John Markland

John Markland is a retired partner in Dechert’s London office. He is the former co-head of the firm’s global leveraged finance practice and is consistently recognized as one of Europe’s most “highly experienced finance practitioner[s]” Chambers UK (2017). According to The Legal 500 (2018) he is “a true and rare rock star of leveraged finance”. The 2022 edition of Chambers UK notes “John Markland has very good experience and he is a very smart and experienced lawyer” and “he is incredibly commercially aware and understands business.” In the 2021 edition of Chambers UK, Mr. Markland is described by clients as being “an excellent partner who is very knowledgeable. He is a formidable negotiator and provides invaluable advice around complex mechanics in contractual agreements,” as well as being “extremely commercial and pragmatic.” He is also ranked and listed as a ‘leading individual’ for acquisition finance in The Legal 500 UK, 2021 and 2022 and is listed in the ‘Highly Regarded’ category by IFLR1000 2020 and 2021 for banking.

Mr. Markland recently won a special commendation in The Legal Business Corporate Team of the Year Awards 2019 for his role in advising South Korea's SK hynix Inc., the single largest investor in the Bain Capital consortium's US$18 billion takeover of Toshiba's memory chip business unit last year, which is still the largest private equity-backed acquisition globally since 2015 (Thomson Reuters).

Prior to joining Dechert in November 2016, Mr. Markland was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis for over 12 years. At Kirkland, Mr. Markland founded and led the European debt finance practice, which won the Dow Jones Private Equity News “Finance Team of the Year” Award for Excellence in Advisory Services in Europe and was consistently top-ranked in Chambers. His previous experience includes working in the London offices of Weil Gotshal & Manges (2000-2004) and Clifford Chance (1992-2000).

His more than twenty seven years of legal practice in the City of London spans a broad spectrum of finance transactions, but his focus throughout the last decade has been on acquisition finance, debt restructurings, and other event-driven finance matters. In this period he was recognized as one of Europe’s leading finance lawyers in the key legal directories, including Chambers UK, Chambers Europe, Chambers Global, The Legal 500, The World's Leading Lawyers for Business, and IFLR1000. He has been commended in these directories as “a standout practitioner who is up on the market, sensible and commercial in his approach”, who is “clearly highly intelligent”, who is known for his knack at “figuring out solutions", who wins plaudits for his “constructive, sensible, fast and efficient work”, for seeing a transaction from “everyone’s point of view” and for conveying to clients “the impression that he only ever thinks about your organisation”.

He is a fellow of the London Business School and frequently lectures on private equity and acquisition finance (he has been closely involved in LBS’s Private Equity Institute since its inception in 2005).

Publications

Contributor – International Comparative Legal Guide (ICLG) to Private Equity (2020)

Contributor and co-author of Private Capital - Private Equity and Beyond, a comprehensive two-volume private capital textbook. (2019)

ABRY Partners on the senior and mezzanine acquisition facilities arranged by RBS on the acquisition of Language Line (UK).
Affiliates of Further Global Capital Management, L.P. on the acquisition of AA Ireland Limited.
Bain Capital (PE) on several acquisition financings including on the acquisition of TeamSystem (Italy), on the refinancing of Novacap (France) and on the debt for equity restructuring and refinancing of Treofan Film (Germany).
Bain Capital Credit (Sankaty), NIBC and GSC, the mezzanine lenders on the debt and equity restructuring of Jost World, an automotive parts manufacturer in Germany.
Bain Capital Credit (Sankaty) and the Mezzanine Steering Committee on restructuring of the debt and equity of the BorsodChem petrochemicals business in Hungary, owned by Permira and Vienna Capital.
Blackstone Credit (formerly GSO Capital Partners) on the acquisition of Co-operative Group’s general insurance business by GSO, TwinFocus and Markerstudy Group.
Bluebay on various loan facility arrangements, including fund-level facilities and on the creation of new loan products.
Bridgepoint Capital on the acquisition facilities arranged by Societe Generale and Royal Bank of Scotland on its buyout of German spectacles and lens producer Rodenstock from Permira.
Cerberus Capital Management on the sale of Covis Pharma to Apollo Global Management.
Change Capital on the acquisition financings of several deals, including on its purchase of Hillary’s Blinds (UK) and on the acquisition financing of Robert Dyas (UK).
Coveris Holdings S.A. (a portfolio company of Sun Capital Partners), on a €700 million sale of its Global Rigid packaging business to Lindsay Goldberg LLC.
Crown Holdings, Inc. on the sale of its European tinplate business to an affiliate of KPS Capital Partners, LP for €2.25 billion.
Francisco Partners on the financings for several deals, including on the acquisition of Buongiornio Marketing Services (aka Spitfire), the acquisition financing of Masternaut SAS in France and the acquisitions of Cybit UK and Data Connection Ltd in separate transactions.
Golden Gate Capital on the acquisition facilities arranged by JPMorgan on the approx UKP 200 million public to private buyout of Union Systems (UK).
Kartesia on its provision of a senior debt financing package to the Kallidus Group backed by Apse Capital, to provide for the continued growth and development of Kallidus and to support the acquisition of Sapling Inc.
Madison Dearborn Partners on the acquisition financing of their take private of PowerFlute, a Finnish company listed in the UK.
Madison Dearborn Partners on the acquisition of Sirona Dental Systems, including the €500 million senior facilities arranged by JP Morgan and UBS and subsequent refinanancings.
Madison Dearborn, Apax Partners and TA Associates on their US$1.8 billion vendor financed exit upon the merger of Weather Investments with Vimpelcom Inc.
Mid Europa Partners on the financing relating to the acquisition of Mlinar a leading bakery retail and wholesale business in Croatia.
Mid Europa Partners on the financing of its acquisition of intive S.A. from Enterprise Investors.
Mid Europa Partners on the financing relating to the acquisition of Urgent Cargus from Abris Capital Partners.
Mid Europa Partners on the refinancing/recapitalization of Moji Brendovi (the brand name for the Serbian operations of Danube Foods Group), a portfolio company of Mid Europa Partners.
Mid Europa Partners on the acquisition and financing of Profi Rom Food S.R.L in Romania from Enterprise Investors.
Mid Europa Partners on the acquisition of Regina Maria hospitals group in Romania from Advent International.
Mid Europa Partners on the acquisition and subsequent sale to KKR of the SBB (Serbia Broadband) cable communications operator in the former Yugoslavia.
Mid Europa Partners on the acquisition financing of its purchase of Alpha Medical, a business which operates medical laboratories in Slovakia, Czech Republic and Poland and its subsequent sale to Apax.
Mid Europa Partners on the acquisition of its purchase of Walmark SA, a pan-CEE food supplements business.
Mid Europa Partners on its financing arrangements in connection with the €1.4 billion acquisition of One Telecom (one of Austria's largest mobile telephone operators) and its eventual sale to Hutchison Wampoa.
Mid Europa Partners on its buy-out and subsequent restructuring of Energy 21, a Czech solar parks business.
Mid Europa Partners on the acquisition facilities arranged by Bank BPH on the buyouts (and eventual sale to BUPA) of LUX-MED and Medycyna Rodzinna, two Polish health businesses.
Mid Europa Partners on the refinancing arranged by Credit Suisse of the debt facilities to Aster City (Poland). Also advised on the original financing in March 2006 which was then the largest LBO in the CEE.
Mid Europa Partners on the structuring and acquisition financing of UPC Slovenia from Liberty Media.
Middle East Oil Refinery (MIDOR) on a US$1.2 billion credit facility agreement for the modernisation and expansion of MIDOR’s refinery facilities.
Moor Park Capital on the acquisition and propco financing arranged by ABN Amro of 101 retail properties principally leased to German DIY giant Max Bahr.
Palamon Capital Partners on the unitranche and super-senior financing of OSG, an eye-surgery business in Germany.
Palamon Capital Partners on the acquisition financing of the Simplify and Move With Us legal services business in the UK.
Palamon Capital Partners on a PIK loan facility provided by Bluebay for PS Holdco in Germany to fund a dividend recap.
Palamon Capital Partners on for the Prospitalia portfolio company on its senior debt refinancing, led by DZ Bank.
Palamon Capital Partners on (via its portfolio company Towry Law) on a restructuring of Towry Law’s senior facilities.
Shareholders of Albéa S.A. on the US$1.5 billion sale of Albéa S.A. to PAI Partners.
SK hynix Inc. as part of a consortium led by Bain Capital on the US$18 billion acquisition of Toshiba's NAND flash memory and solid-state drive business - (currently the largest PE backed buyout globally since 2015, according to Thomson Reuters).
SmurfitKappa (sponsored by Madison Dearborn Partners, CVC and Cinven) on the merger between Jefferson Smurfit and Kappa Packaging, on the IPO amendments and subsequent refinancing of various of its €3.8 billion senior facilities and certain high yield debt issuances and subsequently on a ground-breaking €100 million senior debt buyback by reverse Dutch auction.
Summit Partners on the acquisition facilities arranged by HSH Nordbank on the buyout of Welltec International.
Sun Capital on the acquisition of Lee Cooper Group regarding senior trade receivables and mezzanine facilities provided by GE Commercial Finance, GE Factofrance and Investec (UK, France).
Tetragon Financial Group on all aspects of the acquisition and financing of the Equitix infrastructure projects business in the UK.
Vestar Capital on the €375 million acquisition of Seves SpA (Italy) (and various add-ons and restructurings).
Vestar Capital on the €360 million acquisition of Cesare Fiorucci (Italy).
Veronis Suhler Stevenson on the acquisition of Clarion Events and subsequent restructuring and sale.
Veronis Suhler Stevenson on the acquisition debt facilities arranged by Bank of Ireland for the acquisition of Canalmail SL.
Veronis Suhler Stevenson on its senior facilities arranged by WestLB on the buyout of The Chart Show from ITV.
Veronis Suhler Stevenson on the senior facilities arranged by RBS on the acquisition of Sherston Publishing Group (UK).
Veronis Suhler Stevenson on the senior facilities on the acquisition from Yorkshire TV of Granada Learning Group (UK).
Vista Equity Partners on the acquisition financing of its purchase of Thomson Reuters' Kondor risk management business, arranged by GE, ING, Lloyds, Bank of Ireland and HSBC.

Includes matters handled at Dechert or prior to joining the firm.

London School of Economics - Alternative Investments Conference — London Marriott Hotel, (February 3-4, 2020)
Markets Group - Private Equity Europe Forum 2019 — London, (September 5, 2019)
Private Equity & Venture Capital 2017 Conference — The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, New York, NY (January 20, 2017)

John D. Markland

Publications

Office

London

Services

Education

Admission

Languages