Syndicated Loan, Leveraged Finance and Private Debt Awards 2023 — Results in brief

DEALS OF THE YEAR

Deal of the Year

Messer
€1.45bn and $900m one year bridge facilities, €600m and $700m five year term loans, €600m five year RCF totalling €4.14bn to support Messer’s €12bn acquisition by GIC Capital
May 2023

2= Smurfit Kappa
$1.5bn one year bridge loan for acquisition of WestRock
October 2023

2= Vantage Towers
€6.98bn March 2023 (details below)

4= BAE Systems
$5.5bn and £2bn September 2023 (details below)

4= BHP Billiton
$5bn one year bridge facility for acquisition of Oz Minerals
February 2023

Leveraged Loan of the Year

Cooper Consumer Health
€1.105bn five year term loan B for the LBO of Viatris by CVC, Charterhouse and Avista
November 2023

2= Software AG
$405m and €640m cov-lite seven year term loan Bs and €100m 6.5 year RCF totalling $1.22bn for LBO by Silver Lake Group
August 2023

2= Worldpay
$5.2bn and €500m seven year term loan Bs totalling $5.735bn to support Worldpay’s LBO by GTCR Golder Rauner
September 2023

4 Action Nederland
€2.5bn 5.3 year term loan B and €500m 5.1 year RCF totalling €3bn to amend and extend 2018 facility
April 2023

M&A Loan of the Year

Messer
€4.14bn May 2023 (details above)

2 Smurfit Kappa
$1.5bn October 2023 (details above)

3 BHP Billiton
$5bn February 2023 (details above)

4 BAE Systems
$5.5bn and £2bn September 2023 (details below)

Emerging Market Loan of the Year

AviLease
$2.1bn one year term loan
August 2023

2 Sasol
$982m five year term loan and $1.987bn five year RCF totalling $2.969bn
April 2023

3 Akbank
$602m-equivalent October 2023 (details below)

Infrastructure Finance Loan of the Year

Vantage Towers
Six term loans and an RCF totalling €6.98bn to support Vantage’s acquisition by Vodafone, KKR and Global Infrastructure Management
March 2023

2 Frøy
Nkr4.9bn five year term loan A, Nkr1.1bn capex facility, Nkr100m RCF totalling Nkr6.05bn to support LBO by Goldman Sachs Asset Management
June 2023

3 National Gas Transmission
Five three and five year term loans and five year RCF totalling £3.378bn for acquisition of majority stake by consortium led by Macquarie and British Columbia Investment Management Corp
January 2023

Renewables Loan of the Year

Moray West Holdings
£450m 2.5 year bridge facility to finance offshore wind project in Firth of Moray
December 2022

2 Baltic Power
€4.394bn September 2023 (details below)

3 Finerge Renewable Group Europe
Three term loans, capex facility, guarantee facility and RCF with maturities from seven to 15 years totalling €2.296bn to refinance 2019 facility
March 2023

REGIONAL DEALS OF THE YEAR

Central and Eastern European Deal of the Year

Baltic Power
Ten three and 23 year term loans and letter of credit facilities in euros and zlotys totalling €4.394bn to finance development of offshore wind project by PKN Orlen
September 2023

2 Energetický a Průmyslový Holding
Three and five year term loans and two, three and five year RCFs totalling €3.845bn to refinance 2021 facility
June 2023

Middle Eastern Deal of the Year

AviLease
$2.1bn August 2023 (details above)

2 DAE
Two four year term loans and two four year RCFs totalling $1.6bn to refinance 2019 facility
September 2023

3 Investcorp
$459m and €132m four year RCFs totalling $601m-equivalent for refinancing
March 2023

African Deal of the Year

Bidvest
€187.5m three year term loan and €562.5m RCF totalling €750m to refinance 2021 facility and for acquisitions
June 2023

2 Sasol
$982m five year term loan and $1.987bn five year RCF totalling $2.969bn
April 2023

UK and Irish Deal of the Year

BAE Systems
$5.5bn one year bridge facility for acquisition of Ball Aerospace & Technologies, £2bn five year RCF
September 2023

2 Smurfit Kappa
$1.5bn October 2023 (details above)

3 BHP Billiton
$5bn February 2023 (details above)

4 National Gas Transmission
£3.378bn January 2023 (details above)

French Deal of the Year

Teleperformance
€1.45bn one year bridge facility and €600m five year term loan totalling €2.05bn for its acquisition of Majorel
May 2023

2 Pluxee
€1.5bn one year bridge facility and €650m RCF totalling €2.15bn for demerger from Sodexo
October 2023

3= Air France-KLM
€1.2bn three year RCF
April 2023

3= Veolia Environnement
€4.5bn five year RCF to refinance 2015 facility
March 2023

German, Swiss and Austrian Deal of the Year

Messer
€4.14bn May 2023 (details above)

2= Deutsche Börse
€3.9bn one year bridge facility for the acquisition of SimCorp
April 2023

2= RWE
€5bn one year RCF
July 2023 to refinance 2022 facility and for general purposes

2= Schaeffler
€3.45bn
November 2023

Italian Deal of the Year

Ferrero
€2bn six month term loan
January 2023

2 Italo-Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori
€1.1bn 5.25 year term loan and €300m 5.25 year RCF totalling €1.4bn to refinance 2019 facility
July 2023

3 Prysmian
€1bn five year RCF to refinance 2019 facility
June 2023

Iberian Deal of the Year

Gestamp Automoción
€1.2bn five year term loan, €500m five year RCF totalling €1.7bn to refinance 2020 facility
May 2023

2= Energias de Portugal
€3bn five year RCF to refinance 2018 facility
July 2023

2= Werfen
€1.29bn five year term loan and €630m one year bridge facility totalling €1.92bn for acquisition of Immucor
November 2022

4 Másmóvil Ibercom
€4.25bn five year term loan A add-on to 2020 facility to support acquisition of Orange Espagne
December 2022

Benelux Deal of the Year

Solvay and Syensqo
Solvay €1.5bn and Syensqo €1.4bn bridge loans for separation of companies
October 2023
Solvay €1.1bn and Syensqo €1.4bn five year RCFs
November 2023

2 Tennet
€8bn 2.4 year term loan
May 2023

3 Viterra
$4.11bn one year RCF and $1bn three year RCF totalling $5.1bn
May 2023

4 Fluxys Belgium
€200m three year and €300m five year term loans for acquisition of Open Grid Europe
January 2023

Nordic Deal of the Year

Vattenfall
€3bn six month RCF
March 2023

2= Ørsted
€2bn three year RCF to refinance 2022 facility
September 2023

2= Swedish Orphan Biovitrum
Skr8bn six month bridge facility, €200m two year RCF, €200m four year RCF, €200m two year term loan, €200m four year term loan totalling €1.49bn-equivalent for $1.7bn acquisition of CTI BioPharma
June 2023

2= Volvo
€2bn five year RCF to refinance 2017 facility
March 2023

Turkish Deal of the Year

Akbank
$265.5m and €318.5m sustainability-linked one year term loans totalling $602m-equivalent
October 2023

2= Türkiye Varlık Fonu (Turkey Wealth Fund)
€790m two year term loan
March 2023

2= Ülker Bisküvi
€125m, $25m, €25m and $10m sustainability-linked three year term loans
March 2023

BANK AWARDS

Loan House of the Year

BNP Paribas
2= Citigroup
2= JP Morgan
4= Crédit Agricole
4= Deutsche Bank

Best Arranger of Leveraged Loans

JP Morgan
2 Goldman Sachs
3 BNP Paribas

Best Arranger of M&A Loans

Citigroup
2 JP Morgan
3 Bank of America

Best Arranger of Project Finance Loans

Société Générale
2 Crédit Agricole
3= Santander
3= SMBC

Best Arranger of Mid-cap Loans

Commerzbank
2 Crédit Agricole
3 BNP Paribas

Best Arranger of Infrastructure and Renewables Loans

Crédit Agricole
2 Société Générale
3 Santander

Best Secondary Loans House

JP Morgan
2 Morgan Stanley
3 Goldman Sachs
4 BNP Paribas

BANK REGIONAL AWARDS

Best Arranger of Western European Loans

BNP Paribas
2 UniCredit
3 Crédit Agricole
4 Citigroup

Best Arranger of Central and Eastern European Loans

UniCredit
2 ING
3 Raiffeisen Bank International
4 Société Générale

Best Arranger of Middle Eastern Loans

First Abu Dhabi Bank
2 Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank
3 HSBC
4 Citigroup

Best Arranger of African Loans

Standard Chartered
2= Rand Merchant Bank
2= Standard Bank
4 Afreximbank
5 ABSA

Best Arranger of Asia Pacific Loans

Standard Chartered
2 Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
3 HSBC

Best Arranger of UK and Irish Loans

Barclays
2 Lloyds
3 NatWest
4 Citigroup

Best Arranger of French Loans

BNP Paribas
2 Crédit Agricole
3 Société Générale

Best Arranger of German, Swiss and Austrian Loans

UniCredit
2= Commerzbank
2= Deutsche Bank

Best Arranger of Italian Loans

Intesa Sanpaolo
2 UniCredit
3 Mediobanca
4 Crédit Agricole

Best Arranger of Iberian Loans

Santander
2= BBVA
2= CaixaBank

Best Arranger of Benelux Loans

ING
2 BNP Paribas
3 ABN Amro
4 Rabobank

Best Arranger of Nordic Loans

SEB
2 Nordea
3 DNB
4 Danske Bank

Best Arranger of Turkish Loans

Emirates NBD
2 Standard Chartered
3 Bank of America
4 Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank

BEST INVESTORS, ADVISERS AND LAW FIRMS

Best Corporate Finance Adviser

Deloitte
2 Evercore
3 Rothschild
4 Lazard

Best Law Firm for Syndicated Loans

Allen & Overy
2 Linklaters
3 Clifford Chance
4 Ashurst

Best Institutional Lender

Barings
2= CVC
2= ICG
4= M&G
4= MV Credit

Best Loan Restructuring Adviser

Houlihan Lokey
2= Triton
2= Alvarez & Marsal

Best Subordinated Debt Investor

MV Credit
2= Alcentra
2= Davidson Kempner
2= GIC
2= HIG
2= Indigo

Best Distressed Loan Investor

Triton
2 Strategic Value Partners
3 Cross Ocean

Best Global Private Debt Investor

Ares
2 Blackstone
3 MV Credit
4 Axa

Best Private Debt Investor for Western Europe

MV Credit
2= Arcmont
2= BlackRock

SUSTAINABLE LENDING AWARDS

Sustainability-Linked Loan of the Year

Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG
€2.5bn five year RCF
June 2023

2 Ørsted
€2bn three year RCF to refinance 2022 facility
September 2023

3= EasyJet Airline Co
$1.4bn five year export credit facility supported by UKEF, $350m term loan, totalling $1.75bn
June 2023

3= Energias de Portugal
€3bn five year RCF to refinance 2018 facility
July 2023

Best Arranger of Green and ESG-linked Loans in Western Europe

ING
2 BNP Paribas
3 Crédit Agricole
4 Société Générale

Best Arranger of Green and ESG-linked Loans in CEEMEA

Standard Chartered
2 ING

Most Innovative Bank for ESG lending

BNP Paribas
2 Natixis
3 Crédit Agricole

Best Private Equity House Issuer of Green and ESG-Linked Loans

EQT
2 CVC

Most Innovative Private Equity House for ESG

CVC
2 EQT

Most Influential Investor in Sustainability-Linked Loans

M&G
2= Blackstone
2= La Banque Postale Asset Management
2= Tikehau

PRIVATE DEBT AWARDS

Schuldschein of the Year

Porsche Automobil Holding
€2.7bn in eight fixed and floating three, five, seven and 10 year tranches to refinance bridge loan for acquisition of shares in Porsche AG
February 2023

2 Fresenius
€850m in six fixed and floating three, five and seven year sustainability-linked tranches
May 2023

3 Groupe SEB
€650m
November 2023

International Schuldschein of the Year

Groupe SEB
€650m
November 2023

2 ČEZ
€500m (€170m drawn in December, €330m in January and February)
December 2022

3= Arla Foods
€350m

3= Danish Crown
€400m in three, five and seven year euro and dollar sustainability-linked tranches
May 2023

Best Arranger of Schuldscheine

LBBW
2 Commerzbank
3 Raiffeisen Bank International

Best Arranger of International Schuldscheine

UniCredit
2 ING
3 BNP Paribas
4 HSBC

Best Schuldschein Law Firm

White & Case
2= Dentons
2= Linklaters

US Private Placement of the Year

Blue Owl Capital
$750m five year and $550m 10 year notes
September 2023

2= Benderson Development
September 2023
$520m office lease-backed financing for Kiewit

2= Calvin Capital
£325m senior secured 15 and 20 year amortising notes
April 2023

2= Ferrero
$1bn-equivalent
June 2023

2= Forth Ports
£275m senior secured 10 year with six and 12 month delayed draws
February 2023

Best US Private Placement Agent

Bank of America
2 JP Morgan
3 NatWest
4 Citigroup

Euro Private Placement of the Year

Rémy Cointreau
€380m in five tranches of seven, 10 and 12 year maturities
September 2023