Richard A. Hardwick

Advising Watermill Group, a strategy-driven private investment firm, on financing its acquisition of Andaray (Holdings) Limited and its direct and indirect subsidiaries (trading as Cooper & Turner), a UK-based global manufacturer and distributor of high-strength, large diameter industrial fastener systems and its subsequent acquisition of Beck Industries

Advising PUMA on the finance aspects of its sponsorship and licensing agreement with Arsenal FC, reported to be the biggest commercial deal in European football history

Acting for Sportech PLC on the financing aspects of its £161.8m acquisition of the Littlewoods Leisure division of The Littlewoods Organisation, comprising Littlewoods Pools, Bet 247, Bet Direct and Littlewoods Lotteries, and the subsequent acquisition of Vernons

Acting for agent, security trustee and arrangers in relation to a £85m development facility to build 634 residential units across three towers and two midrise blocks

Acting for London branch of a foreign bank in relation to a £41m development facility financing a borrower’s obligations under a forward funding agreement for the construction of mixed use property in London

Advising the UK Retail Warehouse Fund in connection with £400m refinancing secured on portfolio of retail warehouses located in England and Scotland

Advising a leased and tenanted pub company in connection with a refinancing of its facilities by way of a £30m revolving credit facility secured on its estate of over 350 pubs across England, Wales and Scotland

Acting for Arena Leisure on the financing aspects of its the acquisition of various racecourses, including those at Lingfield Park, Folkestone, Wolverhampton, Southwell and Windsor

Acting for Arena Leisure on finance aspects of a 5-year sale of media rights to Satellite Information Services for a total fee in excess of £100m

Advising LKQ Corporation on financing aspects of its acquisition of Euro Car Parts for an initial consideration of £225m

Acting for United Kingdom-based Tax Systems plc on the finance elements of its acquisition of United Kingdom-based, Tax Computer Systems Limited, a company that provides corporate tax professionals with comprehensive technology solutions. The acquisition constituted a reverse takeover of Tax Systems plc under the AIM Rules. The acquisition was financed by a placing of new shares raising £45m and through new debt facilities with HSBC Bank plc and Business Growth Fund plc respectively

Advising Northern Trust Group, the property investment, development and land regeneration company, in relation to a £270m facility arranged by M&G Investments. The facility was secured against Northern Trust’s portfolio of industrial, trade and office parks, comprising over 4,500 individual units in total and its c. 1,500 acre land bank

Advising Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited in connection with its secured funding of the Reids Palace Hotel, Madeira

Advising Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited, as agent, in connection with €135m term and multicurrency syndicated revolving credit facilities secured on three world class hotels in Italy

Advising CIMB Bank Berhad and Sumitomo Mitsui Bank Corporation in connection with separate bilateral and syndicated term and revolving credit facilities totalling €90m to fund the acquisition of a chemicals business

Advising Habib Allied International Bank on its purchase of Habibsons Bank

Acting for Brightstar Corporation on the finance aspects of, and its financing of, its acquisition of 20:20 Mobile (a leading provider of distribution and integrated supply chain solutions to the European mobile industry with more than 3,500 customers and an annual turnover of almost £1bn)

Acting for an investment company in relation to the English finance aspects of a syndicated €53.5m real estate facility secured on real estate in Germany and Spain

Advising propco and opco in connection with a £54.7m refinancing of term loan and revolving facilities secured on a 500 room hotel in London