Baker McKenzie Baker McKenzie
How Can We Help?
Benjamin Bierwirth

Benjamin Bierwirth

Partner
Baker & McKenzie Services Limited

Biography

Benjamin is a New York qualified partner in the Firm’s Corporate Finance group in London, focusing on leveraged finance transactions and high yield bonds. Prior to joining the Firm in 2019, he worked in a leading US law firm in London. With a focus on high yield bonds, Ben has experience advising clients on a wide range of leveraged finance transactions, including high yield debt offerings, related debt and equity products, syndicated credit facilities, US securities law matters, restructuring and liability management. His clients comprise sponsors, top-tier investment banks and some of the largest international companies in their industries. Ben has also worked on secondment at a leading global investment bank its leveraged finance legal team.

Practice Focus

Benjamin's practice focuses on leveraged finance transactions with a particular emphasis on high yield debt offerings. Ben regularly acts for corporations, private equity funds, investment banks and underwriters on leveraged finance transactions involving high yield debt offerings and committed financing processes. Ben also regularly works on the syndicated loan and liability management transactions, including restructuring, debt exchange and tender offers. He is a US Securities laws practitioner focusing on complex cross-border Rule 144A and Regulation S debt offerings and restructurings.

Representative Legal Matters

  • Advised Unikmind Holdings Limited on its successful cash offer and public-to-private takeover of Kape Technologies plc, a leading 'privacy-first' digital security software provider. The final offer price implied an equity value for Kape of approximately US$1.6 billion. A global Baker McKenzie team advised on all aspects of the transaction, including public M&A, debt financing, corporate, regulatory, competition, trade and foreign investments and employment and benefits.

  • Represented Oceans Finance Company, in its role as project manager to structure, implement and oversee the Government of Ecuador's record US$1.6 billion debt-for-nature swap. The transaction will provide over US$300 million for independently managed marine conservation around the Galápagos Islands over the next 18 years.

  • Represented EquipmentShare.com Inc on its debut US$640 million senior secured second lien notes offering, while Goldman Sachs led the syndicate of 12 underwriters. This was one of the largest first time high-yield bond offerings of the year.

  • Acted for a syndicate of 10 underwriters on US$2.5 billion (equivalent) sustainability-linked four tranche high yield bond offering by Teva Pharmaceutical. The Notes were SEC registered. Advised the dealer managers on the concurrent 6 tiered priority-acceptance tender offer to purchase up to USD 2.25 billion of certain of Teva's other outstanding bonds.

  • Acted for the initial purchasers on a sustainability-linked financing to Liberty Latin America's subsidiary, Liberty Costa Rica. The financing package consisted of a US$50 million A Loan and a US$400 million sustainability-linked senior secured notes due 2031 B Loan/B-Bond structure.

  •  Acted the syndicate of 10 lenders on Teva Pharmaceutical's multi-currency US$1.8 billion senior unsecured sustainability-linked revolving credit agreement.

  • Represented an investor and lender in connection with a US$125 million private high yield PIK bond to fund the capital requirements of a large international ship building company.

  • Represented Jain Irrigation Systems Limited on its successful restructuring, implemented by way of an English law scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the UK Companies Act 2006. As part of the restructuring, a new US$30 million first lien facility was put in place and the existing US$200 million 7.125% senior notes due 2022 were exchanged for new notes (three series) or tendered for cash.

  • Acted for the initial purchasers in connection with the issuance by Vía Célere Desarrollos Inmobiliarios, S.A. of €300 million aggregate principal amount of 5.25% senior secured high yield green bonds due 2026.

  • Acted for the initial purchasers in connection with the issuance by Neinor Homes, S.A. of €300 million aggregate principal amount of 4.50% senior secured high yield green bonds due 2026. The transaction represented the first green bond ever issued by a residential developer in the Euro market.

Professional Honors

  • Moderator of "The ESG Agenda" panel in AFME's 2022 Annual European Leveraged Finance Conference
  • Ranked "Rising Star" for Finance: High Yield by Legal 500, 2020, 2021 and 2022
  • Ranked "Associate to Watch" for Capital Markets: High Yield by Chambers UK, 2021 & 2022
  • Ranked "One to Watch" in Banking and Finance by bestlawyers.com, 2021 & 2022

Admissions

  • New York

Education

  • New York University (BA)
  • New York University School of Law (JD)

Languages

  • English
  • French
  • Italian
  • Spanish
Baker & McKenzie LLP, an English partnership, is a member of Baker & McKenzie International, a Swiss Verein.