Kath Shimmin

Chair
Contact details

023 8085 7081

Kath is superb.

Chambers and Partners, 2024

Kath is a Partner in the Banking & Finance Team and was elected Chair of Blake Morgan in 2021. She has over 25 years’ experience in the finance sector, covering a huge range of client and transaction types.

Main areas of practice

Kath’s expertise covers most aspects of corporate and commercial finance. A substantial proportion of her work focuses on secured lending, including structured and leverage finance as well as construction and development lending, project finance, and Bond and other debt issues.

As well as advising on lending and security, she also regularly advises on the development and documentation of financial products.

Additionally, Kath has considerable specialist knowledge in relation to funds and collective investment schemes, and has advised extensively on perimeter issues relating to the regulatory treatment of investment schemes and on structuring and documentation of a range of funds.

Clients

Kath acts for a broad range of clients, a significant proportion of which are Clearing Banks and institutional lenders. Other clients include corporate borrowers and lenders, non institutional lenders, individuals, not for profit entities and NGOs.

Expertise

Career

Kath qualified with Slaughter and May in 1988 and practised there in Banking and Capital Markets for six years before joining Blake Lapthorn in 1994.

She became a partner in 1997 and since then has focussed much of her energy on building a specialist Banking and Finance practice within the firm.

She now leads a team of 25 lawyers based in London, Wales, Thames Valley and the South Coast.  She maintains an active practice, often advising on complex or unusual transactions, including overseas or multiple jurisdictions, unusual security assets and bespoke financing or security instruments.

She was named in the 2021 Legal 500 Hall of Fame.

Contact details

023 8085 7081

Accreditations
Memberships
  • Loan Market Association

Significant Experience

  • advice to non institutional lender on refinancing of portfolio of care homes, including preparation of financing documentation, and advice on unwinding existing financing and related swap transactions
  • advice to Borrower on refinancing and group restructuring in the education sector, including a £70 million club senior financing and mezzanine finance from equity provider
  • advice to Clearing Bank Lender on £20 million structured finance loan to property investment client
  • advice to clearing bank lender on £15,000,000 revolving credit facility to plc customer
  • advice to authorised fund manager on structuring and documentation of investment and loan funds, including preparation of fund documentation and preparation of template lending and security documentation. 

Additional Expertise

  • Capital Markets/Bonds and other instruments
  • Swaps
  • Financial Services and Markets (particularly Collective Investment Schemes and close substitutes)
  • Consumer Credit
  • Asset Finance
  • Asset backed lending/invoice finance
  • Restructuring and turnaround

 

"Kath is at the top of her game and her ability to cut through issues is a reason why we keep on returning to Blake Morgan."

Chambers and Partners, 2023

"Kath Shimmin provides magic circle-level advice and knowledge and is approachable and commercial. She takes the time to get to know the business at all levels – senior management, in-house legal counsel and the stakeholders at the coalface."

Legal 500, 2022 Hall of Fame

"Commercially focused and pragmatic, which means that we always get a sensible deal done."

Chambers and Partners, 2022

"She is commercial, highly experienced and seen as a go-to partner for banking and finance matters."

Chambers and Partners, 2022

Kath Shimmin is sharp, quick and to the point – sees the bigger picture with her vast commercial knowledge and experience and cuts through the chase to deliver great and workable solutions.

Legal 500, 2021

"What she doesn't know about banking law probably isn't worth knowing."

Chambers and Partners, 2020

Kath Shimmin is an excellent, very commercial and responsive partner.

Legal 500, 2020

Insights by Kath


articles

26 April - Kath Shimmin

In this article, we look at the potential consequences of the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) investigation into mis-sold car finance under the Discretionary Commission Arrangements (“DCAs”), and the potential implications...

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articles

20 February - Kath Shimmin

Money laundering is estimated to cost the UK economy more than £100 billion each year. The proceeds of money laundering can also be linked to other illegal activities, such as...

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articles

19 July - Kath Shimmin

In the context of COP-26 targets and with the UK Government issuing £16 billion in green bonds in 2021, the sustainable lending area is one proving to live up to...

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