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Annette Kurdian

Partner

Email

annette.kurdian@aoshearman.com

Phone

+44 20 3088 3040

Offices

London

V-CARD
Annette has extensive experience in cross border leveraged finance across the credit spectrum and capital structures with a specific focus in advising lenders on the crossover of leveraged and infrastructure finance transactions and on private credit leveraged finance transactions.

She has carved out a successful practice leading the development of these financing strategies also complimented by her experience of complex fund finance and mainstream leveraged financing transactions.

Her new money expertise is supported by her experience working on distressed situations. Annette has worked for many clients for whom knowledge of all potential financing options and experience across the market is a key ingredient to the execution of transactions. She is constructive and consistently at the forefront of developing new solutions to get the deal done. Annette was awarded “Best in Banking & Finance” by the European Women in Business Law Awards, was ranked in The Lawyer's Hot 100 and is ranked in The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.

Experience

Representative matters

  • The arrangers and underwriters in relation to Telecom Italia’s disposal of NetCo, the business unit for its fixed line network.
  • The arrangers and underwriters in connection with the proposed acquisition by GIP and KKR led consortium of a stake in Vantage Towers AG, a leading telecoms tower company in Europe.
  • The lenders on the additional holdco financing facilities for a subsidiary of a state-owned oil company, in which funds managed by BlackRock and KKR have a material minority stake in the $4bn pipeline infrastructure transaction with a state-owned oil company (having advised the lenders on the financing for the original investment).
  • The debt financing sources on Asda’s acquisition of EG Group’s UK and Ireland operations for an enterprise value of c. GBP2.27 billion.
  • The lenders in relation to the refinancing of Swissport following its 2020 restructuring.

Pro bono

  • Assisted with the IRAP Afghanistan SIV project.

Published Work

  • Annette Kurdian and Andrew Smith, “The Legal Framework for Secured Credit, An Australian Perspective”, delivered to the International Bar Association, 17th Annual Conference, International Finance Law and published as “Secured Transaction Law Survey, The Legal Framework for Secured Credit An Australian Perspective – Taking, Maintaining and Enforcing Security”, Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Finance Law, Volume 16(2), (3) February- March 2001

Speaking Engagements

  • Annette has been published and quoted in a variety of private equity and alternative lending publications, including for Bloomberg, Creditflux, Private Debt Investor, Private Equity News, Deloitte Alternative Lender Deal Tracker and the LMA/LSTA. She has been a speaker on a number of panels including for directing lending at the 2017 LMA/LSTA conference and more generally at the Annual European Leveraged Finance Conference hosted by S&P Global Ratings.

Recognition

“She is really knowledgeable, commercial and excellent at thinking through and explaining issues. She is a really good collaborator on deals.” “She has excellent technical ability, is constructive, able to find solutions and doesn’t miss a thing.”
Chambers and Partners, 2021
“Annette Kurdian’s broad based leveraged finance practice sees her advising clients on deals utilising the full spectrum of debt products, including direct lending mandates, as well as hybrid structures combining infrastructure and leveraged finance technology.”
Legal 500, 2021

Awards

  • Best in Banking & Finance - European Women in Business Law Awards
  • Ranked - The Lawyer’s Hot 100.

Qualifications

Admissions

The Law Society of Ireland On the Roll, 2019

Law Society of England and Wales Solicitor, 2002

Law Society of New South Wales Solicitor, 1997

Academic

College of Law, Sydney, 1997

Bachelor of Commerce (majoring in accounting) / Bachelor of Laws (merit) University of New South Wales, Sydney, 1996

Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.