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James Smallwood

Partner

James advises on a broad range of private capital, capital markets and structured financing transactions.

His structured finance practice covers public CLO transactions (both arbitrage and balance sheet), warehouse financings, fund financings and asset-backed loan transactions, originator financings, private placements, repos, repackagings, bespoke funding and regulatory capital involving both securitisation and derivatives technology.

James is a leading adviser to the European CLO market, on both the arranger and manager side, having worked within the firm’s market-leading global CLO practice since the return of European CLO 2.0s in 2014.
 

Experience

Representative matters

Arrangers and managers on a large proportion of all European CLOs brought to market since the financial crisis, including warehouse establishment and public deal issuance (new deals, refinancings, resets and reissuances).

Banks in respect of the establishment and management of balance sheet CLO transactions, including advising on regulatory and strategic decisions in respect of liquidity and balances sheet management.

Banks and sponsors on the provision of leverage to direct lending, mid-market and other credit funds, having advised a significant proportion of the key market participants on the development of their products in this market. 

The establishment and managing of many of the most prominent CLO risk retention vehicles in the European market, including those arranged by Blackstone and Chenavari.

 

 

 

Published Work

  • J.Smallwood (2023) "Collateral quality or increased recoveries: CLO portfolio management in a time of credit deterioration", London: Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law

Qualifications

Admissions

Admitted as a Solicitor (England and Wales), 2014

Academic

Bachelor of Laws (LLB), College of Law Moorgate (GDL/LPC), 2011

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), History, University of York, 2009

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.