DLA Piper bolsters Fund Finance offering with London partner appointment

Global law firm DLA Piper announces the strategic appointment of Rob McClean as a partner in its Finance practice, effective today.

Based in the firm’s London office, Rob joins from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, where he was Special Counsel. With experience across the UK and European markets, his practice focuses on advising major international financial institutions, investment banks and alternative investment platforms on the full spectrum of Fund Finance, including subscription lines, NAV, hybrid and GP facilities.

Rob’s appointment is the latest in a series of strategic hires across the Financial and Capital Markets practices, including Daniel Wayte, Mark Brown, Paul Landless, and Richard Hughes in London; Cathrine Foldberg Møller in Luxembourg; Sherlyn Lau in Hong Kong; Charles Ching in Washington, DC; Ranesh Ramanathan and Alex Cushman in New York; and Shana Ramirez in Los Angeles.

Rob will rejoin former Cadwalader colleagues Katie McShane and Jonny Byrne-Leitch in New York, who together will lead DLA Piper’s New York-London Fund Finance team. They previously developed Cadwalader’s cross-border Fund Finance offering.

Colin Wilson, International Group Head of DLA Piper’s Finance practice, commented: “Growth in private capital and the increasing sophistication of fund structures, alongside greater liquidity needs among sponsors, are driving a steady flow of complex, high-value transactions. Rob’s appointment will therefore significantly bolster our fund finance offering, allowing us to be more competitive and elevate our offering. His skill set will also enhance the UK team’s ability to support cross-border matters, including financing work linked to evolving structures such as NAV facilities, which are becoming increasingly relevant to our clients.”

In recent months, DLA Piper’s International Finance practice has advised high-profile clients on matters including:

• Advising Danaher Corporation, and its Luxembourg-based financing entity, in connection with the offer and sale of five tranches of CHF-denominated bonds in an aggregate principal amount of CHF1.25 billion.
• Supporting VEHIS Finanse sp. Z o.o. on the conversion of its warehouse financing structure into Poland’s first public securitisation transaction worth PLN1.35 billion (USD372.5 million).
• Assisting VEHIS Finance sp. Z o.o. on curing financing worth PLN714.3 million (approximately EUR167 million) through an STS securitisation of auto lease receivables.
• Advising Dragon Capital on the establishment of Rebuild Ukraine Fund, a private equity fund seeking post-war-shock recovery opportunities in Ukraine.
• Supporting Optima Bank, a leading Greek financial institution, on the establishment of a EUR500 million Euro Medium Term Note Programme (EMTN) and inaugural issuance of EUR150 million Tier 2 Reset Notes.
• Helping Macquarie Technology Group Limited (ASX: MAQ) on securing a AUD200 million hybrid investment.