James Tanner

Debt Capital Markets

• Advised local lender consortium on the landmark USD 12.5 billion sovereign debt restructuring for Sri Lanka (2025)

• Acted for Oceans Finance Company, in its role as project manager to structure, implement and oversee the Government of Ecuador's record USD 1.6 billion debt-for-nature swap

• Advised UBS AG on a USD 50 million transnational digital securities issuance using distributed ledger technology (DLT) with placement in Singapore and Hong Kong (2022)

• Advised Standard Chartered Bank as structuring advisor and placement agent on the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA)'s ZAR 3 billion senior unsecured green bond private placement to PIMCO. GFC Media's Local Currency Sovereign, Supra & Agency Bond Deal of the Year (2022)

• Advised Firmenich International SA, the world's largest privately-owned fragrance and flavour company, on the financing of its acquisition of DRT via a debut EUR 1.5 billion dual-tranche eurobond plus a Swiss Franc offering, followed by its debut EUR 750 million Hybrid Capital Bonds (Deeply Subordinated Resettable Perpetual Notes) (Shortlisted for Deal of the Year (IFLR Europe Awards); Finance team of the year (The Lawyer Awards); Finance Team of the Year (Legal Business Awards)) 

Securitisations / CLOs

• Represented arrangers in CLO issuances, refinancings and warehouses including Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse and GreensLedge (including the first post-crisis European CBO, AECF-1)

• Transaction counsel on Sadera structured note issuance, repackaging Ghanaian government promissory notes issued to an Egyptian property developer into Regulation S Eurobonds

• Advised Bank One Limited as arranger and swap provider on multiple USD/local currency swaps collateralised by local government bonds with the central banks of southern/east African countries, including participation agreements syndicating the transactions. African Legal Awards 2020 - Banking, Finance and Restructuring Team of the Year (Highly Commended)

NPL Matters

• Acted for a leading US private investment fund on NPLand other portfolio acquisitions

• Acted for Piraeus Bank on its sale of EUR 2.238 billion Greek non-performing unsecured retail consumer and credit cards to APS Investments

• Advised consortium of asset managers in bid for portfolio of unsecured Greek NPLs being sold by PQH, the Single Special Liquidator for all 17 credit and financial institutions under special liquidation in Greece (Aeolus Portfolio)

• The Lawyer "Festival of Talent" 2021
• Legal 500 "Key Lawyer", Securitisation, 2021