Aycliffe Today Business Aycliffe Today Business Issue 39 | Page 25

The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 25
Deborah Kirtley – head of
Endeavour Partnership’s
commercial legal team.
Endeavour
Partnership
advises people
amid post-Brexit
funding fears
Stockton-based Endeavour Partnership is offering businesses specialist help
to access a range of funding options, thanks to their new, dedicated team.
H
eaded by Deborah Kirtley, the
commercial legal firm can provide help
and advice on borrowing and lending,
banking and finance and accessing funding
post-Brexit.
Deborah is highly-regarded as a leading
banking lawyer and joined Endeavour
Partnership as a partner last year to lead the
business’s banking team, providing legal
advice to banks and borrowers alike.
With more than 25 years’ experience,
Deborah has been retained by a wide
range of banks, building societies and other
financial organisations, as well as public
sector institutions, to advise on a wide
range of corporate banking, acquisition and
development finance transactions.
Deborah has also advised local, national
and international businesses, universities
and housing providers in relation to their
borrowing requirements and has acted in
many of the region’s most complex and high
value deals in the football, hotel, housing and
student accommodation sectors.
In addition, Deborah is responsible for
developing and supporting Endeavour’s
growing number of Banking and Finance
clients, using her outstanding legal knowledge
to promote a new borrower-led service that is
aimed at assisting businesses looking to raise
finance by getting them “borrower ready”.
Deborah said: “We want to help people
get ahead of the funding curve, especially
post-Brexit when there might be some
confusion. There are still plenty of funding
options available whether businesses want
to raise funds for capital expenditure or make
strategic acquisitions.
“We like to get to know a business early
in their development so we can help match
them with the best funding for their needs.
We’re currently working with a host of
businesses from SMEs- to big firms who are
preparing for our exit from the EU.
“We work extensively with CEOs or
FDs who even though they have financial
expertise t are simply too busy to deal with
the legal funding documentation themselves,
or a business where the owner managers
are experts at their own day job, but where
finance or legal issues aren’t really within their
skillset.
“On the lender side, Endeavour is on many
bank panels and has a very good relationship
with the high street banks, challenger banks
and alternative funders.
“My experience means I appreciate the
arguments on both sides so I know what the
borrower’s concerns will be and I can explain
them to the bank and alternatively- if the
bank appears to be digging its heels in on a
point – I can explain to the borrower what the
bank’s credit issues are. My objective is to
help smooth the process for both sides with
a view to achieving a satisfactory outcome
for everyone. Trust and experience are
important.”
Endeavour is keen to point out that the
perception that the banks are closed for new
business is not the case.
Deborah says: “This is unfair. Banks
have a strict credit process; they just have
to be more diligent than maybe they were
previously. But for good credit, the banks are
there for the region’s businesses.”
Deborah and her team also work outside
the mainstream banks with other funders and
many of the challenger banks who are often
filling any funding gaps.
Deborah admits: “Access to funding can be
confusing and even overwhelming. We try
to support business and entrepreneurs. Our
advice is to plan ahead, identify future funding
pitfalls now so when there is a need for
funding, or an opportunity presents itself you
can move quickly and cost effectively.”
How Endeavour can help:
• Helping you understand the different types
of funding available
• Introducing you to the right funders for your
business
• Guiding you through the funding application
process
• Implementing the right financial structure
internally
• Comparing the offers of funding received
from a legal perspective
• Setting up and supporting you through the
funder’s due diligence process
• Advising you what is often negotiable and
what is not
Negotiating the term sheet on your behalf –
it is not just the margin and the lender’s fees
you need to consider
www.endeavour.law 01642 610300 @Endeavour_Law