Shepherd and Wedderburn banking & finance team scoops up prestigious award

Shepherd and Wedderburn’s banking & finance team was last night named Banking & Finance Team of the Year at the prestigious Law Awards of Scotland.

Now in their 14th year, the awards, run by The Herald newspaper in association with HR Consultancy, celebrate the achievements of law firms and solicitors in delivering services of the highest quality to clients.

Shepherd and Wedderburn’s real estate, litigation, and corporate teams were also shortlisted in their respective categories.

In addition to its high quality of service, the judging panel commended the banking & finance team, led by Fiona Buchanan, on the large number of high-profile deals on which it acted last year, including:

• advising the UK Green Investment Bank on a loan to help Stirling Council save £31 million over the next 30 years by installing energy saving streetlights;
• advising Nord L/B on £70 million funding for the award-winning East Lothian Community Hospital; and
• acting for Safestay in a £18.4 million debt restructuring and refinancing with HSBC, as well as the sale and leaseback of hostels in Edinburgh, raising gross proceeds of £12.6 million.

Fiona Buchanan, Shepherd and Wedderburn’s Head of Banking & Finance, said: “It is an honour to receive such valued recognition from our peers in the Scottish legal and business community for the work that we have carried out on behalf of our clients in Scotland, the rest of the UK and internationally. The unremitting focus of the banking & finance team, and our colleagues across the firm, is on delivering legal services of the highest quality to our clients and we thank them for their continued support, which made this award possible.”