Jonathan is a partner in the Prague office and head of the CEE/CIS Banking and Finance practice, specializing in asset finance transactions (including leveraged buy-outs) across Western, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and other emerging markets.

Jonathan has extensive experience in a wide range of finance products, having acted, for lenders, equity sponsors and corporate borrowers, on transactions ranging from transport asset finance, project finance, LBOs and hedge fund financings to securitizations and other structured finance transactions. In addition, Jonathan has been involved in a number of high-profile restructurings.

Examples of recent representations include:

• Acting for Goldman Sachs and UniCredit as mandated lead arrangers in connection with a US$400 million financing of a leveraged buy-out by Lion Capital of a Russian juice manufacturer, Nidan Soki OAO. The financing comprised senior, second lien mezzanine and PIK facilities. The transaction was the first of its kind closed in Russia and received widespread press attention;
• Acting for Goldman Sachs, UniCredit, ING and RZB as mandated lead arrangers in connection with a US$315 million senior financing of a leveraged buy-out by Lion Capital of a Russian vodka manufacturer and distributor. This successor deal to the Nidan Soki transaction was successfully closed in 2008 despite challenging credit conditions;
• Acting for Deutsche Bank in the provision of two index-linked term facilities of US$125 million to Ukrexim;
• Acting for Deutsche Bank in a €1,275 million financing of a share acquisition by a major Russian mining concern.
• Advised JP Morgan on a proposed US$1,600 million financing of the acquisition by a Russian resources company of potash assets in Russia;
• Acting for UniCredit and RZB in connection with a complex consensual restructuring of a leveraged finance transaction;
• Representing a consortium of Polish banks providing secured PLN 225 million financing of a Polish corporate under English law and on
  LMA-based terms;
• Advising the Czech government in connection with a sovereign-to-sovereign loan transaction;
• Advising a Channel Islands-based investment fund in connection with the acquisition of Lehman Brothers assets in Turkey; and
• Advised JP Morgan on a proposed US$1,600 million financing of the acquisition by a Russian resources company of potash assets in Russia.

Bars and Courts
Ontario Bar, 1995
England and Wales, 2001

Education
LLM, London School of Economics, 1996
LLB, Osgoode Hall Law School, 1993

Citizenship
Canada
United Kingdom