Ropes & Gray Shortlisted for High Yield Deal of the Year
Deal News | Mar 25, 2025 | Ropes & Gray
The renowned law firm Ropes & Gray has been nominated for the High Yield Deal of the Year award at the prestigious IFLR Americas Awards 2025. This nomination recognizes their advisory role in a significant transaction involving First Quantum Minerals (FQM), one of the world's leading copper producers. The firm advised major financial institutions including Goldman Sachs, BNP Paribas, and J.P. Morgan on the $1.6 million issuance of senior secured second lien notes by FQM. This deal marks the most substantial mining high yield to have taken place over the past decade, contributing significantly to FQM's broader balance sheet strengthening initiatives, which also encompassed an amendment and extension of the company's bank facilities and an offering of common shares. The Ropes & Gray effort was led by finance partner Michael Kazakevich, counsel Luwam Mezue, and several associates, all based in London, with additional support from U.S. legal experts based in Boston and New York. Their exemplary work emphasizes legal innovation in dealmaking, which is precisely what the IFLR awards aim to celebrate.
Sectors
- Mining
- Legal Services
- Financial Services
Geography
- United States – Ropes & Gray, along with U.S. capital markets legal counsel, are based in American cities like Boston and New York, participating in the transaction.
- United Kingdom – The key finance team members from Ropes & Gray advising on the transaction are based in London, making the UK a vital geographical aspect of this deal.
Industry
- Mining – The article is about a significant financial transaction involving First Quantum Minerals, a leading company in the copper mining sector.
- Legal Services – Ropes & Gray is a law firm providing advisory services in the transaction highlighted in the article.
- Financial Services – The involvement of major financial institutions like Goldman Sachs, BNP Paribas, and J.P. Morgan situates the transaction within the scope of financial services and investment banking.
Financials
- $1.6 million – The aggregate principal amount of senior secured second lien notes issued by First Quantum Minerals.
Participants
| Name | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ropes & Gray | Legal Advisor | Company | A law firm that provided legal advisory for the high yield deal. |
| First Quantum Minerals | Target Company | Company | A leading copper producer and the issuer of the senior secured second lien notes. |
| Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC | Initial Purchaser | Company | One of the primary financial institutions involved in the offering. |
| BNP Paribas | Initial Purchaser | Company | Another major financial institution involved in the offering. |
| J.P. Morgan | Initial Purchaser | Company | A significant financial institution involved in the offering. |
| Michael Kazakevich | Finance Partner | Person | Led the Ropes & Gray finance team for this deal. |