Simmons & Simmons LLP has advised Macquarie Group's Commodities and Financial Markets group in connection with the acquisition by Bluestone Group of the UK mortgage lending and servicing platform, Basinghall Finance Ltd.

Macquarie provided the finance used by Bluestone Group to fund the acquisition in December 2014 and subsequently provided the structuring and distribution expertise in connection with two capital markets refinancings:

    A. an inaugural UK £250m public securitisation for Bluestone, Celeste Mortgage Funding 2015-1 plc, placed with European investors that priced in March 2015; and
    B. the repackaging and placement of two Net Interest Margin relating to two outstanding securitisations, placed in December 2014.

The Simmons & Simmons team was led by capital markets partner Michael Lorraine, assisted by Kate Cofman-Nicoresti, Annabel Rolls and Gizem Basaran. Corporate partners Isabella Roberts, Gideon Sharp and Mark Dewar advised on corporate and commercial regulatory matters, assisted by Danielle di Pietro, Sophie Lessar, Sally Booth and Tom Burgoo. Regulatory partner Penny Miller advised on financial regulatory matters, with tax partner Mark Sheiham advising on tax matters, assisted by Laura Allwright, and Real Estate partner, Iain Macfarlane, leading certain due diligence aspects from the firm’s Bristol office.