The appointment comes as LHV Bank targets doubling its Scottish loan book over the coming years as part of its wider growth ambitions in the market.
Harper Macleod’s banking and finance team advises on Scottish law aspects of acquisition finance, asset-based lending, real estate finance, development finance, restructuring and insolvency.
The firms have already completed multiple Scottish transactions together with an aggregate value of around £63m, providing the foundation for the formal appointment.
Growth opportunities
Conor McDermott (pictured), director of SME lending at LHV Bank, said: “Scotland is an important market for LHV and one where we see significant opportunities to grow our commercial lending business across real estate and trading sectors. As our activity increases, we need advisers who combine technical expertise with a commercial approach that helps transactions progress quickly and efficiently.
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“Harper Macleod has already supported us on a number of Scottish transactions and has shown a strong understanding of the sort of lending we do. This appointment formalises that relationship and gives us a stronger platform as we continue to grow our presence in Scotland over the coming years.”
Andrew Ronald, partner in Harper Macleod’s banking and finance team, added: “The Scottish lending market remains active, but it is also becoming more sophisticated. Borrowers are often dealing with more complex capital structures, cross-border elements or transactions that need a more tailored legal approach.
“That places a premium on legal advisers who can combine technical Scots law expertise with a commercial understanding of how lenders want to get deals done.
“We have already worked closely with LHV on a number of transactions and know first-hand the appetite it has for the Scottish market. We are pleased to have been appointed to support that next stage of growth.”
