White & Case Strengthens UK Banking Practice

London, May 6, 2014 … Global law firm White & Case LLP has strengthened its UK banking practice and increased its focus on the representation of private equity sponsors with the addition of new partner Colin Harley in the London office.

“The addition of Colin will enhance our bank finance capability in the UK,” said White & Case partner Eric Berg, Global Banking Practice Leader. “As a dedicated borrower-side lawyer, Colin will have a particular role to play in our drive to establish a leading pan-European, cross-border private equity practice based in London.”

Harley, who will join the Firm’s Global Banking Practice, focuses primarily on advising financial sponsors and alternative capital providers on all forms of borrower finance. He joins from Maclay Murray & Spens LLP, having previously worked at Dickson Minto, and brings with him more than 12 years of experience.

“Colin is an energetic, technically astute lawyer with excellent experience,” said White & Case partner Lee Cullinane, Regional Section Head, EMEA Banking. “He has developed strong borrower-side characteristics to his practice which will help intensify our focus on the representation of sponsors, with clients benefiting from increasingly sophisticated finance advice to support the English, US and local law capability White & Case already provides in all the major jurisdictions in which private equity funds invest or raise finance.”

Since the summer of 2013 White & Case has expanded its EMEA private equity practice with the addition of partners Ian Bagshaw, Richard Youle and Ross Allardice in the London office, arrivals augmented by the recent hire of equity capital markets partner Inigo Esteve, whose particular focus on initial public offerings is of direct relevance for private equity firms for which IPOs are a key exit strategy.

Since the beginning of 2014 the Firm’s strong flow of private equity-related work has included advising Polish mobile telecoms operator Play on its inaugural €870 million high yield bond issue, Innovia Group on its debut floating rate high yield bond issue, Avast Software on its sale of a significant minority stake to CVC Capital Partners, Mid Europa Partners on the sale of T-Mobile Czech Republic to Deutsche Telekom and DX (Group) plc’s IPO and admission to the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

Worldwide, the Firm’s market leading Global Banking Practice has more than 50 partners based in 24 offices advising banks, sponsors and corporations on leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations and other financings with capabilities in most complex, multijurisdictional transactions that are matched by few other firms.

About White & Case

White & Case LLP is a leading global law firm with lawyers in 39 offices across 26 countries. Among the first US-based law firms to establish a truly global presence, we provide counsel and representation in virtually every area of law that affects cross-border business. Our clients value both the breadth of our global network and the depth of our US, English and local law capabilities in each of our regions and rely on us for their complex cross-border transactions, as well as their representation in arbitration and litigation proceedings.