I'm a partner in the Banking and Finance team specialising in acquisition and leveraged finance, real estate finance and general corporate banking.

Tel: +44 (0)20 7864 9548

Email: kirsty_jefferies@wragge.com

Best brains in...

Acquisition and leveraged finance: Understanding the markets our clients work in so we can focus on the important points in negotiations and offer pragmatic/tailored solutions in fast-moving transactions.

Highlight of your career so far?

A satisfied client is always a highlight. Doing a good job, performing well and adding value is the only way to keep clients coming back. A couple of jobs for Close Brothers Private Equity – the £93 million MBO of Rosemont Pharmaceuticals and £46.5 million MBO of Protocol Skills – stand out. Good mid-market deals in their own right; they also helped us develop a strong working relationship with CBPE. It's an extra bonus when the other parties in the transaction also acknowledge that we have done a good job!

Most challenging job you've ever done?

Advising a UK lender on the first property finance transaction of its kind. There were eight layers of debt, an ever-changing structure and lots of "prima donnas." We were able to concentrate on the job at hand and meet the tight time deadlines!

What about outside the UK?

A huge number of the transactions we advise on have an international or European element. It's more unusual to be involved in a "domestic" transaction these days.

What's your definition of going the extra mile… And when have you done it?

The majority of transactions we are involved in result in often stressful situations, long hours and sometimes protracted negotiations. Being on hand for our clients when they need us is a given (even if that means marking up a term sheet while on holiday in sunny Cape Town!).

Best example of a creative legal solution?

Our clients expect us not only to provide a top-notch legal service but also to understand the markets they work in. As we work closely with other specialists in the firm, we can use techniques from private equity, tax or real estate to provide a solution to a seemingly deal-breaking impasse.

How do you get under the skin of a client business?

Market immersion, as well as understanding the context of a transaction, is hugely important so that clients can get on with their business and we can provide them with the best legal platform to do that.

What's your single greatest contribution to Wragge & Co's corporate responsibility?

In addition to supporting the various charity events the firm is involved in, I also participate in the Law Works electronic advice scheme, which provides free advice to voluntary organisations across the country.

What's been written or said about you that you're most proud of?

I was particularly proud when someone said I was "charming, ruthless, the consummate professional, and a pleasure to work opposite even though she always gets her clients a good deal". I also like, "It's been great fun working with you, and your unswerving can-do mentality is a real tonic when the going gets tough."