Steve Curtis is a partner in the Finance Department of the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the Structured Finance Practice.

He specialises in structured debt/securitization financings across all major asset classes, focusing in particular on infrastructure, regulated utilities, commercial real estate, and operating assets.

Prior to joining Latham, Steve was a partner at a leading magic circle law firm.

Steve’s experience* includes:

Utilities

  • South Staffordshire Water – Midco financing and related HoldCo PP financing
  • Southern Water MidCo – adviser to bank lenders on secured debt issuance platform established by Greensands Finance Limited
  • Scotia Gas Midco – adviser to the capex lenders on the secured debt issuance platform established by SGN
  • Quadgas Midco – adviser to the company and the investor consortium on the secured debt issuance platform established to acquire Cadent Gas Limited
  • Elenia Oy – adviser to the Finnish electricity distribution company on all aspects of its whole business securitization financing
  • Wales & West Utilities – advisor to WWU on all aspects of its whole business securitization financing
  • Affinity Water – adviser to funders on its whole business securitization financing
  • Yorkshire Water – adviser to funders on its whole business securitization platform
  • Thames Water – adviser to funders on its whole business securitization platform
  • South East Water – adviser to funders on its whole business securitization platform
  • Southern Water – adviser to funders on its whole business securitization platform
  • Dwr Cymru (Glas) – adviser to funders on its whole business securitization platform

Infrastructure

  • Brisa – advising on its refinancing
  • EIG Pearl Holdings – advised on its US$2.5 billion public offering monetising equity distributing from its 49% share in oil pipelines leased from Saudi Aramco
  • Viridor Energy – advising on its £1.55 billion secured pp financing
  • Galaxy Pipeline Assets Bidco Limited on its public offering of US$4 billion senior secured bonds monetizing equity distributions from its 47.7% stake in ADNOC Gas Pipeline Assets LLC which is subject to a “ship or pay” offtake agreement with ADNOC
  • Venice Airport – adviser to the company on its secured bank/private placement refinancing
  • Tank and Rast – adviser to the company on its whole business securitization platform
  • AVR – advisor to AVR on its whole business securitization platform backed by revenues from its waste to energy businesses in the Netherlands
  • Gatwick – advisor to Gatwick on its whole business securitization programme
  • Arqiva – advised arrangers, lenders and hedging counterparties on its whole business securitization programme
  • UPP – advised arrangers on structured debt refinancing programme
  • Peel Ports – advised arrangers, lenders and hedging counterparties its whole business securitization programme
  • ABP – advised arrangers, lenders and hedge counterparties on a structured debt refinancing programme
  • BAA – advised arrangers on the whole business securitization refinancing of BAA's London Airports

Other Corporates and operating assets

  • XXIII Capital Limited - acting for preference shareholders and RCF lenders on the restructuring of XXIII Capital and its sports and entertainment securitization programme
  • The AA – original advisor to The AA on its whole business securitization, high yield and PIK financings and subsequent advisor to banks providing financing in connection with Towerbrook and Warburg Pincus’ acquisition of The AA
  • RAC – advised arrangers on its whole business securitization
  • Arsenal Football Club – advisor to the club on whole business securitization financing
  • Stadium financing for Newcastle United Football Club

Commercial Real Estate

  • Senior and mezzanine financing of the Grosvenor House Hotel, London
  • Senior financings of the Ritz Hotel, London and the Beaumont Hotel, London
  • Senior and mezzanine financings of Blackstone sponsored logistics assets in UK and Europe
  • Secured corporate bond for Logicor UK
  • Senior and mezzanine financings and securitized bond issues for multi-family assets in Germany and Finland
  • Secured debt issuance platform for Land Securities plc
  • Numerous NPL financings in Spain, Ireland, Portugal, UK, Italy, and Germany

*Matters handled prior to joining Latham

Bar Qualification

  • England and Wales (Solicitor)

Education

  • Bachelor of Arts (Combined Hons), College of Law, 1990
    First Class Honors, Solicitors Finals Examinations
  • LL.B. (Hons), University of Manchester, 1989
    Upper Second Class Honors

Practices