Partner

James Crooks

Global Finance
Banking and Financial Services
Private Equity

jcrooks@sidley.com

London +44 20 7360 2040

- Letter
- A4

JAMES CROOKS is highly skilled in matters related to debt finance. His practice is focused on advising private equity sponsors, their portfolio companies and credit funds on debt financing transactions, including leveraged acquisitions, syndicated lending, asset backed financings, debt restructurings and general banking arrangements.

Recent examples of James’s work include representing:

Partners Group, a leading global private markets firm, on expanding the shareholder base of International Schools Partnership, a leading international group of K-12 schools.
KKR on its acquisition of Argenta, a leading animal pharmaceutical research and manufacturing company.
Travelex on its financial and operational restructuring.
TowerBrook Capital Partners on the acquisition of the Azzurri Group.
OrbiMed on its investment in Mereo BioPharma.

James is listed as a Notable Practitioner for Banking and Capital Markets: Debt by IFLR1000 2020. He has also recently been recognized in The Lawyer’s ‘Hot 100’ list for 2020.

Prior to joining Sidley in 2016, James was a partner in the corporate and financial services practice of another international law firm.

Experience

Further examples of James’s work include acting for:

TowerBrook Capital Partners on the acquisition of CarTrawler.
GHO Capital Partners LLP on its acquisition of Ardena.
Global Loan Agency Services Limited as facilities agent, GLAS Trust Corporation Limited as existing security agent and TMF Trustee Limited as new security agent, on the restructuring of BARTEC, a German manufacturer of explosion safety equipment.
Compass Partners International and Rodenstock Group, a German manufacturer of high-quality progressive lenses, in connection with the refinancing of Rodenstock’s senior debt with a €395 million cov-lite TLB.
Losberger De Boer Group on its financial and operative restructuring.
Wendel SA on the arrangement of €1.34 billion of senior term and revolving facilities established in connection with its acquisition of the Constantia Flexibles Group from One Equity Partners and subsequent 2016 repricing of TLB debt.
Aquiline Capital Partners on the arrangement of senior term and revolving facilities established in connection with its acquisition of the Simply Business Group from AnaCap Financial Partners.
Insight Venture Partners on the arrangement of senior term and revolving facilities established in connection with its acquisition of the Fourth Group from ECI Partners.
Famar on the successful restructuring, recapitalization and strengthening of its capital structure.
Empire Resorts, Inc., in a strategic alliance with an affiliate of bet365 Group Limited to develop a physical and online sportsbook at Resorts World Catskills.
Sankaty Advisors and GE on the arrangement of first lien term and revolving facilities and second lien term facilities in connection with the acquisition by Five Arrows Principal Investments of the Karnov Group.
Platinum Equity on the arrangement of a €50 million super senior revolving credit facility and €225 million senior secured notes in connection with its acquisition of the Worldwide Flight Services Group from LBO France.
Platinum Equity and the Worldwide Flight Services Group on the arrangement of a €35 million increase to an existing super senior revolving credit facility and issue of €100 million senior secured notes and €140 million senior unsecured notes in connection with their acquisition of the Consolidated Aviation Services Group from ICV Partners.
Triton, Rhone Capital and Orion Engineered Carbons in Orion’s €780 million post IPO debt refinancing (pending close).
UBS, Unicredit and Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna’s €10 million super senior revolving credit facility for Twin Set Group.
Bain Capital and IMCD in IMCD’s €400 million post IPO debt refinancing.
CVC Capital Partners and Parex in the financing, including a €100 million super senior revolving credit facility and €550 million floating rate senior secured high-yield bonds due 2021, of CVC’s acquisition of Parex.
Univar B.V. in its €200 million European asset backed financing.
Apollo Management International in connection with its investment in Stemcor’s restructured term loans and trade finance and borrowing base facilities.
GTCR in the £217.5 million senior and £62 million mezzanine debt financing of its acquisition of Callcredit Information Group.
Mid Europa Partners in its acquisition of a majority stake in MediGroup, a Serbian private healthcare provider.
CCMP Capital Advisors and Phoenix Equity Partners in the £130 million financing of the proposed merger of The Gym Group and the Pure Gym Group.
Hastings Insurance Group (Finance) plc in connection with its £20 million super senior revolving credit facility and offering of £266.5 million 8% senior secured fixed rate notes due 2020 and £150 million senior secured floating rate notes due 2020.
Bain Capital and Maisons du Monde in the financing, including a €60 million super senior revolving credit facility and the offering by MDM of €325 million 9% senior secured notes due 2020, of the acquisition of Maisons du Monde by Bain Capital.
Bayside Capital in its £9 million financing of JZI’s acquisition of Winn Solicitors.
Sun Capital and DBA Apparel in DBA’s €75 million senior secured debt financing.
CVC Capital Partners and ista in the financing, including €1.6 billion senior facilities and the offering by ista of €350 million 5% senior secured notes due 2020 and €525 million 6.875% senior subordinated notes due 2021, of the acquisition of ista by CVC Capital Partners.
HIG Capital and Freedom Finance on the SEK 350 million unitranche financing of its acquisition of Freedom Finance.
Sun European Partners in the acquisition/bridge financing (by Bank of Montreal) of various portfolio companies.

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

Credentials

Admissions & Certifications

Scotland (Solicitor)

Education

Glasgow Graduate School of Law, Law Degree, 2005
University of Dundee, LL.B., 2004