Conor Downey
Partner
Conor Downey specialises in structured finance and securitisation of a variety of asset classes with particular focus on the financing, restructuring and securitisation of real estate and real estate debt.
He has extensive experience in the structuring and documentation of a broad range of structured finance products and securitisations of a variety of assets and cashflows related to different types of real estate both in the UK and throughout Europe.
Conor is responsible for the introduction of a number of major innovations in the area which have now become market standard including A/B structures, Class X Notes, discretionary special servicing, controlling class rights, negative consent voting and the use of New York law repos for European real estate loans.
Conor has led teams on numerous high profile real estate debt and securitisation restructurings including Hoteloc (Europe’s first ever special servicing of a CMBS), Gemini Eclipse, White Tower, Toys “R” Us, Theatre Hospitals and GRAND.
Conor has 30 years’ experience of conduit and agency securitisation, repo and loan-on-loan financings, portfolio sales and acquisitions, scenario analysis of defaulted positions, covered bonds and contested debt acquisitions. Most recently, he has been involved in privately placed capital markets transactions involving ground rents, social housing, renewables projects and other esoteric asset classes in the UK and Europe. Conor was a partner at Cadwalader and Paul Hastings prior to joining McCarthy Denning.
Conor’s practice and transactions have won numerous awards and he writes and speaks regularly on structured finance and securitisation topics. He is listed in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame for Securitisation and is ranked in Chambers.