David O'Connor

Securitisation

• Acted for the Lead Managers in the £331.2 million auto loan securitisation issued by Globaldrive Auto Receivables UK 2018-A plc. The transaction involved the issuance by Globaldrive of £300 million of Class A Notes and £31.2 million of Class B Notes backed by a portfolio of UK retail auto hire purchase receivables, purchased by Globaldrive from FCE Bank plc, which is part of the Ford Motor Company. The notes were publicly listed on Euronext Dublin on 29 May 2018. We also represented Wells Fargo Trust Corporation Limited as Note Trustee and Security Trustee, Wells Fargo Bank International UC as Cash Manager and Elavon Financial Services DAC as Paying Agent and Registrar on the transaction.  

RMBS

• Several mortgage originators and investment banks on covered bond programme establishments and issuances.
• Various investment banks on establishments and issuances from standalone and master trust RMBS programmes.

General Structured Finance

• Various structured repo transactions involving RMBS collateral.
• A major hedge fund on the acquisition of a UK RMBS portfolio.
• A hedge fund on a loan portfolio acquisition.

• Listed as a 'Leading individual' for Securitisation. ‘The team is always available, very fast in the execution and with a commercial approach which is always very appreciated by the clients. Smart in finding solutions, they are technically above other foreign firms. In my opinion stand-out partners are Dominic Griffiths and David O’Connor.’ - Legal 500
• David O'Connor has a strong ABS practice and is adept at handling a broad spectrum of asset classes, including esoteric assets. He is best known for work in real estate-related securitisation, notably advising banks on CMBS and RMBS transactions. "He has great market and technical knowledge and he is able to come up with practical solutions." "He offers really good, practical advice and anticipates the structuring opinions." "He is super approachable and is very client-focused." - Chambers UK
• Listed as a Leading Individual, David O'Connor is best known for work on real estate-related securitisations, notably advising banks on CMBS and RMBS transactions. Sources say he is "technically sound, commercial, personable, hard-working, pragmatic and creative."; David O'Connor is "proactive, knowledgeable, commercial and creative," remark clients. He advises a range of financial institutions as well as investors and borrowers on real estate finance matters. He is particularly noted for his experience handling securitisation and structuring matters. - Chambers UK
• Listed as a key lawyer, the "commercial" David O'Connor is also a key contact. He "is very strong, always accessible, and has deep understanding of the important issues." - Legal 500, Property Finance 
• Listed as a leading individual for Structured Products "David O'Connor is a brilliant partner. He is responsive and commercial and has great market and technical knowledge. He is very good at breaking down complex matters into a digestible form." "Kevin Hawken, David O'Connor and Merryn Craske are all highly responsive and effective communicators. They provide value-added and high-quality legal and regulatory analysis. They are also highly commercial." - Legal 500
• David O'Connor has a varied real estate finance practice, which includes experience in CMBS matters and mezzanine finance. Clients say: "He is very responsive, very commercial and very easy to get on with, which makes a big difference when doing deals." He is also described by sources as "a good technical lawyer who is client-friendly." - Chambers UK, Real Estate Finance
• David O'Connor is "technically excellent, extremely commercial, and understands the bigger picture," according to sources, who add that "he's ultra-responsive at any time." He is a particularly highly regarded adviser in the CMBS and RMBS markets. Chambers UK, Capital Markets: Structured Finance, Securitisation & Derivatives
• The "very commercial and creative" David O’Connor has a "solid background across a number of different areas", although he is best-known for his real estate-related structured finance prowess. - Legal 500: Bank Lending
• Dominic Griffiths and David O’Connor, who has a broad-based securitisation practice but is best-known for CMBS and RMBS transactions, "are among the best lawyers on the street". - Legal 500 Securitisation
• David O'Connor advises clients on a broad range of property finance matters, including commercial-backed mortgage securitisations and loan origination. Clients praise his "very strong commercial acumen and good judgement." Sources praise David O'Connor's "broad background," saying: "He is a lawyer but he has worked in an investment bank on a securitisation desk so he gets the commercial considerations as well." He focuses his practice on advice relating to CMBS, among other securitisation transactions. - Chambers UK
• Clients note: “David O'Connor at Mayer Brown is a highly-skilled adviser. He has a real ability to help craft a deal and with good market contacts can really help pull things together. He is also keenly aware of the importance of competitive billing and provides real value for money. “David is an excellent deal lawyer. Highly responsive, enthusiastic and commercial with a deep industry knowledge. He has a great breadth of expertise, spanning both commercial real estate and securitisation”. “Strong lawyer with good command of the law as well as pro-active and pragmatic attitude. This allows deals to get done, rather than to get talked about.” “Excellent communication and very commercial.” - IFLR 1000
• The "quick, technically superb" David O’Connor "always looks to protect clients’ interests, pre-empts risky situations, and provides excellent advice". He is "a fantastic adviser with great market contacts; he really helps to get deals over the line with top-quality legal advice". Legal 500
• David O'Connor counts securitisation work as a mainstay of his practice, with regular work on ABS. Sources say: "He is very commercial and allows the client to focus on key issues so they don't have to deal with the technicalities." - Chambers UK
• "Strong, commercial partner" David O’Connor is "great at driving deals forward and can manage complex transactions with a quick timeline". "Responsive, commercial and hardworking" - Legal 500
• The "technically brilliant" David O'Connor "has a deep knowledge of the industry and the way the banking world works," according to one client - Chambers UK
• David O’Connor, who is "very commercial and excellent at driving complex transactions to completion", continues to build the firm’s presence in CMBS, - Legal 500
• Ranked as "up and coming"; "he brings significant experience of advising on CMBS transactions". - Chambers UK