Key Takeaways
- • McDermott Will & Emery arranged a £425 million unitranche refinancing facility for Ares Management to refinance Charles Taylor Group and its affiliates, with McDermott acting as lender, arranger, agent, and security agent.
- • Charles Taylor Group is a UK-based provider of professional services, claims management, and technology solutions to the insurance market, operating globally with specialization in complex insurance situations requiring technical expertise.
- • Ares Management, a global alternative investment manager founded in 1997, deployed flexible capital across credit, private equity, real estate, and secondary markets to support the refinancing transaction.
- • McDermott's engagement team was led by partner Aymen Mahmoud, with associates Giulia Venanzoni and Ryan Clarke providing transactional support on the structured refinancing.
Summary
McDermott Will & Emery advised Ares Management Limited on a £425 million refinancing of Charles Taylor Group and its affiliates through a unitranche facility structure. In this transaction, McDermott served in multiple advisory capacities simultaneously, functioning as lender, arranger, agent, and security agent—a comprehensive role reflecting the complexity and scale of the refinancing engagement.
Charles Taylor Group operates as a leading UK-based provider of professional services to the insurance market, with a global footprint and diversified service offerings. The company provides claims management, advisory solutions, and technology platforms serving carriers, managing general agents, brokers, and service providers across multiple jurisdictions. The organization positions itself around delivering complex insurance solutions that require distinctive technical expertise and scalable technology infrastructure, with an emphasis on building long-term client relationships across multiple service lines.
Ares Management, the alternative investment manager backing this refinancing, has established itself as a significant player in flexible capital deployment since its 1997 inception. The firm manages capital across credit markets, private equity, real estate, and secondary investments, indicating diversified capital sourcing and deployment capabilities that support transactions of this scale and structure.
The transaction demonstrates continued institutional appetite for refinancing established UK-based professional services firms serving the insurance sector, with alternative capital managers increasingly providing structured financing solutions beyond traditional bank lending channels. The unitranche structure—which combines senior and subordinated debt characteristics into a single instrument—reflects evolving credit market preferences for simplified capital stack architecture and aligned risk-return profiles across lenders.
Charles Taylor Group operates as a leading UK-based provider of professional services to the insurance market, with a global footprint and diversified service offerings. The company provides claims management, advisory solutions, and technology platforms serving carriers, managing general agents, brokers, and service providers across multiple jurisdictions. The organization positions itself around delivering complex insurance solutions that require distinctive technical expertise and scalable technology infrastructure, with an emphasis on building long-term client relationships across multiple service lines.
Ares Management, the alternative investment manager backing this refinancing, has established itself as a significant player in flexible capital deployment since its 1997 inception. The firm manages capital across credit markets, private equity, real estate, and secondary investments, indicating diversified capital sourcing and deployment capabilities that support transactions of this scale and structure.
The transaction demonstrates continued institutional appetite for refinancing established UK-based professional services firms serving the insurance sector, with alternative capital managers increasingly providing structured financing solutions beyond traditional bank lending channels. The unitranche structure—which combines senior and subordinated debt characteristics into a single instrument—reflects evolving credit market preferences for simplified capital stack architecture and aligned risk-return profiles across lenders.
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