Secured Lending

We represent a variety of lenders, including major retail banks, challenger banks, bridging lenders, mezzanine finance providers, alternative finance providers and other lending institutions, as well as corporate and individual borrowers on secured lending transactions.

We conduct, manage and complete real estate finance and development finance transactions, as well as loans secured by other forms of security.  This includes fixed and floating charges over borrowers’ assets and charges over other assets such as sports cars and jewellery.

In representing lenders and borrowers, we have a strong commercial focus: our advice takes long-term business aims into account alongside immediate financial considerations.

Services

• Asset-based financing
• Bridging loans
• Buy-to-let loans
• Commercial development loans
• Commercial investment loans
• Debentures
• General security documentation
• Inter-creditor deeds
• Legal charges
• Loan facility agreements
• Loans to HMOs and other properties
• Peer-to-peer loans
• Personal and corporate guarantees
• Real estate holding loans (where the intention is to repay the loan facility through the sale or refinance of the underlying real estate asset)
• Real estate investment loans
• Residential development loans
• Residential investment loans
• Share charges
• Trading business loans
  
  

Advice for lenders

When acting for lenders, we ensure that the facility agreement reflects the agreed commercial terms, that it provides certainty in repayments, and in the event, that the security needs to be enforced.  Where necessary, we advise on the financing structure and the suitability of the security package to provide maximum security for the duration of the loan.

We review existing finance documents and suggest amendments where applicable or, prepare a suite of precedent finance documents tailored to individual requirements.  Beyond ensuring that secured facility agreements are watertight, we undertake an extensive due diligence on the security.

Advice for borrowers

When representing borrowers, we ensure that the facility agreement and related security documents are in the client’s best interest and that they are fully aware of the implications of signing the finance documents in favour of the lender.  We negotiate any unduly onerous terms.

Borrowers need to be sure that the loan has the flexibility required by their business: we advise them on the terms and conditions that have been offered.  Because a tight timescale frequently applies when putting finance in place, we routinely work to meet short deadlines.