Graeme McLellan

Profil complet

Graeme regularly advises major sophisticated international clients on business-critical matters. His experience includes secured lending, bond financing, tax leasing, Islamic financing, and business/portfolio acquisitions and disposals. He enjoys cutting through complex and difficult issues, applying experience of structured, cross-border transactions to develop innovative strategies.

Ranked in the leading legal directories, Graeme is described as "an extremely capable operator who is quick to suggest innovative solutions," "very commercial in his approach… highly creative," and "brilliant." He frequently advises new market entrants on their initial market studies, product development and structuring, bids for opportunities, and implementation of winning bids.

Graeme’s digital infrastructure experience encompasses all stages of project development and operation, including synthetic tax leases for new data centre development, holdco financings including for land acquisition and power installation/upgrade, development financings, and portfolio refinancings.

His renewable energy experience ranges from the financing of large-scale battery storage, investments in offshore windfarms, secured debt financing of service operation vessels for offshore windfarms, and tax leases of generating equipment.

Transportation experience includes advising on the structuring and implementation of transport infrastructure financing, the structuring and establishment of multi-jurisdictional equipment financing and leasing platforms, including for fleets of rolling stock, as well as the financing and leasing of new and existing asset portfolios.

Expérience

• Advising various international investment funds on their individual entries into the European rolling stock leasing sector, including pan-European jurisdictional due diligence and the acquisition of fleets of passenger and freight rolling stock operating throughout Europe.*
• Advising various international investment funds on the structuring of SPV entities for the procurement, financing and leasing of major fleets of new passenger rolling stock operating in Europe, including in relation to tax structuring and financing optimisation.*
• Advising lenders on synthetic tax leases for major new data centres, optimising the cashflows and tax structuring for the land acquisition, construction costs and financing costs during construction.*
• Advising lenders on the development and implementation of various data centre financing structures applied across Europe, ranging from the initial land acquisition to the refinancing of portfolios of stabilised assets.*
• Advising lenders on the acquisition and development financing of a portfolio of data centres which included the sale and leaseback of sites with scope for further development.*
• Advising an institutional investor on the development and implementation of a rail infrastructure enhancement financing structure which was the first project of its kind.*
• Advising various rolling stock lessors on operator insolvencies and default terminations of franchises, including the termination and migration of leases to government nominees as the “operators of last resort”.*
• Advising various financiers on the migration of their financed assets to new UK public sector train operators as part of the ongoing renationalisation programme.*
• Advising the financiers on the structuring and implementation of the procurement, financing and leasing of a new lifeline vehicle ferry providing enhanced services for remote island communities.*
• Advising on the senior and junior financings of a service operation vessel supporting offshore windfarms in the North Sea, including with “walk to work” capability.*
• Advising both lenders and borrowers on the financing of various solar farms in various jurisdictions across Europe.
• Advising lenders on the financing of BESS developments in various jurisdictions across Europe.
• Advising lenders on the financing of football clubs, including stadium development financings and financings linked to media rights receivables.
• Advising both lenders and institutional investors on various structures to optimise financing arrangements across a range of asset classes, including holdco financings and loan-on-loan financings.
• Advising on various Islamic financings of transportation assets, including Ijaras and structures which combine Islamic equity with secured debt.
• Advising new entrants on their entry into the commercial aircraft leasing sector, including on the secured debt financing of aircraft being acquired which are subject to continuing lease agreements.*
• Advising major aircraft lessors on their portfolio trading, including the acquisition and disposal of aircraft subject to continuing lease agreements.*
• Advising major international banks on the financing of large and ultra-large business jets for both corporates and high-net-worth individuals using a wide range of structures.*

*These experiences are prior to joining Clyde & Co