed portfolio.
- Experience
- Advising a syndicate of regional GCC lenders on the debt restructuring of a UAE based, privately held, critical-infrastructure group.
- Advising the steering committee of banks in respect of the US$1.6 billion restructuring of the KBBO Group.
- Advising a UAE lender in relation to the provision of USD 260,000,000 Islamic facilities to a national oil and gas company.
- Advising the investors in a company specialising in oil and gas, subsea robotics in relation to putting in place emergency funding due to the effects of COVID-19.
- Advising a syndicate of UAE lenders on an AED 465,000,000 acquisition facility relating to a school group operating schools across the GCC.
- Advising a major UAE financial institution in respect of the restructuring of AED260m facilities made available to a prominent F&B group in the UAE, including advising on enforcement options.
- Advising the management team of a GRE in respect of their duties as directors vis a vis the company's insolvency post satisfaction of obligations under restructuring documents entered into in 2014.
- Advising a UAE lender in relation to USD 500,000,000 credit facilities to a large multinational conglomerate.
- Advising a UAE borrower in the telecommunications sector in relation to the provision of AED 2,300,000,000 and USD 400,000,000 conventional and Islamic term and revolving facilities.
- Advising a UAE lender in relation to a £50,000,000 financing of a portfolio of hotel assets in the UK.
- Advising a Qatar borrower in relation to a QAR 600,000,000 acquisition facility.
- Advising a UK lender in relation to asset based lending facilities, totalling £50 million, provided to fund the acquisition of a UK based timber company.
- Advising a syndicate of Qatar lenders in relation to Islamic and conventional facilities totalling QAR 6,4000,000,000 for a mixed-use real estate asset in Qatar comprising a shopping mall, hotels and leisure facilities.
- Advising the lenders in respect of the restructuring of the facilities made available to the Kuiper Group, a sponsor backed oil and gas business.
- Advising a borrower specialising in aviation logistics in relation to the refinancing of its senior term loan and revolving credit facilities totalling US$235,000,000 and £145,000,000 respectively.
- Advising a syndicate of UAE lenders in relation to a USD 125,000,000 term facility provided to a manufacturing group with obligors in various jurisdictions.
- Advising a UAE lender in relation to a USD 500,000,000 credit facility to a national oil and gas company.
- Advising a UAE borrower on an AED 250,000,000 facility relating to school assets operated by the borrower.
- Advised one of the joint KSA co-bidders in respect of the distressed takeover of Lamprell Plc, the first Saudi backed take private in the UK.
- Education
- University of Edinburgh – LLB Law (Hons) (2011-2015)
- University of Edinburgh – Diploma in Professional Legal Practice (2015-2016)
