The new joiner will further bolster the firm’s London team and infrastructure group.
Full-service UK law firm Travers Smith LLP has welcomed infrastructure debt lawyer Ryan Ayrton to its London office as partner. He is set to strengthen the firm’s cross-practice infrastructure sector group.
Ayrton joins the firm following stints at Linklaters and, more recently, Watson Farley & Williams. He focuses his practice on structured finance transactions, and M&A and infrastructure financings in particular. His experience also spans various infrastructure and energy sub sectors and includes portfolio financings, debt platforms, and acquisition and leveraged finance.
On his new role, Ayrton commented: “I am very excited to be joining Travers Smith. The firm has a standout reputation for helping its international client base to navigate complex infrastructure transactions across sub sectors and geographies. The firm goes to market as an integrated Infrastructure Sector group, with expertise in M&A, finance, funds, asset management and operational risk. I look forward to working closely with my new colleagues to further develop the firm’s infrastructure finance practice in what is an exciting and busy time for the asset class.”
His clients have included sponsors and funders, such as institutional investors, commercial banks and multi-lateral agencies. At Travers Smith, Ayrton will work with the firm’s infrastructure sponsor clients that include Ancala Partners, whom the firm recently advised in relation to the acquisition of a smart meter operator, Basalt Infrastructure Partners, Daiwa International Capital Partners Limited DIF Capital Partners, GLIL Infrastructure, and Northleaf Capital Partners.
Of Ayrton’s appointment, Charlie Bischoff, head of Travers Smith’s finance department, said: “I am looking forward to welcoming Ryan to the Finance team as a partner. Ryan’s arrival will enhance our finance offering, bolstering our ability to offer our infrastructure fund clients expert advice carefully tailored to their sector, and win new infrastructure clients, both on the borrower side, acting for sponsors and other market participants, and, on the lender side, acting for banks, debt funds and other financial institutions.”
Corporate department and infrastructure sector group head Spencer Summerfield added: “We are really excited to welcome Ryan to our Infrastructure Sector group. We have a long held record of advising infrastructure funds on M&A deals and related financings. Infrastructure debt is a specialised market, and Ryan is among a small group of specialists in London who have the expertise and experience to advise on both lenders and borrowers on infrastructure financings.”
This news follows that of funds partner Joel Grossmark, who joined the firm’s London office in June.