Ropes & Gray Transaction Wins High Yield Deal of the Year at IFLR Americas Awards 2025

A transaction the Ropes & Gray finance team advised on has won in the ‘High Yield Deal of the Year’ category at the IFLR Americas Awards.

The firm represented Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, BNP Paribas, J.P. Morgan and the other initial purchasers on the offering of $1.6 billion aggregate principal amount of senior secured second lien notes by First Quantum Minerals. This landmark transaction, the largest mining high yield deal of the past decade, built on Ropes & Gray’s longstanding relationship with First Quantum Minerals and its investment banks in support of FQM’s debt capital markets activities. 

The IFLR Awards are unique in the market for focusing on legal innovation through dealmaking and celebrating work that improves the cross-border investment environment.

The team was led by finance partner Michael Kazakevich, with counsel Luwam Mezue and associates Clara Melly, Matea Scepanovic and Alma Yasin (high yield) and finance partner Benoit Lavigne and associate Sean Darling advising on certain English law intercreditor matters, all based in London. Additional advice on certain U.S. securities law matters was provided by U.S. capital markets partner Craig Marcus (Boston) and counsel Marc Rotter (New York).