Hendrik Smit advises banks and financial institutions on a broad range of finance matters, with a particular emphasis on leveraged finance transactions and cross-border acquisition financings.

Hendrik helps a full range of leading global investment banks, commercial banks, direct lenders, financial institutions, top-tier private equity firms, and corporate borrowers on banking and financing transactions at every level of the capital structure, including:

  • Syndicated term loans 
  • Bank/bond and bridge financings 
  • Unitranche and mezzanine facilities
  • Holdco PIK financings
  • Asset-based loans
  • Investment grade facilities

He draws on significant experience, including two secondments with Goldman Sachs, to provide clients with market insight and commercial advice on their transactions.

Hendrik’s representative clients include:

  • Bank of America 
  • Citibank
  • Credit Suisse
  • Deutsche Bank
  • Goldman Sachs
  • HSBC
  • JP Morgan
  • Lloyds
  • Morgan Stanley

His representative matters include advising:

Lead Arrangers/Underwriters

  • €1.75 billion senior credit facilities, concurrent with an offering of €1.06 billion senior secured notes, in connection with Adevinta’s acquisition of the eBay Classifieds Group
  • €820 million senior credit facilities for the refinancing of Galileo Global Education
  • Revolving credit facility, concurrent with an offering of €400 million senior secured notes due 2023 and €260 million senior secured floating rate notes due 2023 by Promontoria Holding 264 B.V. to finance the acquisition of global aviation services company WFS by Cerberus
  • Multiple bank and bond financings for Synlab, a European clinical labs group, including underwritten financings for the acquisitions by Cinven of Labco, a France-based European clinical labs group and Synlab, a Germany-based European clinical labs group
  • Bank/bond refinancing for Aston Martin Lagonda Limited

Sponsors

  • Hellman & Friedman in connection with the term loan and bond financing to fund its acquisition of a controlling interest in security services provider Securitas Direct
  • PAI Partners on the approximately €1 billion senior credit facilities financing in connection with the merger of certain Nestlé ice cream and frozen food businesses with R&R Ice Cream (and subsequent upsizes)

Bar Qualification

  • England and Wales (Solicitor)

Education

  • Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, BPP Law School, 2010
  • LLB Law, Cardiff University, 2009

Practices