Xavier Guzman

He/himPartner

Country Managing Partner, Luxembourg

Combining 'a unique set of great technical and soft skills,' team head Xavier Guzman provides a 'hands-on and pragmatic approach' to clients.

Legal 500

Emailxavier.guzman@akd.partners

Call+352 26 29 04 2052

Luxembourg

About

Xavier Guzman is a Banking, Finance and Restructuring lawyer. He has in-depth experience on cross-border banking and finance work (including secured lending, leveraged and acquisition finance, energy finance, sports finance, and funds finance), bond issuances, securitisation and restructuring.

Xavier has created close client relationships to be at the forefront of his clients' needs by thinking innovatively. He regularly advises a vast panel of banks and financial institutions, alternative credit providers, asset managers, private equity houses, real estate investment structures, (re)insurance companies, and other international corporates.

Much of the work that he does is the Luxembourg element of complex projects, advising clients on their finance, acquisition and restructuring needs for business activities that span across multiple jurisdictions.

He regularly publishes articles and newsflashes, and speaks about market insights to clients and players on the changes in legislation, trends and other important events of the Luxembourg legal market and financial services industry.

Areas of FocusFinancial Services Real Estate Finance Energy and Natural Resources Restructuring Structured Finance and Securitization

Bar AdmissionsAvocat a la Cour admitted to the Barreau de Luxembourg

EXPERIENCE

Advising Aareal Bank AG on the Luxembourg legal and tax aspects of a strategic GBP275m financing for three Hilton hotels.
Advising Pricoa Private Capital, the European asset management arm of PGIM Inc., on the provision of long-term financing worth EUR100m to Fair Market Value Capital Partners UK Limited and TD Asset Management Inc., to support the acquisition of a 28% stake in PSA Italy, a port operator and supply chain company, from PSA International.
Advising EIG Global Energy Partners, a leading institutional investor to the global energy sector and one of the world s leading infrastructure investors, on the Luxembourg aspects of multi-billion financing related to the acquisition of a stake in Aramco Oil Pipelines Company.
Advised Energy Infrastructure Partners AG in the structuring, negotiation and implementation of the financing of the acquisition of a stake in a worldwide Spanish leader in renewable energy.
Advising 3R Petroleum leo e G s S.A., a major Brazilian energy company, on the complex financing of the acquisition of the Potiguar cluster from Petrobras.
Advising Harrison Street in relation to an approximately EUR200m financing for the acquisition and development of a residential asset, and subsequent fund commitments agreed therein.
Advising the Carlyle group on the Luxembourg aspects of several real estate external debt financings relating to the acquisition and development of distribution logistics assets located in France, Germany, The Netherlands, Denmark and Finland.
Advising Lone Star Capital on the due diligence, financing and acquisition of Propertize Bank in the Netherlands including, inter alia, the due diligence, corporate, real estate, finance and restructuring matters pertaining to real estate assets located in 12 jurisdictions and the underlying loans for a total value of EUR5.6bn (Project Swan).
Advising Nielsen Bidco US Inc and its Luxembourg subsidiary on (i) the tender offer, the consent solicitation and the change of control offers for senior notes issued by The Nielsen Company (Luxembourg) S. r.l. and other entities of the group, (ii) the c. USD9 billion first and second lien financing for the acquisition of the Nielsen group, and (iii) the offering of USD1.96bn senior secured notes.
Advising regularly Macquarie on complex financings in the logistics real estate sector.
Advising Herbalife Ltd. and its Luxembourg subsidiaries on the refinancing through a USD1.45bn senior credit facilities.
Advising an international coatings manufacturer on its corporate and finance restructuring.
Advising the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, one of the leading bank in mobilising private finance for green economies, in the negotiation and implementation of an approximately EUR250m financing relating to the acquisition and development of logistic and light industrial facilities pursuant to a Green Finance Framework.
Advising Landesbank Hessen-Th ringen Girozentrale on several debt financing, including a complex combined share and asset deals, and the related senior financing with a total volume of approximately EUR166m and a senior financing in the mid three-digit million range relating the acquisition of the landmark Highlight Towers building in Munich.
Advising a US asset manager on the strategy and implementation of a scheme to take back the shares in a French pharmaceutical company.
Advising FMS Wertmanagement on the sale of a pan-European portfolio of mortgaged loans for approx. EUR580m (Project Hieronymus).

Languages

RECOGNITIONS

Member of the team awarded IFT's Legal Adviser of the Year 2024, recognising the team's efforts in cross-border restructuring and turnaround work, including the Part 26A restructuring plan for F rst group of companies, based in Luxembourg.
Xavier was rated in IFLR1000 as "Notable practitioner", 2022-24
Xavier was rated in Legal 500 as "Next Generation Partner" (from 2020 to 2024) and considered for being "an extraordinarily competent partner in Luxembourg" and an outstanding all-around lawyer.
Xavier is a wizard in the Luxembourg financing environment; he is very knowledgeable and has a acute attention to details to ensure the deal moves into the right direction. Highly recommended! Legal 500, 2024
"Xavier Guzman has a very broad knowledge of the industry and the market, is extremely experienced, professional, reliable and responsive and at the same time very pleasant to work with." Legal 500, 2023
"Xavier Guzman combines a unique set of great technical and soft skills. His hands-on and pragmatic approach permit clients to get matters completed in a seamless fashion." Legal 500, 2022
"Xavier Guzman is always proactive and provides valuable input." Legal 500, 2021
"Xavier Guzman never lets us down, which is key to being successful in this changing and challenging environment." Legal 500, 2020
Xavier was rated in Leaders League as "Recommended", 2020, 2021, 2022
Xavier was rated in IFLR1000 as "Rising star" and considered for being "very responsive", 2019, 2020, 2021
Xavier was considered in Legal 500 as "outstanding at worldwide restructuring projects", 2017

Education

Luxembourg Bar School (cours complémentaires), University of Luxembourg, 2008

Universit Paris I Panth on-Sorbonne, Master Degree in International Business Law, 2006

Publications

Prior Experience

2024 to date, Country Managing Partner, AKD Partners, Luxembourg
2017-24, Partner, AKD Partners, Luxembourg
2015-17, Counsel, AKD Partners, Luxembourg
2014-15, Senior Legal Counsel, International Insurance Company, Luxembourg
2008-14, Senior Associate, International Law Firm, Luxembourg
2013 (2 months), Secondment - US Law Firm, New York
2007-08, Associate, Magic Circle Law Firm, Luxembourg
2006, Associate, French Law Firm, Hong Kong

Memberships And Affiliations

Member of the Legal Affairs Committee of the Luxembourg Banker s Association (ABBL)
Member of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce for Luxembourg and Belgium
Member of the Association of Banking Lawyers (Association des Juristes de Droit Bancaire) (ALJB) in Luxembourg