Jenner & Block LLP is pleased to announce that corporate finance lawyer Neil Cummings has joined the firm as a partner in its Los Angeles office. With more than 20 years of experience representing a range of market participants, Mr. Cummings will add depth to the firm’s growing strength in corporate finance and increase the Los Angeles office’s transactional capabilities. He will be a member of the Corporate and Corporate Finance Practices.

Mr. Cummings is admitted to practice law in California and New York as well as in England and Wales and Ontario, Canada. These qualifications and his experience working on transactions governed by English law and US law further increase the firm’s global capabilities, particularly with the recent opening of Jenner & Block’s London office.

“The firm is committed to growing our corporate practice with top-caliber lawyers like Neil Cummings,” said Jenner & Block Managing Partner Terrence J. Truax. “Neil’s considerable experience with corporate finance and debt funds provides the right fit and responds to our clients’ needs.”

Mr. Cummings was previously a partner at Proskauer Rose LLP, where he served as head of its Los Angeles Finance Group. His background includes advising on domestic and cross-border financing transactions, with particular experience in numerous debt products and structures including bank/bond, bridge loan, first/second lien, multi tranche, unitranche, fund, mezzanine, subordinated debt, debtor-in-possession and exit financing. He has particular experience representing debt funds, widely recognized as a leading source of debt financing in highly leveraged transactions.

“As we continue to grow our corporate practice, Neil is a strategic addition to the firm,” said Joseph P. Gromacki, chair of Jenner & Block’s Corporate Department. “His practice is complementary to our existing corporate finance capabilities and can immediately add value for our clients. Neil’s focus on debt fund financing and his experience working with distressed entities give us an excellent advantage.”

Clients interviewed by Chambers USA have described Mr. Cummings as “an extremely responsive and creative practitioner – he can always come up with solutions to the problems we face.” He is the author of more than 30 articles and client alerts on a broad range of financing and restructuring topics, having written for publications such as International Finance Law Review, LSTA Loan Market Chronicle, The Deal and The Secured Lender. He is AV Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell’s highest peer recognition for ethical standards and legal ability. In his younger days, he was ranked one of the top 20 lawyers under the age of 40 in California by the Los Angeles Daily Journal.

His financing experience spans many industry verticals, including media, health care, government contracting, defense, gaming, hotels and leisure, construction, real estate, software, automobile, transportation, professional sports and satellite communications.

“Neil’s arrival will solidify our transactional presence in the Los Angeles market and well beyond,” said Rick Richmond, managing partner of Jenner & Block’s Los Angeles office, which is home to nearly 40 lawyers. “His experience builds on the strengths of our expanding corporate team here.”

Mr. Cummings is a graduate of the University of Aberdeen, Scotland Law School, earning his LL.B with distinction in 1989 and his Dip L.P in 1990. He was awarded a full academic scholarship to study at the University of Toronto, Canada, Faculty of Law, graduating with an LL.M. in 1991.

“I am excited about joining Jenner & Block,” Mr. Cummings said. “I look forward to combining my practice with the senior bench strength already in place in the Los Angeles office and working for a firm with a national reputation in the corporate arena, including a strong finance platform. Further, my dual qualifications – allowing me to practice both in the United States and the United Kingdom – are a strategic fit as the firm grows both its corporate capabilities and its international reach.”

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