Neal McKnight is a member of the Firm’s Corporate and Finance Group and co-head of the Firm’s Credit and Leveraged Finance practice.
Mr. McKnight advises financial institution, sponsor and corporate clients on a broad range of corporate financing transactions, including capital markets offerings, revolver and term loan facilities, receivables and asset-based facilities, and securitizations. He has particular expertise in acquisition financings. In recent periods, he has acted in a number of refinancing and recapitalization transactions in the bank and bond markets, as well as financings in distressed contexts.
Mr. McKnight’s securities experience includes debt and equity offerings (including high yield debt offerings) under Rule 144A and Regulation S, SEC-registered offerings, exchange offers, project and infrastructure bonds and structured financings. He has also acted in a number of M&A and joint venture transactions. Mr. McKnight’s clients have included Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, RBC, Barclays, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, Ares Capital and United Rentals.
Mr. McKnight was resident in the Firm’s London office for almost 10 years, returning to the New York office in 2008. He has extensive experience in cross-border and multi-jurisdictional financing and M&A transactions.
Selected Acquisition Financing Transactions
- Acted for United Rentals in the $2.825 billion offering of secured and unsecured high yield notes and expansion of its $1.8 billion asset-based revolving credit facility to finance a portion of the purchase price for its acquisition of RSC Equipment Rental
- Acted for financial sponsors in connection with financings for bids or acquisition transactions for a number of entities, including CSM Bakery Division, SeaCube, Serta Simmons and Aquilex
- Acted for financial institutions in connection with financings for a number of acquisition transactions
- Represented InBev in a series of debt securities offerings with aggregate proceeds of $16.75 billion to refinance a portion of the acquisition debt incurred for the purchase of Anheuser-Busch
- Acted for Crescent Capital in a number of mezzanine finance transactions to fund acquisitions
- Represented Barclays in the seller financing for the $13.5 billion disposition of its BGI/iShares business to BlackRock and the $1.3 billion disposition of its HomEq loan servicing business
Selected Corporate Finance Transactions
- Acted for the initial purchasers and lenders in the $1.8 billion refinancing by Tervita Corporation of existing debt with the proceeds of new revolving and term loan facilities and secured high yield notes
- Acted for kgb in connection with amend and extend and refinancing transactions for its revolver and term loan facilities
- Acted for the initial purchasers in the issuance by Sotheby’s of high yield notes
- Acted for the lenders in a refinancing and dividend recapitalization by Five Below
- Acted for a lender in connection with financing for the spin-off by Sara Lee of D.E. Master Blenders
- Represented United Rentals in the refinancing of its receivables securitization facility and in a number of high yield note issuances
- Acted for Fender Musical Instruments Corporation in amendment transactions for its revolver and term loan facilities
Selected Reorganization and Distressed Financing Transactions
- Lead financing lawyer for Eastman Kodak for its $950 million debtor-in-possession facility and $830 million junior debtor-in-possession facilities
- Acted for the lead senior lender for Emmis Communications during its restructuring
- Acted for Aquilex Corporation in relation to different matters relating to its restructuring
- Represented a mezzanine lender in connection with the Stations Casinos restructuring
- Regularly advises lenders and investors regarding documentation and other issues relating to different distressed credits
Other Transactions
- Acted on a number of natural resources and infrastructure financings for, among others, affiliates of BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, KMG, Lukoil, Shell, Total and Transneft