Practice Areas
Corporate
Corporate Finance
Private Equity
Admissions
New York
England and Wales (Registered Foreign Lawyer)
Education
Columbia Law School - J.D.
Bowdoin College - B.A.
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Profile
Edward Holmes is a partner in Cadwalader’s Finance Group and based in London. His practice focuses on leveraged loan and capital markets transactions, with an emphasis on representing underwriters and arrangers in high-yield debt offerings, acquisition financing, syndicated lending, restructurings and liability management. Ed draws from a wide array of experience on a variety of capital structures and instruments, both debt and equity, representing issuer and underwriter clients, as well as private credit investors.
Since 2023, Ed has been ranked in “Capital Markets: High-Yield Products” by Chambers UK, in which client feedback notes “. . . he is incredibly knowledgeable, and we lean into him for technical questions around the high-yield market.” In 2025, The Legal 500 UK named Ed a “Next Generation Partner” in the “Capital Markets: High-Yield” category, commenting that “. . . up-and-coming talent Edward Holmes ... is particularly active in the sponsor and acquisition financing space.” Prior to joining Cadwalader in 2025, Ed was a partner in the global finance practice of another major law firm in London.
Ed received his J.D. from Columbia Law School and his B.A. from Bowdoin College. He is a member of the bar of the State of New York and admitted as a registered foreign lawyer in England and Wales.
Experience
- Represented Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Barclays, and the other initial purchasers in relation to the €1.6 billion public-to-private financing provided in connection with Nordic Capital’s acquisition of ADVANZ PHARMA.
- Represented Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, BofA Securities, and the other initial purchasers in connection with the $3 billion financing package for private investment firm Bain Capital’s acquisition of a majority stake in Kantar from British multinational advertising and public relations firm, WPP.
- Represented Carlyle, Goldman Sachs and LGT as subscribers of preferred equity in connection with Genstar Capital’s acquisition of Apex Group Ltd., a leading provider of global fund administration and financial services.
- Represented BofA Securities and Morgan Stanley as global coordinator for the debut high-yield notes issuance of Zorlu Yenilenebilir Enerji A.Ş., a subsidiary of Zorlu Enerji A.Ş., a leading integrated utility company whose shares are listed on Borsa İstanbul.
- Representing KKR Credit, Carlyle, Goldman Sachs, and Canyon as purchasers of Senior Floating Rate Notes in connection with the acquisition of defence firm Ultra Electronics Holdings plc by Cobham. Also represented these purchasers, together with Albacore, in connection with the issuance of PIK Toggle Notes, the proceeds of which are also being used to fund the acquisition.
- Advised McLaren bondholders in an agreement to call off its attempt to raise money by using an unrestricted subsidiary structure to raise debt against its head office and collection of heritage cars.
- Advised Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, and Citibank as arrangers and underwriters in relation to a £2.5 billion 1st/2nd lien financing for U.S. private equity firm Advent International’s public-to-private bid to acquire Cobham plc.
- Represented Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Barclays, and the other initial purchasers in relation to the €1.6 billion public-to-private financing provided in connection with Nordic Capital’s acquisition of ADVANZ PHARMA.
- Represented Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, BofA Securities, and the other initial purchasers in connection with the $3 billion financing package for private investment firm Bain Capital’s acquisition of a majority stake in Kantar from British multinational advertising and public relations firm, WPP.
- Represented Carlyle, Goldman Sachs, and LGT as subscribers of preferred equity in connection with Genstar Capital’s acquisition of Apex Group Ltd., a leading provider of global fund administration and financial services.
- Represented BofA Securities and Morgan Stanley as global coordinator for the debut high-yield notes issuance of Zorlu Yenilenebilir Enerji A.Ş., a subsidiary of Zorlu Enerji A.Ş., a leading integrated utility company whose shares are listed on Borsa İstanbul.
- Representing KKR Credit, Carlyle, Goldman Sachs, and Canyon as purchasers of Senior Floating Rate Notes in connection with the acquisition of defence firm Ultra Electronics Holdings plc by Cobham. Also represented these purchasers, together with Albacore, in connection with the issuance of PIK Toggle Notes, the proceeds of which are also being used to fund the acquisition.
- Advised McLaren bondholders in an agreement to call off its attempt to raise money by using an unrestricted subsidiary structure to raise debt against its head office and collection of heritage cars.
- Advised Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, and Citibank as arrangers and underwriters in relation to a £2.5 billion 1st/2nd lien financing for U.S. private equity firm Advent International’s public-to-private bid to acquire Cobham plc.
- Represented JP Morgan and Barclays Bank plc on the acquisition financing in connection with the proposed acquisition of Atotech Limited (NYSE: ATC) (”Atotech”) by MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ: MKSI) (“MKS”), a global provider of technologies that enable advanced processes and improve productivity.
- Represented BofA Securities, JP Morgan, and Standard Bank, as initial purchasers for $750 million of 7.00% senior notes due 2025 issued by HTA Group, Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Helios Towers plc, a leading independent telecommunications tower infrastructure company with operations in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville), Ghana, and South Africa, whose shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange.
- Advised Etihad Airways Partners’ multiple-award-winning funding vehicle, EA Partners I B.V., on its debut issue of $700 million 6.875% Notes due 2020, the proceeds of which were on-lent to Etihad Airways, its airport services business, and five of its key strategic airline partners.
- Represented JP Morgan and BNP Paribas in connection with the financing of Euronext-listed multinational cable and telecommunications company Altice’s $9.1 billion Suddenlink acquisition.
- Advised Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Standard Chartered, and Standard Bank in connection with the $600 million debut high-yield notes offering by the telecoms infrastructure services provider Helios Towers Africa, and also advised on the $60 million revolving credit facility provided by the same financial institutions.
- Advised Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Lloyds, and RBS as arrangers in respect of the financing for Advent International’s £1.2 billion public-to-private acquisition of U.K. electronic and technology business Laird plc.
- Advised the second lien investors in respect of the privately placed second lien facility to finance Hellman & Friedman’s €5.3 billion public-to-private acquisition of Nets A/S.
- Represented Lloyds, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, HSBC, and BNP Paribas in connection with Advent International’s acquisition of MRO specialists IPH and Brammer to create a major European distributor of industrial supplies with revenues of more than €2.1 billion.
- Represented Permira Debt Managers and its affiliates in connection with the unitranche financing of IK Investment Partners’ minority equity investment in Third Bridge, a provider of research services to private equity and hedge funds.
- Represented Bank of America Merrill Lynch and the other joint bookrunners on AerCap Holdings N.V.’s $800 million notes offering.
- Advised Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, and ING in connection with the financing of Advent International and Bain Capital’s €700 million acquisition of German payment service provider Concardis.
- Advised EA Partners II B.V. on a follow-on offering of $500 million 6.750% Notes due 2021, the proceeds of which were on-lent to Etihad Airways, its airport services business, and four of its key strategic airline partners.
- Advised Goldman Sachs and the other lead arrangers on financing Carlyle’s acquisition of Acosta, Inc.
- Represented Citigroup and Deutsche Bank in connection with the funded collar secondary sale of shares in AerCap by Waha Capital.
- Advised York Capital Management in connection with a direct loan and related warrant subscription to Cecon ASA, a Norwegian and Canadian shipping company.
- Represented RBC and Credit Suisse in $850 million high-yield bond offering by Sanchez Energy.
- Represented UBS, Citigroup and the other joint bookrunners on AerCap's $2.6 billion notes offering.
- Represented GE Capital as administrative agent and joint lead arranger in a $65 million first lien credit facility in support of the acquisition by Lightyear Capital of Paradigm Management Services, and related dividend recapitalization.
- Advised York Capital Management in connection with a direct loan to a Russian luxury-goods import and distribution company.
- Acted as counsel to UBS and other joint bookrunners in connection with a $2.75 billion bridge credit agreement to finance the $5.4 billion acquisition of International Lease Finance Corporation by AerCap from American International Group.
- Advised RBC and other bookrunners in Niska Gas Storage Canada’s high-yield notes issuance.
- Advised Credit Suisse and other joint bookrunning managers in connection with Apollo’s $1.3 billion acquisition of Chuck E. Cheese.
- Advised UBS and other financing sources in CD&R’s Acquisition of John Deere Landscapes.
- Represented Morgan Stanley and other lenders in connection with the financing of KKR's $1.6 billion acquisition of The Brickman Group.
- Advised Goldman Sachs on the financing for the partial acquisition of Syncreon Ireland B.V. by Centerbridge.
- Advised Shuanghui International Holdings Limited in their $7.1 billion acquisition of Smithfield Foods, the largest U.S. publicly-traded pork processor and hog producer.
- Represented Morgan Stanley in $500 million high-yield bond offering for Dynegy Inc.
- Advised BAML, Morgan Stanley, and Jefferies in financing for TPC Group's acquisition by First Reserve and SK Capital Partners.
- Represented RBC and BMO in $250 million Renaissance Learning refinancing.
- Represented Barclays and Deutsche Bank and other bookrunners in the $250 million bond offering by Shale-Inland Holdings, LLC.
- Advised Goldman Sachs and other debt financing sources in Advent International’s acquisition of Serta Simmons Bedding.
- Advised BAML in financing for Midstates Petroleum Company, Inc.'s acquisition of Mississippian Lime Oil Properties.
- Represented RBC, BMO, and Deutsche Bank in connection with the leveraged buyout by Ares and CPPIB of 99¢ Only Stores.
- Represented RBC in financing Permira Fund’s $455 million acquisition of Renaissance Learning.
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