Banking & Finance

Overview

In the banking world, trust is everything. You want the confidence that only comes from working with a legal team already advising many of the world's major financial players with a proven track record of success.

Gowling WLG is a team you can depend on for practical, commercially astute banking advice. We help many of the world's leading banks handle the most sophisticated transactions in an efficient and effective manner.

You can rely on a team that advises a range of global financial institutions and high street names. We work with European, Asian and US-based banks - and all five of the largest Canadian banks trust our services.

Based in major financial centres in addition to lower cost centres, we provide enhanced efficiencies and on-the-ground advice. Our professionals possess a detailed understanding of your competitive landscape, regulatory and legislative environments, and emerging economic trends. We'll always innovate on your behalf, drawing from the expertise of our cross-disciplinary industry groups to offer creative solutions that are tailored to you specific goals.

By engaging Gowling WLG, you'll be working with some of the leading players in banking law. For example, our specialist regulatory team has in-depth experience with the financial sector, while our high-quality debt finance team undertakes project finance work particularly focused on the energy and infrastructure sector. We're also leaders in serving the banking requirements of the automotive sector.

We offer a full range of banking services, including:

  • Asset finance and invoice discounting
  • Auto financing
  • Banking and financial regulatory law
  • Bond financing/public debt
  • Capital markets and derivatives
  • Cross-border and domestic transactions
  • Debt financing
  • Demand and enforcement proceedings
  • Equity capital markets
  • Factoring arrangements
  • Financial regulatory
  • Financial technology (fin-tech)
  • General banking and corporate lending
  • Investment grade financings
  • Letters of credit and guarantee arrangements
  • Leveraged and acquisition finance
  • Litigation
  • Loan syndications
  • Private equity
  • Project finance
  • Real estate lending
  • Senior secured and unsecured lending
  • Sub-debt, mezzanine and second lien lending
  • Trade finance
  • Transfer pricing
  • Venture capital, hedge fund and merchant
  • banking transactions
  • Wholesale banking

Service is as crucial to us as it is to you. We put client account teams in place for all of our major banking clients and encourage an active, two-way secondments programme.

Gowling WLG is a team that truly understands your legal business world. Please get in touch to discuss how we can help.

Canada

Leading players in the financial industry need legal support that provides exceptional experience, proven insight, and a firm grasp of this rapidly evolving market. Working with more than 50 domestic and foreign banks and insurers, the legal professionals at Gowling WLG are the preferred counsel on a wide variety of transactions ranging in size from $1 million to $34 billion.

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At Gowling WLG, we tailor our services to meet the unique needs of our clients, staying current with trends and legislative developments in the wide range of industries they serve. Working in client-dedicated teams, our professionals are focused on delivering solutions that meet the demands of the ever-changing financial market.

We complement our "clients first" approach with highly specific and innovative service offerings. For example, our portfolio management programs reduce client risk by assuming full responsibility for all aspects of various types of claims, including insurance claims and defaulted mortgages and loans.

We have in-depth experience with a variety of non-traditional lenders – such as mezz, ABL, sub-debt and DIP – and provide insightful financial regulatory law services to help our clients achieve transaction approvals and ensure compliance with all levels of Canadian regulatory requirements.

As part of a global law firm, our team leverages its national reach and diverse international network to provide practical insight into the Canadian marketplace. We frequently work with U.S. and global companies with operations in Canada to maximize opportunities and reduce risk.

With an in-depth understanding of the competitive financial services landscape, extensive experience navigating complex regulatory and legislative environments, and hands-on national and international experience, we offer a comprehensive range of legal services, including:

  • Asset-based lending
  • Bond financing/public debt
  • Consumer finance and cards
  • Commercial insurance law
  • Corporate and debt restructurings
  • Cross-border and domestic transactions
  • Demand and enforcement proceedings
  • Employment and labour
  • Insolvency and restructurings, including litigation proceedings
  • Leasing
  • Mortgage recovery
  • Project finance
  • Real estate lending
  • Receiverships, bankruptcy and related enforcement proceedings
  • Renegotiating loans and security agreements
  • Senior secured and unsecured lending
  • Shariah-compliant financing
  • Sub-debt, mezzanine and second lien lending
  • Syndicated, club and joint venture transactions
  • Tax
  • Trade finance​

Learn more

To learn more about how our Banking & Finance Group can help you succeed, please contact any member of our team.

France

Risk: it's inherent in any financial transaction. Whether you're a borrower or a lender, you need to properly manage that risk. Doing so requires lawyers who can prepare loan and security documentation that addresses the issues common to all credit transactions and those specific to your project. The legal advice you receive needs to be exhaustive, fair and consistent with market practice.

You should also expect your lawyers to find innovative solutions for reducing transaction costs and, as the case may be, increasing cross-collateralisation to the greatest extent permitted by law - all in an efficient manner and at a fair price.

That's why hiring Gowling WLG as your law firm makes good sense. With renowned expertise in finance transactions and regulations, our team in Paris can provide you with professional advice quickly and cost effectively.

Our in-depth experience allows us to advise on all sides of a transaction. The scope of our practice encompasses:

  • Real estate finance
  • Project finance
  • Corporate acquisition finance
  • Trade finance
  • Asset finance
  • Account receivable finance
  • Banking and financial regulations
  • Insolvency and pre-insolvency proceedings
  • Bonds
  • Guarantees and security interests
  • Legal opinions

Our team comprises lawyers who speak both French and English and are qualified in multiple jurisdictions. Our banking and finance team is fully integrated with our M&A and real estate transactional groups around the world.

With Gowling WLG, you'll find all the expertise and international experience you need in one place.

Learn more

Let's take the risk out of your transactions. Work with us to meet the financial challenges you face.

UAE

Security: it matters a great deal to you - particularly when it comes to financing your growth and expansion. In an uncertain world, where technology is disrupting the way everything is done, you need to ensure that you have the finances in place to meet your ambitions across the Middle East region.

The Gowling WLG team can provide you with that security. We've been based in Dubai for more than 10 years, and have a full grasp of the area's financial landscape. Our professionals possess a detailed understanding of your competitive, regulatory and legislative environments, as well as their emerging economic trends.

Drawing from the expertise of our cross-disciplinary industry groups, our team will always innovate on your behalf to offer creative solutions that are tailored to your specific goals.

We offer a wide range of finance services and collaborate with our corporate team to advise on equity, hedge fund and venture capital financing, as well as facility agreements.

In addition, we have an unmatched breadth of experience in the essential areas of Islamic, conventional and project financing. You can count on our on-the-ground advice to be efficient and, above all, accurate.

Learn more

If you're looking for a team with a commercial and pragmatic approach that's fully embedded in the Middle East, then we're fully primed to offer you the security you demand.

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UK

The confidence that only comes from working with a team already advising many of the world's leading banks, financial institutions and major corporate clients is a major advantage of choosing the Gowling WLG finance team.

Greater than the sum of its total parts, the team is known for:

  • High levels of expertise - inside experience from previous in-house roles, access to related legal experts in private equity, pensions, litigation, real estate and funds, plus sector expertise give the team an added edge. Client feedback in Chambers praises the team for being "extremely commercial and always prepared to give a view", "practically minded" while "their opinions are thorough and provided quickly"
  • Exceptional service - our team is "professional, well run ... prepared to go that extra mile" and has "magic circle quality but with a refreshing personal touch". One of the team's partners will work with you at every stage of your transaction to ensure you "get partner input and market knowledge", and achieve the best possible outcome
  • Developing lasting relationships - some of the our longstanding clients and repeat panel appointments include HSBC, Bank of America, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, RBS, European Investment Bank, Santander, Handelsbanken and Bank of Ireland

Financial institutions, major corporates and public bodies also choose us. The likes of Ballymore Properties, Sanctuary Housing Association, Bridgepoint, CBPE Capital, Conygar Investments, Dyson, Euro Exide Corporation, GE Capital, Isis Equity Partners, JP Morgan Asset Management, Lyceum Capital, Marks & Spencer, Mazda, Mercedes Benz and Smith News plc and Pension Insurance Corporation Limited.

The team provides a full service in all types of general corporate and investment grade financing, both in a national and an international context, through the following sub-teams:

  • Leveraged finance - Advising lenders, borrowers, infrastructure funds and private equity houses on structuring and negotiation of a wide range of transactions across different industry sectors and in different jurisdictions
  • Asset finance/invoice discounting - All elements of asset based finance are covered including invoice and receivables finance, leasing, equipment finance, asset based facilities and syndicated facilities
  • General banking and derivatives - We advise a wide range of corporates, banks, pension trustees and other organisations on their financing needs and facilities, including derivative products and other specialist products including funds at Lloyd's
  • Real estate finance - Together with our leading real estate practice, we advise banks, funds and other financial institutions as well as borrowers on all aspects of real estate financing, including innovative structures and large portfolio financings
  • Capital markets and securitisation - With a reputation for innovation in funding, the team advises issuers, sponsors, funds and originators on raising finance through securitisation, capital markets issues and other treasury products
  • Restructuring and Corporate Recovery - Working with insolvency practitioners, banks, institutional investors, asset-based lenders, LPA receivers, corporates and company directors, the team offers advice on the full range of corporate recovery and insolvency related work and LPA appointment. Highlights for the team include securing the future of the iconic black cab on behalf of Manganese Bronze Holdings and heavy involvement in the restructuring of UK Coal