
Overview
Luke McDougall is a co-chair of the Global Finance practice at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s London office.
Mr. McDougall focuses his practice on UK and cross-border acquisition finance and restructuring. He has experience acting for senior lenders, junior lenders and borrower groups on a variety of capital structures as well as, debt portfolio acquisitions and specialist financing transactions.
Recognitions
- Named a 'Leading Individual' for Acquisition Finance - The Legal 500 UK 2023
- Ranked Lawyer in Chambers and Partners (Banking and Finance in London)
- The Legal 500 UK Finance Lawyer of the Year 2020
- Named a 2015 Rising Star by Financial News in the capital markets category
Education
- University of Sydney, LL.B., 2002
Representations
- Advised eleven banks including lead arrangers Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley in respect of the $3.5 billion loan and bond financing for Bain Capital’s acquisition of research, data and insight business Kantar from WPP plc.
- Advised Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Lloyds and RBS as arrangers in respect of the financing for Advent International’s £1.2 billion public-to-private acquisition of UK electronic and technology business Laird plc.
- Advised Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, HSBC, JPMorgan, BNP Paribas and Lloyds as arrangers in respect of €900 million of senior facilities to finance the acquisition of IPH Group by Advent International.
- Advised the second lien investors in respect of the privately placed second lien facility to finance Hellman & Friedman’s €5.3 billion public-to-private acquisition of Nets A/S.
- Advised Blackrock in respect of a unitranche and capex facility for the roll-up acquisition of Benelux testing businesses by Summit Partners.
- Advised TPG Specialty Lending in relation to facilities for the acquisition of a Swedish software business by Marlin Equity Partners.
- Advised Blackrock in respect of facilities for the acquisition and roll-up of German dentistry businesses by Summit Partners.
- Advised Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and HSBC as arrangers in respect of the financing for Advent International and Bain Capital’s €700m acquisition of German payment services business Concardis.
- Advised a sovereign wealth fund in relation to a $160 million holdco PIK facility for a Bermuda based satellite communications company owned by a top tier European private equity sponsor.
- Advised Delphi Automotive in relation to the financing for its UK public-to-private acquisition of Hellerman Tyton.
- Advised Lloyds, ING and HSBC as arrangers in respect of financing for the UK public to private acquisition of Brammer plc by Advent International.
- Advised a global investment and advisory firm in relation to a $200 million unitranche and revolving acquisition financing for the proposed acquisition of an Austrian software business by a U.S. private equity sponsor.
- Advised the investors in respect of a €600 million private high yield financing for the acquisition of Setefi by Italian financial institution ICBPI, a portfolio company of Advent International and Bain Capital.
- Acted for Bank of America Merrill Lynch as sole arranger and co-ordinator of the US$4 billion recapitalisation of Formula One.
- Advised HSBC, Lloyds, Société Générale and Unicredit on the £535 million (equivalent) recapitalisation of Host Europe Group (HEG) following its acquisition of the German headquartered web hosting supplier Intergenia.
news
- Paul Hastings Advised Arrangers, Lenders, and Dealer Managers on $720 Million Refinancing of Helios Towers’ Existing Debt Facilities and Concurrent Cash Tender Offer - October 23rd, 2023
- Paul Hastings Earns Top Ranking in Chambers UK 2024 - October 20th, 2023
- Paul Hastings Again Recognized in the 2024 Edition of The Legal 500 UK Solicitors - October 5th, 2023
- Paul Hastings Again Receives Top Rankings in Chambers UK 2023 - October 20th, 2022
- Paul Hastings Receives High Rankings in the 2023 Edition of The Legal 500 UK Solicitors - September 29th, 2022
- Paul Hastings Represents Arrangers and Funds in £2 Billion Acquisition of Ultra plc - August 9th, 2022
- Financing Announced for ADVANZ PHARMA - February 1st, 2022
- Paul Hastings Practices and Lawyers Recognized for Excellence in Legal 500 United Kingdom 2022 - October 1st, 2021
- Paul Hastings advises ICG on the financing for its investment in Iver Holding AB - September 7th, 2021
- US aerospace and defence supplier Cobham acquires UK rival Ultra Electronics - August 18th, 2021
- $1.6 Billion Financing Announced for Nordic Capital’s Acquisition of ADVANZ PHARMA - April 7th, 2021
- Boparan Holdings Completes Successful Refinancing - November 30th, 2020
- The Lawyer Nominates Paul Hastings for Multiple Awards - September 28th, 2020
- Paul Hastings Leads Nominations for 2020 British Legal Awards - September 28th, 2020
- Leading Banks Work as Initial Purchasers for $750 million of Senior Notes Issued by HTA Group - June 25th, 2020
- Greenergy Announces Merger with Canada’s BG Fuels - February 12th, 2020
- Luke McDougall Named Finance Lawyer of the Year at Legal 500 UK Awards - December 5th, 2019
- Summer Holdco Issues €1.475 billion in Senior Notes - November 4th, 2019
- Autopista al Mar 2 Secures $652 Million, Dual-Tranche, Dual Currency Project Financing - August 1st, 2019
- £2.5 Billion Financing Announced for Advent’s Acquisition of Cobham - July 25th, 2019
Recognitions
- Paul Hastings Earns Top Ranking in Chambers UK 2024 - October 20th, 2023
- Paul Hastings Again Recognized in the 2024 Edition of The Legal 500 UK Solicitors - October 5th, 2023
- Paul Hastings Again Receives Top Rankings in Chambers UK 2023 - October 20th, 2022
- Paul Hastings Receives High Rankings in the 2023 Edition of The Legal 500 UK Solicitors - September 29th, 2022
- Paul Hastings Recognized as “Finance Team of the Year” by Legal Business - September 28th, 2022
- Paul Hastings Recognized by Chambers Global 2022 - February 21st, 2022
- Recognized for Excellence in Legal 500 United Kingdom - October 1st, 2021
insights
- Direct Lending: The Healthy European Outlook - October 1st, 2022
- Lenders warm to a ‘mix and match’ approach - October 1st, 2021
- What the Infrastructure Investors Say… Infrastructure Investment Roundtable 2019 - October 14th, 2019
- Europe's Private Debt Market: On an even keel - October 4th, 2019
- The Time to Think About Debt Restructuring? Going into a Deal - September 17th, 2019
- Private Debt Should Soften, Not Exacerbate, the Next Downturn - June 13th, 2019
- Riding the Bumps: Opportunities in the European Private Debt Market - December 6th, 2017