Kelechi E. Adibe

KELECHI ADIBE represents banks and other financial institutions, private credit funds, private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, and public companies in complex financing transactions. He serves as a trusted advisor on a broad range of lending matters, with particular depth in asset-based and cash-flow facilities, split-lien structures, cross-border financings, and other secured lending arrangements.

Kelechi structures, negotiates, and documents financings ranging from middle-market club deals to broadly syndicated facilities. His work spans a wide range of industries, including healthcare, technology, transportation, manufacturing, steel, consumer products, education, energy and utilities, life sciences, insurance, and financial services. He brings practical judgment to complex financing transactions, helping clients evaluate legal risk, resolve structuring challenges, and execute transactions efficiently.

Kelechi focuses his practice on:

• Asset-based lending. Kelechi represents clients in revolving credit facilities secured by accounts receivable, inventory and other working capital assets, including facilities involving FILO tranches, split-lien structures, and ABL/term loan unitranche arrangements.
• Cash-flow facilities and leveraged finance. Kelechi advises on first lien, second lien, unitranche, and other cash-flow facilities supporting acquisitions, dividend recapitalizations, refinancings, working capital needs, and growth capital.
• Cross-border financings. Kelechi represents clients in multi-jurisdictional transactions involving foreign borrowers, guarantors, collateral, and operations. He regularly advises on foreign law limitations and collateral and guarantee issues, and coordinates with non-U.S. counsel in both syndicated and private credit transactions.
• Intercreditor and subordination arrangements. Kelechi has significant experience with agreements governing collateral sharing, payment and lien priority, standstill rights, purchase options, and enforcement remedies among multiple creditor groups, including transactions involving complex collateral packages, borrowing base structures, overlapping lender constituencies, and multiple tranches of debt.
• Workouts and restructurings. Kelechi advises lenders and borrowers in debtor-in-possession financings, exit financings, rescue financings, amendments, forbearances, recapitalizations, and other special situations matters.

Kelechi was recognized in the 2022–2025 editions of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for Banking and Finance Law and was named to the Secured Finance Network’s 2023 “40 Under 40” list.

Kelechi’s experience includes the following representations:

• Jefferies Finance LLC, as borrower and issuer, in connection with a US$1.95 billion bank/bond financing, consisting of a senior secured term loan facility, a priority secured revolving credit facility, and a high-yield notes offering.
• A leading North American bank, as lead arranger and administrative agent, in connection with a US$275 million asset-based credit facility for a publicly traded crane manufacturer.
• One of the largest banks in North America, as administrative agent, in connection with a US$50 million asset-based revolving credit facility used to facilitate an acquisition and provide working capital and other general corporate-purpose financing.
• Core Scientific, Inc. in connection with US$3.5 billion strategic commercial agreements to provide high-performance computing infrastructure to a cloud computing company.
• BCM One, a portfolio company of Thompson Street Capital Partners, in connection with its acquisition of a global provider of cloud-based voice services.
• One of the largest banks in North America, as administrative agent, in connection with a US$30 million senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility for a UK-based technology solutions provider, supported by a parent guaranty from its U.S.-based parent company.
• A leading direct lender in connection with a US$270 million syndicated cross-border first lien revolving and term credit facility for an aircraft maintenance services company.
• A financial institution, as administrative agent, in connection with US$850 million senior unsecured credit facilities for an energy services company, including revolving and delayed-draw term loan facilities used to fund acquisition activity.
• A major international bank, as administrative agent, in connection with a US$325 million asset-based senior secured credit facility for a national bookstore chain, including complex intercreditor arrangements.
• A major international bank, as administrative agent, in connection with a prepetition asset-based loan facility and debtor-in-possession financing for a global automotive and transportation components manufacturer in Chapter 11 proceedings, including negotiation of the DIP ABL credit agreement and DIP order in a split-collateral structure.
• A national bank, as administrative agent, in connection with a US$100 million asset-based senior secured revolving credit facility for a student transportation services platform, paired with a tranche of mezzanine debt.
• A national bank in connection with two unsecured letter of credit facilities for a global non-life specialty insurance company — an AUD$55 million Cayman letter of credit facility and a US$15 million Bermuda letter of credit facility — against the backdrop of the company’s broader approximately US$590 million-equivalent multi-currency debt and financing arrangements, including work related to a transformative asset disposition, a lock-up agreement among seven distinct but overlapping creditor groups, and the provisional liquidation of the company’s parent.

• Outside counsel observer to the Board of Directors, iDAC, Inc. (2023–present)
• Member, Secured Finance Network (formerly Commercial Finance Association) (2017–present)
• Executive Committee member, Cara Collective (2024–2025)