Gareth Eagles
Biography
Overview
Gareth Eagles is the Firm’s Head of Private Credit & Direct Lending and the leading private credit lawyer in the European market. He has been at the forefront of the market during its path to maturity, including working on some of the most high-profile leveraged buyouts of recent times. Gareth's private credit practice focuses on representing investors who take and hold risk. He has advised on all major types of private investments, including unitranche, senior, second-lien, mezzanine and PIK debt financings, as well as preferred equity, warrants and minority co-investments. He has also advised on the taking of control equity positions, and he is adept at fusing multiple strategies and structuring novel solutions in both performing and distressed situations, whether the assets are privately held or publicly listed.
In addition to private credit work, Gareth has represented arrangers and underwriters on some of the most significant syndicated financings in the market, and is equally at home in the large-cap and mid-market spaces. The only leading leverage lawyer to be dual-qualified in New York and England & Wales, Gareth also spent two years in White & Case's New York office, as well as six months in the Singapore office, and has acted on market-leading transactions in a broad variety of jurisdictions.
Gareth is recognised as a Leading Partner in Legal 500 UK 2025 and was included in The Lawyer Hot 100 in 2019.
Experience
While much of Gareth's work is highly confidential, a short list of example transactions includes representing:
Club of private credit funds on a senior secured financing for the offer by ADIA, CVC Capital Partners and Nordic Capital to acquire leading UK financial services private investment provider Hargreaves Lansdown plc.
Blackstone Credit on the financing of debt facilities provided to Odevo, a Swedish tech-enabled residential property management company. The financing was to support the acquisition by CVC of 50% of the equity, creating a co-investment between CVC and Fidelio.
Barclays as Global Coordinator and Lead Arranger and Bank of America, Goldman Sachs and Rabobank as Lead Arrangers on the €660,000,000 syndicated refinancing of a CVC Capital portfolio company.
Blackstone Credit on the refinancing of Acuity Knowledge Partners, a research and data company owned by Permira Holdings.
The lenders, on The Fidelis Partnership's $2 billion refinancing, bringing substantial growth to the leading Bermuda-based insurance group, following advising the lenders and equity co-investors on the combined debt and equity financing of a structured insurance demerger of Fidelis Insuranc Holdings Limited and the existing insurance companies, the Fidelis Insurance Group. The transaction creates a new Bermuda-based managing general underwriter, Fidelis MGU.
Blackstone Credit as lender on the $329 million refinancing of Wateralia, an Italian water pumps specialist.
Morgan Stanley and Guggenheim as lenders to Thoma Bravo to support their acquisition of USU Software from USU Solutions.
Blackstone Credit, Sixth Street, Park Square Capital, SMBC and the other term financiers on CVC Capital Partners' acquisition of a majority interest in Sogelink Group (Sogelink), a leading European provider of software solutions for infrastructure, construction and property management professionals.
The lenders to CVC to fund the acquisition of Visma's IT consulting business (twoday).
Co-author, "European leveraged finance: A market reawakened", February 2025
Co-author, "Two continents separated by a common language? Harmonising US and European loans", October 2024
Co-author, "Credit bidding: law and practice," Journal of International Banking and Financial Law, May 2013
Co-author, "US v European loan terms: countdown to convergence," JIBFL, October 2011
Co-author, "Problems of interpretation in dealing with audit qualifications," JIBFL, May 2011
Sole author, "Perverse consequences? How the LMA Ancillary Facilities provisions distort pro rata sharing," JIBFL, March 2011
Leading Partner, Acquisition Finance, Legal 500 UK, 2025.
Leading Individual, Acquisition Finance, Legal 500 UK, 2024.
"Gareth is an exceptionally talented lawyer and provides incredible service. He is someone we trust to always deliver the highest quality team and outcome." Chambers UK, 2025.
"He's responsive, insightful and the partner you want by your side in any legal matter." Chambers UK, 2025.
"Much of this success [in the private credit space] can be attributed to the work of the 'exceptional' Gareth Eagles, who has been a "first-mover" in the space and consequently has tremendous connections in the sector as well as 'deep insight into industry trends'." Legal 500 UK, 2025.
"There is probably no one who knows the private credit market like Gareth Eagles as he was a rare early player to the space having been working with private credit funds for around 15 years now. He is responsive, knows his deals and clients inside out and is ahead of the curve on a lot of matters." Legal 500 UK, 2025.
"Gareth Eagles is an exceptional lawyer. He is brilliant technically and has deep insight into industry trends." Legal 500 UK, 2025.
"Under the guidance of UK and US-qualified partner Gareth Eagles, the team has established a market-leading offering on the direct lending front for leading fund clients." Legal 500 UK, 2024.
"Head of private credit and direct lending at the firm, Gareth Eagles is an expert in this area. He is well placed to advise on big-ticket acquisition financings." Chambers UK, 2024.
"Gareth is an extremely well-rounded and commercially sound lawyer. He has wide industry knowledge and is very responsive. He is a pleasure to work with and he gets deals done." Chambers UK, 2023.
"Under the guidance of UK and US-qualified partner Gareth Eagles, the team has established a market-leading offering on the direct lending front for leading fund clients." Legal 500 UK 2024.
"Head of private credit and direct lending at the firm, Gareth Eagles is an expert in this area. He is well placed to advise on big-ticket acquisition financings." Chambers UK 2024.
"Gareth is an extremely well-rounded and commercially sound lawyer. He has wide industry knowledge and is very responsive. He is a pleasure to work with and he gets deals done." Chambers UK 2023.
The Lawyer Hot 100, 2019.
