Kenneth D. Askin is Regional Department Chair of Latham & Watkins’ Finance Department in California and advises clients on the full spectrum of complex financing transactions, particularly in the gaming and hospitality industries.

Kenneth draws on a sophisticated understanding of the market and extensive experience to represent a broad range of clients, including:

  • Corporate borrowers
  • Banks
  • Direct lenders
  • Real estate investment trusts (REITs)
  • Private equity sponsors
  • Other financial institutions

He has experience structuring, negotiating, and documenting various financial transactions, including secured, unsecured, and asset-based credit facilities; leveraged acquisition financings; construction financings; working capital financings; private placements; and cross-border financings.

Kenneth’s recent experience includes:

  • Wolfspeed in the successful completion of its financial restructuring and emergence from chapter 11 
  • Bally’s Chicago on the financing aspects of its IPO and concurrent private placements 
  • The lead arrangers and initial purchasers in connection with significant refinancing transactions for the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, the owner, developer, and manager of premier entertainment resorts in the US and Canada 
  • Aristocrat Leisure Limited’s senior secured credit facilities
  • Eldorado Resorts Inc. in connection with the financing of its US$17 billion acquisition of Caesars Entertainment Corporation and numerous subsequent secured credit facilities and secured bond offerings for Caesars Entertainment, Inc.
  • Lead arrangers in connection with the financing of Bally’s Corporation’s acquisition of Gamesys plc
  • Boyd Gaming in all of its secured credit facility financing transactions since 2019
  • Caesars Entertainment, Inc. in connection with its acquisition and financing of William Hill
  • Citizens Bank as lead arranger in several financings of private equity acquisitions and portfolio companies
  • Playtika Holding Corp. in connection with its senior secured credit facilities
  • Resorts World Las Vegas in its US$2.6 billion construction financing
  • Realty Income in its senior unsecured multicurrency revolving credit and term loan facilities and unsecured private placements
  • A leading single family home rental platform in its SFR warehouse financings
  • Santander and Citizens Bank as lead arrangers for the financing of the Catawba Nation’s Two Kings Casino
  • Red Rock Resorts in its senior secured credit facilities
  • Antares Capital in numerous acquisition financings for private equity sponsors
  • Extra Space Storage in its senior unsecured credit facilities and unsecured private placements
  • Sculptor Real Estate in acquisition financings, construction financings, and refinancings of gaming properties in California, New York, and Mississippi
  • New Regency Productions in its senior secured asset-based revolving production credit facility and library term loan facility 

Bar Qualification

  • California

Education

  • JD, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, 2006
  • BA, Rice University, 2003