Simon Baum

Expertise

Simon is a talented finance lawyer and has worked for the last 15 years in the banking practices of two leading international law firms.  He has extensive experience in a wide range of banking and finance transactions worldwide, including Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He specialises in advising on financings across a number of asset classes including real estate, securities based lending and oil & gas.  He also has expertise acting on project financings, secondary market transactions, distressed debt and corporate restructurings.

Simon Advises

Simon enjoys working for a broad range of clients, including lenders (banks, funds and alternative credit providers) and borrowers, from global corporations and financial institutions to high net worth individuals.

Experience Highlights

Margin Lending

• Delek Energy Systems Ltd. on their US$100m margin financing provided by a leading global investment bank;
• a leading global investment bank on more than forty margin loans to ultra-high net worth individuals and
• a leading global investment bank on a US$150m margin loan to an international energy company.

Project Finance and Oil & Gas Financings

• The sponsors on the US$900m financing of the development of the Tamar gas field;
• the European Investment Bank and the commercial lenders on the Sorek desalination project financing;
• the sponsors on the US$500m financing of the development of the Leviathan gas field and
• KFW IPEX-Bank GmbH and Bayerische Landesbank on the Tel Aviv light rail project.

Real Estate Financings

• An international bank on a hotel acquisition facility and
• a leading European real estate fund on the acquisition of a distressed residential portfolio.

Restructuring

• Merrill Lynch International Bank on €137m refinancing of existing facilities made available to Nova Ljubljanska Banka d.d., Ljubljana;
• Citibank N.A., in relation to the debt restructuring of Songbird Finance Limited and
• The banking syndicate on the restructuring of the Pearl Group.

General Lending

• Unicredito Italiano SPA on a US$100m Acquisition Financing;
• the Borrower on a US$150m Bridge Financing provided by UBS AG, London Branch and
• Goldman Sachs International on a £460m Mezzanine Financing.

Career History

Previous Law Firms

• Partner, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP (2013 – 2016)
• Consultant, Allen & Overy LLP (2007 – 2013)
• Associate, Allen & Overy LLP (2003 – 2007)
• Trainee, Allen & Overy LLP (2001 – 2003)

Education

• University College London (LLB, First Class Hons.)