February 23, 2005 – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that Thomas Budd will join the firm’s London office as partner and Co-Chair of the firm’s Global Finance Practice Group. Formerly a partner and the head of Jones Day’s UK finance practice, Budd will continue his corporate lending, acquisition finance and real estate finance practices.
“Tom will be a terrific addition to our London office and the firm,” said Ken Doran, Managing Partner of Gibson Dunn. “His broad-based finance practice complements our existing London practices and will enhance our ability to handle Europe’s largest and most complex M&A and finance transactions.”
“Tom has a high-profile borrower side finance practice, and his experience will benefit our clients tremendously, particularly our private equity clients, such as Investcorp, Lehman Brothers and Gores Technology Group,” said Judith Shepherd, a London partner and member of the firm’s International Corporate Transactions Group. “Our private equity practice in London is very busy, and with Tom, we will have the additional capacity we need.”
“Tom has a particularly strong reputation in the property finance sector, and I am thrilled that we are joining forces,” said Alan Samson, a partner leading the firm’s property and property finance practice in London. “Tom will be instrumental in helping us to build our growing European real estate private equity group which regularly represents the dominant market players including Apollo International Real Estate Fund, AEW Capital Partners, Lehman Brothers and Westbrook Partners.”
Budd is the latest addition to the firm’s European offices. In 2004, capital markets partner Alan Bannister joined the London office, antitrust partners James Ashe-Taylor and David Wood joined in the London and Brussels offices, tax partner Hans Martin Schmid joined in Munich, and corporate partner Nicolas Baverez joined in Paris.
Budd has experience in a wide range of banking, capital markets and restructuring transactions, with particular expertise in corporate lending and syndications, structured finance, trade finance, real estate finance, securitisation, capital markets transactions and debt restructuring transactions. He has represented both borrowers and banks and financial institutions.
He will serve as Co-Chair of the Firm’s Global Finance Practice Group along with New York partner Joerg Esdorn and Los Angeles partner Jeff Hudson. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Budd served as head of Jones Day’s UK finance practice. He joined Gouldens in 1992, which merged with Jones Day in 2003. He earned his LL.M. from the University of Cambridge in 1985 and his LL.B. from University of Queensland in 1982.
“Gibson Dunn’s strengths in finance, corporate finance, capital markets and mergers and acquisitions, and its market-leading corporate practice, will provide exciting opportunities for me,” said Budd. “I am looking forward to working with my new partners to develop the firm’s European finance practice.”
About the London Finance Practice
The London office specializes in acquisition finance, property finance, senior and mezzanine debt, refinancings and restructurings, funds and Sharia compliant financings. In addition, the project finance group specializes in all forms of international power, oil and gas, telecommunication and transportation projects.
In the past year, the amount and breadth of finance work handled by the London office has increased notably with attorneys advising on significant instructions including, most recently, the first European non-real estate Sharia compliant LBO.
