Neil Waller

Trowers & Hamlins

Neil is a social housing finance specialist at Trowers & Hamlins. He "knows the finance market and key issues" (Legal 500) and "provides 'sound, sensible advice' to housing associations" (Chambers).

He also has wide-ranging expertise in real estate finance, student accommodation and housing PFI transactions. His real estate finance experience includes leading a due diligence team on the acquisition of a US$1.8 billion loan book secured on UK real estate (transaction featured as "Deal of the Week" in The Lawyer).

Neil works for a range of housing providers, large and small, on a wide variety of financing arrangements, including all types of loan facilities. He regularly acts for some of the largest housing groups, including The Guinness Partnership and Onward Homes. His other recent experience includes:

Stock transfer transactions – acting on the financing of many stock transfer transactions, including all three of the most recent transfers: Gloucester City Homes, Salix Homes and County Durham Housing Group
Bond issue – acting for Saxon Weald on their debut bond issue (£225 million) – the first stock transfer association for many years to wholly refinance its original bank debt by means of a bond issue.
Danske Bank – acting for the Bank on their lending activities to English Registered Providers.
Acting for One Vision Housing on the rescue of Venture Housing and the associated restructure of their existing loan facilities.
Private placements – acting for Adactus Housing, bdht, V2C, One Vision Housing, Severnside Housing and South Liverpool Homes, including in each case acting on a simultaneous restructure of their existing loan facilities.

Contributed to

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Key deal structures in social housing finance

Practice notes

This Practice Note explains the key bond issue, private placement and loan facilities deal structures used in social housing finance and includes structure diagrams.

Banking & Finance

Social housing entities entering into finance transactions

Practice notes

This Practice Note explains the nature of social housing entities, how they are regulated and the regulatory, corporate and charity law issues that need to be considered when social housing entities enter into finance transactions. It also looks at capacity issues that may arise under particular types of finance transactions, in particular interest rate swaps and other derivatives, on-lending and entering into guarantees or granting security.

Banking & Finance

Taking and enforcing security from social housing entities

Practice notes

This Practice Note explains the key issues to consider when taking or enforcing security from social housing entities that are particular to a social housing financing context.

Banking & Finance

The key financing terms in social housing finance

Practice notes

This Practice Note summarises the key financing terms in social housing finance. It covers financial covenants and other key sector specific provisions.

Banking & Finance