Travers Smith LLP has announced today the recruitment of Ben Thompson as a partner.
Ben is a highly regarded finance specialist with a wealth of experience advising sponsors, banks and other institutional funders on acquisition finance, with a particular focus on infrastructure finance where he has acted for both funders and sponsors on some of the largest and most complex recent infrastructure transactions in the European market.
Ben will join Travers Smith from Weil Gotshal & Manges, which he joined in 2015 and where he has held the role of Counsel since January 2020. In 2017, he was seconded to the Leveraged and Acquisition Finance Transaction Management team at HSBC in London, advising on general leveraged finance and infrastructure finance transactions. Prior to joining Weil, he spent four years at Latham & Watkins, both in the firm's London and New York offices.
At Travers Smith, Ben will be part of the firm's cross-practice Infrastructure Sector Group, and work particularly closely with Corporate Partners Spencer Summerfield, Mohammed Senouci and Jonathan Walters, who have long-standing experience advising infrastructure funds. The team's infrastructure clients include Ancala Partners, Basalt Infrastructure Partners, Arjun Infrastructure Partners, Macquarie, Aggregated Micro Power Holdings, Daiwa International Capital Partners, Xoserve, Northleaf Capital Partners and GLIL Infrastructure.
The infrastructure market has undergone significant growth in the last few years, both in terms of the breadth of what is considered to be an infrastructure asset and infrastructure funds' widening geographical aspirations. As an established player in this market, Travers Smith is perfectly placed to respond to this fast-changing landscape, with the arrival of Ben Thompson further strengthening the firm's existing capabilities.
Head of Travers Smith's Finance, Matt Ayre said: "We are delighted to welcome Ben to our team. We believe that he will be an excellent addition to our practice and that our reputation in providing first-class advice to lenders and sponsors on cross-border infrastructure projects will be further enhanced by a specialist with his focus and expertise."
Head of Travers Smith’s Corporate Department and Infrastructure Sector Group, Spencer Summerfield said: "Our Infrastructure Sector Practice has been going from strength to strength in the current fast-paced environment, growing and diversifying its portfolio of work year after year. Ben's arrival will enable us to further grow our practice in order to meet the growing needs of our clients.”
