LHV Bank has facilitated two refinancing deals introduced by managing director at Empire Global Finance, Graham Chaston.

The transaction involved an accountancy firm in west London and a group of pubs operating across the south east.

The chartered accountancy and tax advisory firm in west London faced a set back when its previous lender’s deal collapsed due to a restrictive security structure.

The firm needed refinancing to maintain operations, leading to LHV providing a five-year variable-rate commercial loan, secured by a first legal charge on the property, a debenture and a personal guarantee from the director.

LHV increased the loan amount to cover fees and transaction costs, and by offering a more flexible security structure and using a non-panel valuer, they expediated the process, allowing the firm to continue.

The firm has also worked with a pub group with a portfolio of freehold and leasehold properties across London, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and the south east to refinance and restructure its assets.

The refinancing allowed the transfer of a freehold pub from the operating company to a new property company while also addressing financial pressures from the pandemic and rising energy costs.

Director of SME lending at LHV, Conor McDermott, said: "Since the completion of these arrangements, we’ve seen tailored loan solutions not only meet their immediate requirements but also pave the way for sustainable growth ahead.

"It has truly been a pleasure to partner with Graham at Empire Global Finance on these cases, and we look forward to collaborating on many more projects."

Managing director at Empire Global Finance, Graham Chaston, added: "The team at LHV understood how to tackle the unique financial challenges that each of our clients faced, which is why they’ve become such a valued partner of ours.

"These deals really show the strength of our relationship with LHV, where their quick response and tailored approach made all the difference. We look forward to further collaboration with LHV in the future."

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