David Miles, Co-Head of Global Leveraged Finance, represents lenders, borrowers, sponsors and corporates on a full range of domestic and cross-border corporate lending and leveraged finance transactions. He has over 25 years' experience assisting leading UK and international clients in connection with large-scale private equity backed buyouts, public bids, corporate M&A, refinancings and recapitalizations.
Mr. Miles regularly advises lenders on all capital structure layers, including senior, second lien, unitranche, mezzanine and PIK and is well regarded for his involvement in the development of unitranche as a major funding source in the European leveraged finance market in recent years. Additionally, his experience includes advising corporate borrowers, funds, lenders and sponsors on complex acquisition financings, corporate lending transactions, and refinancings and restructurings of leveraged assets.
Mr. Miles also serves on the editorial board of THE CRED, Dechert's resource for private credit industry insights on legal and business trends.
Mr. Miles has been consistently ranked as a leading banking and finance lawyer in Chambers UK for 20 years, where he is currently top ranked. Sources quoted in Chambers UK 2025 said he is “an excellent communicator who's experienced with clear precise commercial intelligence”. Mr. Miles is further described as being “always robust and commercially acute” and “He is always very hands-on during a transaction” as well as being “knowledgeable, in the detail and a pleasure to work with.”
Mr. Miles is ranked in The Legal 500 UK 2025 as a ‘leading partner’ for acquisition finance, where sources have highlighted his “great depth of knowledge” and “ability to bring in resources and expertise from other areas of the firm as needed during the course of a transaction.”
Mr. Miles is additionally ranked as ‘highly regarded’ in IFLR1000 for banking.
Prior to joining Dechert, Mr. Miles was a partner in the London office of another international law firm where he served as the head of the London debt practice group.
- Ares Funds on the provision of debt financing to assist Epiris LLP in its acquisition of the Amber Taverns Group, a leading pub operator in the UK.
- Ares Funds on the provision of debt financing to refinance the H&MV Engineering Group, an Exponent Private Equity portfolio company.
- Ares Funds on the provision of debt financing to refinance the BigHand Group, a Levine Leichtman portfolio company.
- Barings Funds on the provision of debt financing to refinance the Swanton Healthcare Group, an Apposite Capital backed group.
- BlackRock Funds on the provision of debt financing to the Focus Group to finance the acquisition of ePartners Limited, Boxx Communications Limited and Zest4 Group.
- Ares Funds on the sale of its equity holding in the Park Leisure Group to Park Holidays (a portfolio company of Sun Communities, a NYSE listed REIT) and related redemption of debt facilities.
- Ares Funds on the provision of debt financing to support the acquisition of the Butlins holiday group, by vehicles backed by the Harris family, from Blackstone Funds.
- Barings Funds on the provision of debt financing to support Livingbridge’s acquisition of the CitNOW Group.
- Ares Funds on the provision of debt financing to support Epiris Private Equity in its acquisition of the Inchcape Shipping Services Group.
- Ares Funds on the provision of debt financing for the refinancing of the Smartwater Group.
- Ares Funds on the provision of financing facilities to assist in the acquisition by Palamon Capital Partners of the equity interests of The Carlyle Group in the mydentist Group together with the related refinancing of all existing secured indebtedness of that Group and further follow on financings.
- Ares Funds and Santander UK plc in their provision of debt financing for the refinancing of the Grant & Stone Group (a Cairngorm Capital-owned portfolio business) together with its related acquisition of three targets in the UK: Rawle Gammon & Baker Holdings Limited, Total Plumbing Supplies Limited and Buildit Gloster Limited and the further acquisition of Independent Builders Group.
- Barings Funds on a unitranche financing packaging to support Tenzing Private Equity's refinancing of the CitNOW Group and its acquisition of the 8 Technology Group.
- Endless on the acquisition of Hovis, a leading UK-based bakery brand.
- Alcentra on the provision of debt financing to assist Silverfleet Capital in acquiring a majority stake in Collectia A/S, a credit management services provider based in Denmark together with further acquisitions Collectia has made in Denmark and Norway.
- Ares Funds in its provision of debt financing to the Ocorian Group (an Inflexion Private Equity portfolio company) in its acquisition of Estera, a leading global provider of funds and trust services, from international private equity firm Bridgepoint together with further acquisitions the Ocorian Group has made including most recently the acquisition of Nordic Trustee, the leading provider of trustee and agency services for bonds, direct lending and loan administration in the Nordics, together with multiple follow on financings.
- Ares Funds and National Westminster Bank plc on the provision of a financing package for the MBO of AgriBriefing (a Horizon Capital Investment).
- Metric Capital on its provision of debt and equity financing facilities in connection with its investment in Famar AVE, a leading European provider of pharmaceutical manufacturing and development services.
Includes matters handled at Dechert or prior to joining the firm.
- Band 1 – Banking & Finance: Mid-Market – Chambers UK, 2025
- Leading Partner – Acquisition Finance – Legal 500 UK, 2025
- Power and capital back to the private markets: finding your way in the new normal, SuperReturn Private Credit Europe, Berlin (March 2023)
- PDI Capital Structure Forum, London (November 2017)
-
- Exeter University, Law, (2:1)
- The College of Law, LPC, 1994, Commendation, Chester
-
- England and Wales