Philip Hilton is an associate in Ropes & Gray’s finance department, specializing in leveraged finance and funds finance. Philip’s leveraged finance experience includes representing borrowers in syndicated and direct asset-based lending transactions, cash-flow financings and high yield bond issuances in both the United States and Australia. He routinely represents private equity sponsors on portfolio-level financings in the healthcare, shipping and general industrial sectors. He also represents sponsors and other borrowers on fund-level financings, including bilateral and syndicated subscription facilities, NAV facilities, management company lines and employee co-investment loan programs.
Prior to joining Ropes & Gray, Philip worked as a lawyer at a top-tier firm in Australia, where he advised financiers, sponsors and listed corporate borrowers in corporate bank and bond financings and project financings across a range of sectors, including banking, renewable energy, infrastructure and telecommunications.
Philip has a Juris Doctor degree with honors from the University of Melbourne, as well as a Bachelor of Arts with honors from the University of Melbourne, with majors in Politics and International Studies and a minor in Philosophy.
Experience
Notable transactions in which Philip has been involved include:
- Advised Australia and New Zealand Banking Group on the financing arrangements relating to the A$3.83 billion spin-off and simplification of its Wealth Australia business*
- Represented Vocus on the refinancing of the group's A$1.07bn and NZ$160m bank debt facilities*
- Represented MolyCop, a portfolio company of American Industrial Partners, in connection with a $1.275 billion refinancing of its existing secured notes and ABL financings.
- Represented PQ Corporation in modifying its $250M ABL revolving facilities, refinancing its $950 million of senior secured term loan facilities, prepaying $650 million of “sidecar” senior secured term loan facilities and redeeming $625 million of high yield bonds to permit, and restructure its organizational and debt structure in connection with, the sale of its global performance chemicals division to Koch Minerals & Trading and Cerberus Capital.
- Represented American Industrial Partners in connection with the $880 million ABL and 1L/2L financing for its acquisition of RelaDyne, a distributor of lubricant and fuel for industrial, commercial and automotive uses.
- Represented American Industrial Partners in obtaining $580 million in term loan facilities and a $100 million ABL facility for its acquisition of SEACOR, a diversified shipping and logistics company.
- Represented General Atlantic, Nautic Partners and The Vistria Group in connection with the $475 million 1L/2L financing for the acquisition of PANTHERx Rare, a provider of access solutions to people living with rare medical conditions.
- Represented Carlstar, a portfolio company of American Industrial Partners, in connection with the $375 million refinancing of its existing facilities with an asset based term loan and revolver facility.
- Represented various clients, including Cressey & Co., Gauge Capital and TSG Consumer Products in connection with portfolio company acquisitions, sales and financings.
- Advises a wide variety of equity, debt and real estate funds on capital call and asset-based fund facilities, including the following clients:
- Thomas H. Lee Partners
- Gridiron Capital
- Audax Group
- Invesco
- Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe
- Represented ACCIONA on the project financings for the Gunning and Waubra Wind Farms*
- Acted for a syndicate of major Australian banks on the secured refinancing of Myer’s syndicated facility*
- Acted for a large Australian bank on the establishment of a social impact bond for which it had been appointed security trustee*
- Advised a large listed U.S. company on the establishment of its Australian Medium Term Note programme*
*Experience prior to joining Ropes & Gray