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Mike is Co-Head of the firm's Finance practice group. Mike focuses on representing large commercial and investment clients in leveraged lending, acquisition finance matters, and structured/illiquid credits and brings to his practice a high level of commerciality and experience with US structures, allied to a deep understanding of European markets. Mike is Co-Managing Partner of the London office.
Mike is one of London's most prominent US-trained lawyers, involved in all aspects of structuring, negotiating, and documenting complex cross-border transactions. He also has extensive experience with reorganisations and bankruptcy-related financings, and has successfully represented debt underwriters, lenders and other creditors and borrowers. He has facilitated some of the largest acquisitions on behalf of leading private equity sponsors, including CVC Capital Partners, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, and Bain Capital.
- Acting for The Hanover Insurance Group on the financing of its acquisition of Chaucer Holdings Plc, the UK-based insurance group.
- Acting for Liberty Global Inc. in connection with the financing for its approximate €3.16 billion acquisition of Germany's third-largest cable TV operator Kabel BW Erste Beteiligungs GmbH, from Swedish private equity group EQT Partners AB.
- Acting for a private equity consortium consisting of Berkshire Partners, Bain Capital and Advent International in the US$1.1 billion leveraged buyout of SkillSoft, an Irish-based public company.
- Acting for UPC Holding BV in connection with the €640 million Senior Notes issue to be used to fund the refinancing of their existing and outstanding 2014 high yield notes, Bookrunners were Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley.
- Acting for Liberty Global Inc. in connection with its €2.6 billion high yield offering to finance the acquisition of Unitymedia GmbH, and the provision of a €80 million senior revolving credit facility for UPC Germany GmbH, this was the largest secured bond in European high yield history, the largest ever high yield deal in the cable space, the second largest high yield deal ever completed in Europe, the largest private equity exit in Europe in 2009 and the first major European deal where high-yield bonds have usurped bank loans to fund an acquisition.
Honors & Awards
- Chambers Global and Chambers UK: Banking & Finance: Sponsors (2011-2012)
- The Legal 500: Leading Individual for Acquisition Finance (2009 and 2010)
Ropes & Gray International LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in Delaware, United States of America and is a recognised body regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (with registered number 522379).
©1996-2012 Ropes & Gray LLP. All rights reserved.
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Education
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JD, magna cum laude, Boston University School of Law, 1986; Articles Editor, Law Review
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BA (Photography and Cinema), cum laude, Ohio State University, 1983
Bar Admissions
- England and Wales, Registered Foreign Lawyer, 2000
- New York, 1988
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