James Greene

Partner, London

Biography

Overview

James is a Partner in the White & Case Capital Markets Group in London and concentrates on securities transactions and corporate finance, with particular focus on high yield debt offerings and emerging markets, as well as restructuring transactions.

James regularly represents investment banks, investors and companies in a range of securities transactions, as well as liability management transactions and in- and out-of-court restructurings involving capital markets instruments.

James has been with White & Case for over 15 years and is ranked by several legal publications. James regularly publishes articles on legal themes and topics related to leveraged finance.

Bars and Courts
England and Wales
New York
Education
LPC
Nottingham Law School
LLB
St. John's College
Cambridge
Languages
English

Experience

Recordati, 2024 
Representation of Rossini on its issuance of a €1.850 billion high yield bond as well as entry into a new €197.5 million revolving credit facility. Rossini is the investment holding company indirectly controlled by CVC Capital Partners that owns 52.51 percent of the share capital of Recordati.

Assemblin Caverion Group, 2024
Representation of the initial purchasers and lenders on Assemblin Caverion Group's upsized offering of €1.28 billion high yield notes and €495 million (equivalent) RCF/guarantee/pensions facilities.

Encore, 2024 
Representation of Encore Capital Group on its two upsized high yield notes offerings, with a total of US$1 billion of senior secured notes issued in 2024.

IMA, 2024
Representation of IMA on the issuance of €450 million senior secured floating rate high yield notes due 2029, an additional €450 million senior secured floating rate high yield notes due 2029, as well as on the €25 million upsizing of its revolving credit facility.

FIVE, 2023
Representation of FIVE Holdings on its debut bond offering of US$350 million 9.375% Senior Secured Guaranteed Green Notes and US$200 million secured revolving credit facility.

Assemblin, 2023
Representation of Deutsche Bank, J.P. Morgan and Nordea Bank as mandated lead arrangers on a €480 million high yield bond and €180 million revolving guarantee pension facility arranged for Assemblin.

Axian Telecoms, 2022
Representation of J.P. Morgan, Société Générale and Standard Bank and Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners on the offering of US$420 million 7.375% Senior Notes due 2027 by Axian Telecom, a Mauritian telecommunications company, guaranteed on a senior basis by certain subsidiaries of Axian Telecom.

Ideal Standard, 2021
Representation of Ideal Standard International S.A., a leading sanitaryware producer in Europe and MENA, in the issuance of its €325 million in principal amount of 6⅜% senior secured notes due 2026. As part of the financing, a new super senior revolving credit facility of €15 million was also put in place.

Kedrion, 2021
Representation of Kedrion S.p.A. in connection with the issuance of its €410 million senior secured 3.375% notes. The proceeds are being used to refinance existing indebtedness and fund the partial repurchase by means of a cash tender offer of €150 million of its outstanding 3.000% notes due 2022.

Adler Pelzer, 2021
Representation of Adler Pelzer Holding GmbH in connection with a high yield bond issuance in an amount of €75 million. The new bonds, with a coupon of 4.125% and maturity date in 2024, were issued as mirror notes to the notes issued in 2017 in an amount of €350 million.

Hertz restructuring, 2021
Representation of Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. and certain affiliates in their chapter 11 cases and restructuring negotiations in Europe, Australia and Asia-Pacific. Hertz completed its successful chapter 11 restructuring and its plan of reorganisation became effective on June 30, 2021.This representation is one of the highest profile restructurings arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and one of the most successful chapter 11 and international reorganisations in recent history.

Petra Diamonds restructuring, 2021
Representation of the ad hoc committee of bondholders of the US$650 million 2022 Notes in the financial restructuring of the diamond mining group, Petra Diamonds, with mines in South Africa and Tanzania.

IMA, 2020
Representation of Sofima Holding S.p.A., as issuer, and IMA Bidco S.p.A., as guarantor, on the offering of €450 million Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2028 and €830 million 3.75% Senior Secured Fixed Rate Notes due 2028 as part of the financing for the acquisition of shares of, and refinancing of outstanding indebtedness of, I.M.A. Industria Macchine Automatiche S.p.A. and its subsidiaries by IMA Bidco S.p.A., a subsidiary of the issuer.

IGT, 2019
Represented International Game Technology PLC, and the Guarantors in connection with the issuance of €750 million 3.500% Senior Secured Notes.

Cabot 2019
Represented Cabot Financial (Luxembourg ) II S.A. in connection with its issuance of ‎€400 million Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes.

PPF Arena 1, 2019
Represented PPF Arena 1 B.V. on the establishment of its €3 billion Euro Medium Term Note Programme and the debut issuance of €550 million 3.125% notes due March 2026 thereunder. The PPF Arena 1 B.V. group is a leading provider of telecommunication services in the CEE region, consolidating telecommunication activities of the global investment group PPF across six national markets. Its subsidiaries include O2 Czech Republic a.s. and Česká telekomunikační infrastruktura a.s. (CETIN) in the Czech Republic, O2 Slovakia s.r.o. in Slovakia and the former subsidiaries of the Telenor Group in Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro acquired by PPF Arena 1 B.V. in 2018.

Recordati, 2018
Representation of CVC Capital Partners in connection with a €1.3 billion high yield bond issuance related to the proposed acquisition of FIMEI S.p.A., which owns 51.8% of the outstanding share capital of Recordati S.p.A. The senior secured notes have been issued by Rossini S.à.r.l. in two tranches: €650 million 6.750% fixed rate notes due 2025 and €650 million floating rates notes due 2025. The transaction involves four LuxCos in the acquisition financing structure, with a mix of bank and bond financing (including deferred payment notes) and equity contributions (including investments by certain existing managers).

OCI, 2018
Represented J.P. Morgan, HSBC and Barclays as global coordinators and Merrill Lynch International, BNP Paribas, Citigroup, Crédit Agricole, Goldman Sachs, Rabobank and Société Générale as joint bookrunners, on the Rule 144A/Regulation S debut offering of US$1.15 billion (equivalent) senior secured notes due 2023 by OCI N.V. The Issuer is a global producer and distributor of natural gas-based fertilizers and industrial chemicals based in the Netherlands with significant operations across the US, Europe and the Middle East. The notes, which were issued on April 26, 2018, comprise US$650 million 6.625% senior secured notes due 2023 and €400 million 5.000% senior secured notes due 2023. Represented the dealer manager in relation to a tender offer for OCI N.V.'s convertible bond.

Gamenet Group, 2018
Represented Gamenet Group S.p.A. in connection with the issuance of its €225 million Senior Secured Guaranteed Floating Rate Notes due 2023.The notes have been offered and sold pursuant to Rule 144A and Regulation S under the Securities Act and listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. The proceeds will be used to finance the acquisition of GoldBet S.r.l.

Wind Tre S.p.A., 2017
Represented Wind Tre S.p.A. in connection with its €7.3 billion issuance of high yield senior secured notes, issued pursuant to Rule 144A and Regulation S under the Securities Act, and in connection with a €3.4 billion senior facilities agreement consisting of a €3 billion amortizing term loan and a €400 million revolving credit facility.

Publications

Co-author, "WIND Hellas: A complex restructuring in a global recession," Practical Law Company Journal, February 2011

Awards and Recognition

Leading Individual – Legal 500 UK 2024: High Yield

Legal 500 UK 2024: High Yield:

"James Greene is one of the best practitioners in the industry. Always responsive no matter the time of day and night and is able to navigate complex and stressful situations in a calm and efficient manner. He is a solution finder! No issue is too complex."

Next Generation Partner – Legal 500 UK 2023: High Yield

Legal 500 UK 2023: High Yield:

"James Greene is an outstanding HY practitioner. He always makes himself available to answer questions, no matter how complex. He is my go-to lawyer for any questions related to US Securities laws or any general questions related to HY. He also gives clear and concise advice that clients find easy to understand."