Bernard Sharp has more than 20 years' experience practising in the financing area. He is head of the Banking & Finance Practice Group in London and global chair of the Banking & Finance Group. Bernard is recognized by top legal directories — including Chambers UK and Legal 500 — as one of the leading lawyers in his field. He was also listed as one of London's leading banking lawyers for private equity transactions in The Lawyer.

Practice Focus

Bernard acts for both lenders and borrowers in various types of cross-border financing transactions — including large, multijurisdictional leveraged buyouts, structured financing and corporate reconstruction. He is fluent in various forms of structured finance, particularly acquisition finance and debt restructuring.

Representative Legal Matters

• Led the team representing sponsor EQT on the financing of EQT VI fund's acquisition of data and telecom provider Ventelo Holding AS. This was the second acquisition Bernard has advised EQT on in the sector, following the financing of EQT V fund's acquisition of dark fibre network operator Hafslund Fibernett AS (subsequently renamed InFiber AS), from Hafslund Telekom AS.
• Led the team representing sponsor EQT on the financing of its acquisition of Atos Medical from Nordic Capital.
• Led the team representing Carlsberg Breweries A/S on the negotiation of an EUR800million revolving facility agreement.
• Led the team representing sponsor EQT on the restructuring of EUR969 million debt of Sanitec, which involved Sanitec's EUR839 million senior debt being reduced to EUR300 million and EUR130 million in second lien debt being wiped out completely, in exchange for lenders receiving a 22.5 percent stake in the restructured entity.
• Led the team representing Medi-Clinic Corporation in relation to limited recourse financing facilities of approximately CHF2.8 billion in connection with its buyout of the Hirslanden AG hospitals group, for an enterprise value of approximately CHF3.6 billion.

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Law Society of England & Wales

Admission

New York~United States (1999)
New South Wales~Australia (1991)
England & Wales~United Kingdom (1991)
Victoria~Australia (1989)

Education

University of Melbourne  (LL.B. Honors) (1988)
University of Melbourne  (Bachelor of Commerce) (1988)