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Jonathan Lawrence

Partner
London
+44.(0)20.7360.8242
Fax +44.(0)20.7648.9001

Primary Practice

Secondary Practices

Education

  • Certificate, Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance, 2011, (Structuring Innovative Islamic Financial Products)
  • Certificate, Durham University, 2010, (Islamic Finance Summer School)
  • IFQ, CISI/École Supérieure des Affaires, 2008, (with The Securities & Investment Institute, London)
  • Legal Practice Course, College of Law, Chester, 1994
  • LL.B., University of Birmingham, 1993, (Law with French (Hons))
  • Diplôme d'Etudes Juridiques Fr, University of Limoges, 1992

Admissions

  • Solicitor, England and Wales
  • Biography Overview
  • Additional Background
  • Representative Work

Jonathan Lawrence is a finance partner in the London office. He has a broad finance practice with specific experience of advising financial institutions, lenders, funds, investors, trust companies, securitisation vehicles and concession companies. Mr. Lawrence provides advice on new lending, restructurings, refinancings, enforcements and other finance issues across sectors including international real estate finance (investment and development), Islamic finance, international project finance and corporate finance.

Working closely with dispute resolution, insurance coverage and regulatory teams, Mr. Lawrence provides strategic advice to funds, securitisation vehicles and trust companies.

Mr. Lawrence plays a leadership role in the firm’s Islamic Finance & Investment initiative and Chambers says that he "continues to enjoy the respect of the market. "He is a real talent," enthuses one interviewee, who adds that Lawrence "has a lot of great experience in the area."" (Chambers UK 2013 and Chambers Europe 2013) and describes him as “very knowledgeable and level-headed” (Chambers UK 2012 and Chambers Global 2012).

Mr. Lawrence is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of International Banking & Financial Law, is Co-Editor of Practical Lending and Security Precedents, writes for other finance publications and also speaks at finance conferences.

Professional Background

Jonathan joined the firm as a partner in 2005. He had previously been an associate with a London-based international law firm from 2000 until 2005. He had worked as a trainee lawyer and an associate with another international law firm from 1995 to 2000

Professional/Civic Activities

  • Journal of International Banking & Financial Law (Editorial Board Member)
  • ISDA Islamic Finance Committee (Member)
  • Law Society of England and Wales (Member)
  • Thomson Reuters Accelus Business Law Partner Advisory Board (Board Member)

Speaking Engagements

Jonathan speaks at seminars on Islamic finance and real estate finance issues. In February 2012, Jonathan co-organised and chaired an all day conference on Islamic Finance: Recent Issues & Career Opportunities.

Additional Information

  • Co-General Editor of Practical Lending and Security Precedents (Thomson Reuters loose-leaf)
  • Editorial Board Member of and Regular Contributor to Journal of International Banking & Financial Law
  • Contributor to Journal of International Banking Law & Regulation
Islamic Finance
  • Acting for an investor purchasing an English retail property with a combination of conventional and Islamic compliant finance.
  • Representing a bank in connection with a credit Murabaha facility using a two broker model.
  • Advising a construction company in relation to the Nakheel Sukuk.
  • Acting for a financial institution on an Islamic-compliant mezzanine real estate facility and related intercreditor issues.
  • Advising a concession company in relation to the potential for the Islamic-compliant project financing of a $1.8bn oil shale extraction project in Jordan.
  • Advising a Swiss bank in connection with commodity sale and purchase agreements.
  • Representing a Swiss bank in relation to the launch of an Islamic compliant commodity fund.
  • Acting for a Hong Kong company entering into a Murabaha Tawarruq transaction.
  • Represented Arab Investments in connection with Ijara leasing structures and real estate finance transactions.
  • Advised NM Rothschild on Islamic finance issues.
  • Advising in connection with the establishment of Islamic real estate funds.

International Real Estate Finance
  • Acting for a Guernsey group of companies in connection with the work out of over €1bn of real estate debt finance.
  • Advising a trust company in connection with a £100m real estate portfolio and related debt.
  • Represented a retirement villages operator on a development finance facility.
  • Advised a bank in connection with the financial restructuring of a group of six hotels.
  • Represented a real estate fund borrowing £60m from Santander in connection with two central London office blocks.
  • Acted for Irish banks in connection with the transfer of real estate loans and assets to the Irish National Asset Management Agency.
  • Represented Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation in connection with a €40m facility secured against hotels in Portugal and England.
  • Advised The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, Frankfurt Branch in connection with amendment and restatement of a €100 million facility to sixteen Dutch company borrowers secured over German real estate assets, involving obligors in Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Cyprus and the British Virgin Islands.
  • Advising a Guernsey group of companies in connection with junior loan buybacks.
  • Advised Capmark Bank Europe, p.l.c. in its €105m refinancing facilities to two Luxembourg companies secured on portfolios of German real estate assets.
  • Represented ABN AMRO Bank N.V. in its €100m real estate acquisition and refinancing facility secured on German real estate assets.
  • Represented Capmark Bank Europe, p.l.c. in its €80m facility to a Luxembourg company acquiring a portfolio of German real estate assets.
  • Acted for a Guernsey company borrowing €57m to fund German real estate asset acquisitions.
  • Represented Lloyds TSB Bank in its £50m facility to an unlimited company acquiring English and Scottish real estate assets.
  • Advised Nationwide Building Society in its €50m facility to a group of Luxembourg companies acquiring German real estate assets
  • Represented Deutsche Bank AG, London in its £39m facility to fund the acquisition of English student accommodation assets.
  • Acted for Heron London Investments Limited as borrower in its £30m facility funding a central London mixed use development.
  • Represented Hypo Real Estate Bank International lending £27m to a Jersey limited partnership acquiring an English property.

General Finance
  • Acting for a $300m alternative asset vehicle in connection with regulatory and corporate matters.
  • Advising a home part-exchange business on asset transfer and refinancing arrangements.
  • Representing a retirement villages operator in connection with its financing arrangements.
  • Advising a UK bank in connection with the raising of over $30m of lower tier two regulatory capital by way of the issue of loan notes. 
  • Advising investors in a football club regarding their loan and security arrangements.
  • Represented a Guernsey group of companies obtaining consents to its reorganisation from banks lending the group in excess of €930m under ten facility agreements.
  • Advised Sumitomo Mitsui Bank Corporation and CIMB Bank Berhad in their bilateral term and revolving credit facilities totalling €90m to fund the acquisition of a chemicals business.
  • Represented a New Zealand company lending RMB180m of acquisition finance to a BVI company acquiring a PRC company.
  • Represented Credit Suisse (UK) Limited in relation to a facility in respect of the acquisition of a Luxembourg company.
  • Advised the pension scheme trustees of an English public limited company in respect of bank security being given by the company.
  • Advised a Cayman Islands company entering into ISDA documentation with Citigroup.
  • Provided a legal opinion to a bank in respect of its lower tier two capital requirements.

Project Finance
  • Advising in connection with the facility arrangements of an infrastructure fund making Export Credit Agency guaranteed loans.
  • Advising the concession company in connection with the negotiation and signing of a $1.8bn oil shale extraction project in Jordan and acting on the subsequent equity and debt fundraising.
  • Advised the project consortium on the financing of a UK Government Private Finance Initiative contract to create and maintain a new acute 315 bed hospital at Enniskillen, Northern Ireland worth over £300m in construction and facilities management services.
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