Philip Butler and David Miles Join Dechert as Finance Partners in London

Dechert LLP, a global law firm, announced today that Philip Butler and David Miles have joined Dechert as partners in London. Miles and Butler were both partners at DLA Piper, where Butler served as global co-chair of the financial services sector and previous head of the UK finance practice and Miles served as the head of the London debt finance practice group.

“We are pleased to welcome Philip and David to the firm,” said Dechert CEO Henry Nassau. “They both bring a wealth of experience with them that will add even more depth and breadth to our London and regional capabilities.”

“Philip and David are a wonderful addition to our global finance team,” added Camille Abousleiman, who chairs the London office management committee and is a corporate partner. “Their impressive track records and recognitions in banking and finance will be significantly beneficial to Dechert’s clients. We look forward to working with them.”

Butler, who has more than two decades of experience in structuring and negotiating a broad range of acquisition finance and corporate lending transactions, advises domestic and international clients on the implementation of all elaborate debt structures and “brings considerable market insight” to second lien financings, mezzanine debt, and unitranche and super senior facilities (the Legal 500 UK 2015). Butler regularly represents banks, corporates, funds, lenders, sponsors and syndicates on issues arising across an array of industries, including healthcare, life sciences, energy, manufacturing, and financial and information technology.

Butler is a graduate of Queen Mary & Westfield College, University of London (Law & Politics, Upper Second). He is admitted to practice in England and Wales. He is routinely ranked as a leading practitioner by Chambers UK and is listed in Chambers Europe and Chambers Global for banking and finance. He is also regularly featured in the Legal 500 UK for acquisition finance and bank lending: investment grade debt and syndicated loans.

Miles, who is well regarded in the debt market sphere for his work in management buyouts and transactions utilizing alternative debt products, regularly advises lenders on all capital structure layers, including senior, second lien, unitranche, mezzanine and PIK and is well regarded for his involvement in the development of unitranche as a major funding source in the European leveraged finance market. Miles regularly represents lenders, borrowers, sponsors and corporates on a full range of domestic and cross-border corporate lending and leveraged finance transactions. He also has significant experience assisting leading UK and international clients in connection with large-scale private equity backed buyouts, public bids, corporate M&A, refinancings and recapitalizations.

Miles is a graduate of Exeter University (Law, 2:1) and The College of Law (LPC, commendation). He is admitted to practice in England and Wales. He is ranked among the top banking and finance lawyers in the UK by Chambers Global and he is also recognized in Chambers Europe and Chambers UK for banking and finance as well as recommended in the Legal 500 UK for acquisition finance and banking lending: investment grade debt and syndicated loans.

Butler and Miles’ arrival marks the latest in a series of high-profile lateral corporate partners to move to Dechert and join the firm’s expanding global corporate and finance platforms in the London office. Over the past year, private equity and finance partner John Markland and corporate private equity partner Ross Allardice joined Dechert’s London office from Kirkland & Ellis and White & Case, respectively; Laurent Faugerolas, a corporate partner who was with Weil Gotshal Manges before forming his own firm also joined Dechert in London in addition to Paul Fleming, a bankruptcy partner from DLA Piper. The London office has also grown the litigation practice with the hire earlier this year of Matthew Cowie from Skadden and the expected arrival in a few months of Stephen Surgeoner from Clifford Chance.

About Dechert

Dechert is a global specialist law firm with a deep bench of experts focused on sectors with the greatest complexities and highest regulatory demands. We deliver practical commercial insight and judgment to our clients’ most important matters. Nothing stands in the way of giving clients the best of the firm’s entrepreneurial energy and seamless collaboration in a way that is distinctively Dechert.