Hearthside strikes deal with non-steerco group

Allica Bank scores capital relief via novel structure with British Business Bank and Sona

UK challenger Allica Bank has signed a guarantee with the British Business Bank which includes, for the first time, a private-sector junior investor, and frees up additional regulatory capital compared to other guarantees under the government-owned bank’s ENABLE programme.

Lenders praise SoftBank’s $40bn bridge design, some raise concerns over AI life-cycle

Lenders evaluating the SoftBank Group’s $40bn one-year bridge loan describe the deal as well-structured and say it addresses most risks they could think of, while some expressed concerns over the unpredictable life-cycle of AI products.

9Questions — Aly Hirji, Elmwood — completing a CLO trilogy

Elmwood, the US CLO manager backed by Elliott, is making its push into European credit at a moment when the asset class is drawing fresh attention from a broadening pool of global investors. 9fin sits down with Aly Hirji, head of European credit and portfolio manager at Elmwood to discuss why he has chosen the firm as the platform for his third European CLO build, and how the firm is navigating a market reshaped by geopolitics, AI-driven sector dispersion and shifting global capital flows.

Athletico lenders in talks for potential takeover

Lenders to Athletico Physical Therapy are in discussions to potentially take ownership of the business by swapping their debt to equity, according to two people familiar with the matter, as a wave of distress continues to ravage private equity-owned healthcare rollups.

European regulators question private ratings’ future

What Kirkland can teach Biglaw about the perils of scale