Martin specialises in international finance and acts for a variety of financial institutions, as well as sponsors and corporate borrowers. He has worked on matters spanning the globe for market-leading international financial institutions and companies.
Advising on English law, Qatari law, and the laws and regulations of the Qatar Financial Centre, Martin has advised on many conventional and Shari’a-compliant transactions throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council, Africa and Europe.
Expertise
- Cross-border syndicated financings
- Leveraged and acquisition finance
- Debt capital markets
- Fund formation and asset management
- Islamic finance
- Real estate finance
- Project finance
- Restructurings
Experience
Project Finance
- Advised Bank Sohar as mandated lead arranger, in connection with the USD 257m project financing for the Moon Iron and Steel Company project at Sohar. The facilities were a mix of Islamic and conventional facilities and the advice included having to structure the transaction to cover the arrangements between the Islamic financiers and the conventional banks.
- Acted for Masraf Al Rayan, in connection with its QAR 1.8bn (approx. USD 495m) commodity murabaha financing of a logistics project in the south of Doha.
- Advised Meethaq Bank on the construction financing of a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant structured as an istisna/forward ijara. Also advised on the construction financing of a chicken broiler plant in Oman structured as an istisna/forward ijara.
- Advised Ahli Bank SAOG and Ahli United Bank BSC as initial mandated lead arrangers in connection with a USD 235m term loan facility agreement for financing the Muscat Sohar Pipeline Project.
- Acted for Bank Nizwa SAOG in connection with a USD 40m revolving murabaha and ijara facility to be used to fund the development of an antimony production plant in Sohar.
- Advised Qatar National Bank, International Bank of Qatar and Samba Financial Group as mandated lead arrangers on English and Qatar law in respect of the provision of USD 430m secured term loan facilities for the construction of a rig and ancillary equipment.
Real Estate Finance
- Acted for Qatar National Bank and Al Khaliji in connection with their provision of mezzanine finance to a UK established SPV for the development of two towers in East Village, London, the site of the old Olympic Village.
- Acted for Commercial Bank (Q.S.C.) in connection with its QAR 1.2bn (approx. USD 330m) term loan to Msheireb Properties for the development of a spa and family resort and mixed-use commercial and office building.
- Acted for Tornado Company in obtaining financing from Doha Bank by way of a 13-year tenor term facility, secured by a legal mortgage over Doha’s iconic and award-winning Tornado Tower.
- Acted for Masraf Al Rayan in connection with its provision of Shari’a-compliant financing to UK established SPVs for the development of 11 towers in East Village, London, the site of the old Olympic Village.
- Advised HSBC on the provision of a USD 200m secured term loan facility to a Qatari corporate for the construction of a real estate project.
- Advised the Commercial Bank of Qatar on the provision of a commodity murabaha facility and ijara to a Qatari entity in an amount of QAR 146m for the purchase and subsequent development of a plot in Lusail
Leveraged and Acquisition Finance
- Acted for Oman Telecommunications Company in its USD 420m bridge loan financing from a syndicate of banks arranged by Citibank N.A., London Branch, including Arab Banking Corporation (B.S.C.) and Mashreq Bank PSC for its proposed takeover bid for the leading Maltese telecommunications company GO (significant as the client’s first foray into the European public-to-private regime in conformance with both the Maltese and heightened European Union regulatory standards).
- Advised SCB Private Equity on its USD 75m Shari’a-compliant mezzanine finance investment to a family-owned private company in Bahrain.
- Advised Standard Chartered Bank on its provision of several different bilateral and syndicated secured term loans to Qatari entities in various industries.
- Advised Qatar First Investment Bank on the provision of a USD 150m commodity murabaha facility made available to a listed entity incorporated in Jersey.
- Advised Royal Bank of Scotland plc as lender pursuant to a cross-border tax lease arrangement to provide finance for the purchase of cranes to be imported into Qatar.
- Advised Lombard on a USD 40m Shari’a-compliant aircraft financing for a Qatari customer.
- Advised Deutsche Bank, Barclays Capital and The Royal Bank of Scotland plc as mandated lead arrangers in their provision of USD 1.35bn senior, mezzanine, bridge and revolving facilities for the purchase of a global toys retailer.
Debt Capital Markets
- Advised JP Morgan as mandated lead arranger on the provision of structured debt facilities in relation to the EUR 1.22bn acquisition of Fraikin Groupe SAS, a pan-European commercial vehicle hire company.
- Advised Qatar International Islamic Bank as Issuer on English and Qatari law on its debut USD 700m sukuk issue listed on the Irish Stock Exchange.
- Advised Deutsche Bank, HSBC, QInvest and Standard Chartered Bank as to Qatari law in their capacity as managers on the establishment of a USD 1.5bn sukuk programme by Qatar Islamic Bank and the issue of USD 750m certificates thereunder.
- Advised Doha Bank as Issuer on English and Qatari law on its USD 2bn EMTN programme and the issue of USD 500m certificates listed on the London Stock Exchange.
- Advised QNB Capital and its client on the prospective confidential purchase of sukuk issued by an African sovereign state.
- Advised the State of Qatar and the managers as to Qatari law in respect of various of the State of Qatar’s bond issues in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Funds
- Advised Matrix ME Alignment Fund Management LLC joint venture partners (UK and Qatari) on the establishment and licensing of this entity as a fund management company (with an Islamic window) at the Qatar Financial Centre regulated by the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority.
- Advised Matrix ME Alignment Fund Management LLC on the establishment of a real estate fund registered by the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority.
- Advised Masraf Al Rayan and its subsidiary Al Rayan Investment on the establishment and management of a Shari’a-compliant GCC equity fund regulated by the Qatar Central Bank with a maximum capital of USD 700m.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised in The Legal 500 for Islamic Finance (2023-2024)
Career
Martin qualified as a solicitor in 1999. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2018, he worked at the following firms:
- Addleshaw Goddard
- Dentons
- White & Case
- Ashurst