Partner

Banking & Finance

Expertise

Alex is a very experienced Banking & Finance and Corporate lawyer, with more than 30 years’ experience of advising clients in England and Wales, and in Scotland.

As well as being a partner in law firms since 1992, Alex has practical experience of businesses having worked within a major UK bank, as well as being Head of Legal and Risk at a wealth management business located in London for more than 4 years. This combination of law firms and industry has enabled Alex to apply his technical legal skills to the best advantage of his business clients.

Alex has advised banks, alternative funders, family offices, and wealthy individuals, on secured investments, with a particular skillset of advising on real estate finance, including investment and development finance.

As well as advising borrowers on securing finance, Alex can advise businesses on acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures, and succession planning. Also, being a specialist in Risk Management and Governance, enables Alex to advise corporate boards and charities on good governance, and provide valuable input to facilitate robust decision-making for directors.

Alex Advises

  • Funders – of all types from national banks to alternative funders and family offices
  • Borrowers – particularly those involved in property investment and development
  • Professional Firms – on constitutional documents
  • On Acquisitions and sales, Joint ventures, Succession planning and Risk Management and Governance matters

Experience Highlights

  • Advised Tesco plc on the Scottish aspects of various securitisation structures; including ensuring that the structure, and due diligence were satisfactory for the issuer of the various Bonds
  • Advised on the use of corporate real estate structures including Jersey Property Unit Trusts, and limited partnerships, and combinations of both, to effect the individual sale and purchase of over 18 shopping centres with an aggregate value in excess of £1.8 billion throughout the UK
  • Commercial negotiator – leading (in place of the client) the strategic negotiations direct with a bank to ensure the successful exit of the client from the bank with debt forgiveness of more than £10 million (being 30% of the overall debt); which assisted the bank to reduce its capital requirement and obtain a higher return than through insolvency proceedings, and enabled the client to retain its business with greatly reduced debt levels
  • Advised various venues in connection with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and also the organisers of the Edinburgh Christmas Market and the Edinburgh Hogmanay Event.

Career History

Previous Law Firms

  • Bell & Scott (1992-1999)
  • Steedman Ramage (1999-2001)
  • Semple Fraser (2001-2013)
  • Anderson Strathern (2013-2014)
  • Addleshaw Goddard (2014-2018)

In House Experience

  • Head of Legal and Risk at Route City Wealth Club 2018-2022
  • Company Secretary of the Edinburgh international Television Festival 2001 to date

Education

  • University of Edinburgh LLB, and DipLP
  • Open University Diploma in Management

Other

  • Certified as a Specialist in Risk Management and Governance

Expertise

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Alex is a very experienced Banking & Finance and Corporate lawyer, with more than 30 years’ experience of advising clients in England and Wales, and in Scotland.

As well as being a partner in law firms since 1992, Alex has practical experience of businesses having worked within a major UK bank, as well as being Head of Legal and Risk at a wealth management business located in London for more than 4 years. This combination of law firms and industry has enabled Alex to apply his technical legal skills to the best advantage of his business clients.

Alex has advised banks, alternative funders, family offices, and wealthy individuals, on secured investments, with a particular skillset of advising on real estate finance, including investment and development finance.

As well as advising borrowers on securing finance, Alex can advise businesses on acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures, and succession planning. Also, being a specialist in Risk Management and Governance, enables Alex to advise corporate boards and charities on good governance, and provide valuable input to facilitate robust decision-making for directors.

Alex Advises

Back to top

  • Funders – of all types from national banks to alternative funders and family offices
  • Borrowers – particularly those involved in property investment and development
  • Professional Firms – on constitutional documents
  • On Acquisitions and sales, Joint ventures, Succession planning and Risk Management and Governance matters

Experience Highlights

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  • Advised Tesco plc on the Scottish aspects of various securitisation structures; including ensuring that the structure, and due diligence were satisfactory for the issuer of the various Bonds
  • Advised on the use of corporate real estate structures including Jersey Property Unit Trusts, and limited partnerships, and combinations of both, to effect the individual sale and purchase of over 18 shopping centres with an aggregate value in excess of £1.8 billion throughout the UK
  • Commercial negotiator – leading (in place of the client) the strategic negotiations direct with a bank to ensure the successful exit of the client from the bank with debt forgiveness of more than £10 million (being 30% of the overall debt); which assisted the bank to reduce its capital requirement and obtain a higher return than through insolvency proceedings, and enabled the client to retain its business with greatly reduced debt levels
  • Advised various venues in connection with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and also the organisers of the Edinburgh Christmas Market and the Edinburgh Hogmanay Event.

Career History

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Previous Law Firms

  • Bell & Scott (1992-1999)
  • Steedman Ramage (1999-2001)
  • Semple Fraser (2001-2013)
  • Anderson Strathern (2013-2014)
  • Addleshaw Goddard (2014-2018)

In House Experience

  • Head of Legal and Risk at Route City Wealth Club 2018-2022
  • Company Secretary of the Edinburgh international Television Festival 2001 to date

Education

  • University of Edinburgh LLB, and DipLP
  • Open University Diploma in Management

Other

  • Certified as a Specialist in Risk Management and Governance