Scott Colwell

SCOTT COLWELL advises clients on international capital markets, corporate finance, and securities regulation, in particular, offerings of high-yield debt securities. He has significant experience representing issuers and investment banks across Europe in connection with debt securities offerings and leveraged transactions.

Scott has received acknowledgement from a number of leading publications, including:

• Chambers UK 2025 – Ranked in Band 2 for Capital Markets: High-Yield Products, where they say he “is well known for his work with financial institutions in regard to high-yield bond issuances by both first-time and repeat issuers. He is noted for his cross-border capabilities, including on European and U.S. matters.”
• Legal 500 UK 2024 – Recognized as a “Leading Individual” for Finance: High Yield.
• Chambers UK 2024 – Ranked in Band 2 for Capital Markets: High-Yield Products, where he is described as “really easy to work with and is good on complex European work. He is commercial and he just gets it.”
• Financial News – Named to the 40 Under 40 Rising Stars in Legal Services list for capital markets lawyers in 2013.

Recent examples of Scott’s work include advising:

• ADVANZ PHARMA, a Nordic Capital portfolio company, in connection with the issuance of €917 million (equivalent) in new euro- and pound sterling-denominated senior secured notes and the borrowing of a €165 million term loan B facility.
• Nordic Capital in connection with its acquisition of Advanz Pharma Corp. Limited, a specialty pharmaceutical company, and subsequent financings.
• Oriflame, a leading beauty company based in more than 60 countries, in connection with the public-to-private of the company, subsequent financings and ongoing corporate advice.
• The initial purchasers in connection with a proposed bond offering for a European mid- and downstream energy company.
• Nordic Capital on the financing of its acquisition of the Lindorff Group, a Norwegian-based credit management services provider, which included €1.45 billion of notes issued in five tranches and several subsequent bond offerings.
• The investment banks providing €2.8 billion of financing for the public-to-private acquisition of STADA Arzneimittel AG by Bain Capital and Cinven and several subsequent financings and other capital markets transactions.
• The investment banks on numerous capital markets transactions for Millicom International Cellular, including bond offerings, tender offers, a consent solicitation and an aborted U.S. registered public equity offering.
• The initial purchasers on the US$3.7 billion high-yield bond offerings issued in connection with the US$23.3 billion merger of Virgin Media and O2.
• The initial purchasers on numerous high-yield bond offerings for Virgin Media O2, VodafoneZiggo and Telenet.
• The initial purchasers in connection with a €1.2 billion two tranche high yield bond offering by Kabel BW in connection with its acquisition by Liberty Global. This transaction was awarded the “EMEA High-Yield Deal of the Year” by IFLR.
• CVC in connection with the financing of its acquisition of the Domestic & General Group.
• The initial purchasers on the financing for the €16 billion acquisition of SFR by Numericable S.A. and refinancing of existing debt, which included approximately €12 billion of notes issued by Numericable and its parent Altice.
• The initial purchasers on the bank and bond financing for ICON plc’s acquisition of PRA Health Sciences, Inc., creating a world-leading healthcare intelligence and clinical research organization.
• The senior secured noteholder committee on the €1.8 billion debt and equity recapitalization of Selecta, a Swiss headquartered pan-European coffee and vending machine business.
• The initial purchasers in connection with an offering of US$5.2 billion of senior secured notes by Numericable-SFR S.A.
• The initial purchasers of €4.7 billion of notes issued to fund the acquisition of the Portuguese telecommunication assets of the former Portugal Telecom from Oi S.A.
• The initial purchasers in connection with an offering of US$2.75 billion of senior secured notes issued by Altice Financing S.A.
• A global investment bank, as dealer manager, on an exchange offer for certain existing notes of Edcon Limited, one of the largest non-food retailers in Southern Africa, for new notes in connection with a complex restructuring of the Edcon group.
• The investment banks in connection with two notes offerings by KCA Deutag totalling.
• PAI Partners SAS in a CHF350 million and US$425 million offering of senior secured notes to finance the acquisition of Swissport International Ltd.
• The initial purchasers in connection with an offering of £250 million and US$425 million of senior secured notes by Manchester United.

Some of the above matters were handled prior to joining Sidley.