SFNet to Host Cross-Border Lending Summit September 23 - 30, 2021

SFNet's Cross-Border Lending Summit is back in a two-part virtual conference and will explore what the cross-border ABL world looks like now. The event will be live online over two days, Thursday, Sept. 23 and Thursday, Sept. 30 from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EDT each day.

The Summit will discuss:

• the UK—First it was Brexit, then it was COVID, then it was sausages. Now what?
• A deep dive into the Luxembourg pool to consider Luxco lending structures for the first time
• A two-part exploration of cross-border ABL financing in 2021 and beyond. Are there now two universes?

Thank you to our conference sponsor, Winston & Strawn LLP.

The Conference will kick off Thursday, September 23, 2021, from 10:00-11:00 a.m. EDT with an interactive panel, Country Deep-Dive—Luxembourg, featuring a New York lawyer, an English solicitor and a Luxembourg lawyer.  Despite Luxembourg being just half the size of Delaware with a population equivalent to Oklahoma City, it has become the focus of cross-border finance structures. Why? Panelists will dig in and examine Luxco structures from the outside looking in (US and pan-European point of view) and from the inside looking out, from a Luxembourg point of view.

Alister Bazaz, head of International ABL, Bank of America, and Bill Brewer, partner, co-head of Corporate Lending, Winston & Strawn LLP, will serve as Moderators. Panelists include Michael Black, partner, Norton Rose Fulbright (London office); Jennifer Ezring, partner, Cahill, Gordon & Reindell LLP (New York office) and Romain Sabatier, partner, NautaDutilh (Luxembourg office)

“Luxembourg is a familiar jurisdiction in group organizational charts as the home for holding companies in tax efficient structures,” explained Michael Black, partner, Norton Rose Fulbright.  “But can it also be a friendly country for ABL deals?  This panel will consider the issues for asset-based lenders looking to include assets owned by Luxembourg companies in a borrowing base and Luxembourg domiciled assets owned by other borrowers.”

Next up will be art one of “In the Beginning” to “Evolution” …the ABL Cross-Border Journey from11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EDT. This two-part panel, with part two held Thursday, September 30, from 10:00-11:00 a.m. EDT, will encompass a comprehensive review of today's market for cross-border ABL and its multiple components.

Bazaz and Brewer will serve as moderators with panelists including Bobbi Acord Noland, partner, Parker, Hudson, Rainer & Dobbs LP (Atlanta office); Dominic Griffiths, global head of Banking & Finance, Mayer Brown International LLP (London office) and Darryl Kuriger, head of ABL, Truist Securities (New York office).

“Our panel’s goal is to have a very interactive and dynamic discussion about the cross-border ABL market,” explained panelist Bobbi Acord Noland.  “Our discussion will include how our market has evolved over time and the vast array of market ‘asks’ that we are seeing not only in large sponsor transactions but across other ABL markets too.  The discussion should be helpful not only to counsel who represent the agent in these types of transactions but also to co-lenders who may play in the cross-border market from time to time or have their own transactions with a cross-border component.”

A Discussion on the Ever-Changing Post-COVID, Post-Brexit UK Landscape will be held  11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EDT on September 30 with panelists Chris Hawes, co-head of ABL Direct Lending, M&G Investments, and Richard Hawkins, CEO, AtlanticRMS. The panel will look carefully at the current circumstances in UK and other consequences relating to Brexit.

“Due to its historic political economic and technological strength, the UK has always been a safe haven or even the safest haven from the perspective of lenders, investors and businesses,” said Richard Hawkins. “Its lender-friendly legal system and EU membership have provided the ideal platform for cross-border ABL. So what, if anything, has changed?  Chris and I will address these important issues and shed light on historic developments in the UK, its relationship with Europe and future prospects. We’ll also look at the well-publicized supply chain issues and whether they are temporary or permanent. Other questions we’ll shed light on: What is the Red wall? On Brexit, are we nearly there yet? What about Scottish independence?”

SFNet members pay $250 for unlimited company registration (all company employees are welcome to attend), while for non-members it is $350 individual registration. For registration information, click here.

Already registered to attend? Be sure to use #SFNetXB21for your social media posts.