Claire Barker

I am a partner in our London office, specialising in finance and restructuring & insolvency.

I have extensive experience advising both lenders and borrowers on a variety of both domestic and cross-border finance transactions, in particular corporate/leveraged finance, receivables finance and real estate finance. Much of my practice falls within our media, entertainment and sport, financial services, and hotels and leisure sector groups.

I have a particular specialism in sports finance, acting for both lenders and borrowers in relation to player transfer finance, ticket receivables finance, media rights finance, and stadium finance, in variety of sports including football, cricket and motorsport both in the UK and internationally.

I also regularly advise on the transactional aspects of international and domestic financial restructurings and insolvencies and have considerable experience acting for corporates, funders, debtors and IPs on a wide range of distress scenarios.

• Acting for various lenders including Macquarie (London), Macquarie International, Macquarie (Europe) and Santander UK plc in relation to numerous sports finance transactions (including football transfer fee receivables and media rights receivables across Europe and Test cricket ticket receivables transactions). Notable transactions have involved football clubs in the Premier League, English Football League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, La Ligue, the Juplier Pro League and the Primeira Liga.
• Acting for Mothercare UK plc in relation to a major restructuring and refinancing of the Mothercare group.
• Acting for Fosun Tourism Group on the acquisition of the Thomas Cook brand.
• Acting for Santander UK plc in relation to multiple hotel financings including a £43,000,000 facility to an international hotel franchise.
• Acting for Macquarie (London and São Paolo) in relation to multiple commodities export finance transactions involving various jurisdictions.
• Acting for the AIM-listed Stanley Gibbons Group in relation to an international group restructuring involving the buyout of RBS' debt, a debt and equity investment, and continued financing of the group, by the Phoenix UK Fund.
• Acting for Macquarie (London and Sydney) in relation to the restructuring of the £45m King Edward VII Hospital Estate development.