David Becker | People | Baker McKenzie

Biography

David Becker is a partner in the Firm's Capital Markets, High Yield & Leveraged Finance Group. David joined the Firm in 2019 after having spent a total of 20 years in the Wall Street and London offices of two other leading international law firms.

Practice Focus

David is a highly regarded high yield and leveraged finance specialist, advising banks, private credit and alternative capital providers, borrowers and issuers on a broad range of high yield, leveraged finance, liability management and restructuring transactions across the debt capital structure and over the full credit life cycle.

Representative Legal Matters

Represented a syndicate of 10 underwriters on the multi-tranche USD 5 billion (equivalent) (upsized from USD 4 billion) debut sustainability-linked four tranche high yield bond offering by certain subsidiaries of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (together with a concurrent 6-tiered priority acceptance tender offer). Subsequently represented the arrangers and lenders on Teva’s subsequent USD 1.8 billion (equivalent) debut sustainability-linked Revolving Credit Facility. The deal represented the largest-ever offering of Sustainability-Linked Notes, and the first-ever issued by a generic medicine company.
Represented Mohari Capital on its circa USD 500 million private high yield and preferred investment into Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.
Represented the initial purchasers on the GBP 255 million senior secured high yield bond offering/super senior revolver financing for global gaming technology company Inspired Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: INSE), as well as having represented the underwriters in a 6.2 million share secondary equity offering of Inspired shares.
Acting for the initial purchasers in connection with the issuance by Cabot Financial (Luxembourg) II S.A. of EUR 400 million aggregate principal amount of senior secured floating rate notes due 2024.
Acting for the lenders with respect to a USD 2.3 billion credit facility for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited and certain of its subsidiaries.
Represented the lead arrangers, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Citi, Credit Suisse, HSBC, Mizuho Bank, Morgan Stanley, RBC and Sumitomo Mitsui, in their USD 33.75 billion acquisition financing commitments to Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. to fund Teva's USD 40.5 billion acquisition of Allergan Generics and subsequent related liability management transactions.
David has also represented the lending banks for the committed financing for Teva's unsolicited approach to Mylan, Teva's acquisition of Cephalon, Teva's acquisition of Ratiopharm and Teva's acquisition of Taiyo Pharmaceuticals, for a total of approximately USD 66 billion of committed acquisition and corporate financing to Teva since 2009.
Represented LabTech Group in its GBP 900 million senior secured financing facility with AIG.
Represented GSO Capital Partners in the EUR 600 million private high yield to fund the merger of Polynt Composites and Reichhold.
Represented CEE Equity Partners on the first lien / second lien financing for its acquisition of Hungarian telcom Invitel.
Represented Stifel Nicolaus and the other initial purchasers on the USD 325 million senior high yield bond offering and recapitalisation for 4Finance and the related tender and exchange offer.
Represented Bank of America Merrill Lynch as mandated lead arranger in the EUR 350 million refinancing for Ülker Bisküvi.
Represented GSO Capital Partners and other co-investors in approximately USD 1 billion in committed financing across Amaya's capital structure to finance Amaya's USD 4.9 billion acquisition of online poker giant Rational Group (owner of the Pokerstars and Fulltilt brands), creating the world's largest publicly traded i-gaming company.

Admissions

England & Wales (Registered Foreign Lawyer) (2019)
New York~United States (1999)

Education

Columbia University School of Law (JD)
Yeshiva University (BA)

Languages

English
Hebrew