Valera Bamgbala is an associate in the Corporate Department of the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the Capital Markets Practice.
Prior to joining the firm, Valera completed her legal studies at the University of Virginia School of Law, where she was a member of the editorial board on the Virginia Journal of International Law. She holds a summa cum laude Bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University, Boston.
She serves on firm organizations including the Black Lawyers Group, in which she serves as the group's London co-local leader.
Experience
Valera’s experience includes advising:
The initial purchasers in connection with Evri’s first-time Reg S/144A issuance of £725,000,000 senior secured notes, the proceeds of which were used to repay amounts outstanding in connection with Evri’s acquisition by Apollo. The offering was among one of the top 10 largest GBP sterling issuances since 2021.
The initial purchasers in connection with Ocado Group’s offering of £450,000,000 Reg S/144A senior secured notes
BestSecret in connection with its offering of €550,000,000 senior secured floating rate notes
Deutsche Bank and the remaining syndicate of initial purchasers in connection with the offering of US$500,000,000 senior secured notes by Merlin Entertainments, a gaming, leisure, and entertainment company
HitecVision in connection with a NOK4.6 billion (US$423 million) accelerated bookbuild offering of shares in Vår Energi ASA
Deutsche Bank and the remaining syndicate of initial purchasers in connection with the offering of €700,000,000 senior secured notes by Merlin Entertainments, a gaming, leisure, and entertainment company
Qualifications
Bar Qualification
New York
Education
JD, University of Virginia School of Law, 2022
BA in History & Criminal Justice, International Affairs and Theatre, Northeastern University, 2019
Firm honored by Law360 for advising startups, financial institutions, VCs, digital asset and Web3 participants, and corporations on their most innovative and complex transactions, investigations, litigation, and regulatory matters.
Cross-border team represents arrangers and underwriters on transaction to support Stonepeak’s acquisition of the leading global industrial and automotive lubricants company.
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