Facilitator Guide

Syndicated Loans

Facilitator Guide

Syndicated Loans

Topic: Commercial Lending
Duration: 1 hr
Format: Remote or in person

What’s covered

Arrangers’, Admin Agents’, and Collateral Agents’ roles
Best efforts deals
Underwritten deals
Commitment letters
Syndication periods
Market Flex provisions
Information Memorandums (IMs)
Road shows
Closing process

Before the session

Prepare the Attendees

Send the attendees an invitation for the session. Include this link, which has the videos and exercise they’ll need to prepare.

https://www.hotshotlegal.com/trainings/syndicated-loans/attendee

Prepare Yourself

Watch the videos and read the exercise so you’re familiar with the Hotshot material.

Course

Syndicated Loans

An overview of syndicated loans, including why they’re used, who the main parties are, and the main categories of syndicated loans. The pre-commitment period, including important provisions in commitment letters, the syndication process, and the documentation, closing, and administration of a syndicated loan are also covered.
Exercise
PDF

During the session

Part 1: Knowledge Check

Ask attendees these questions to ensure they understand the topic:

What are some of the main roles that banks and other financial institutions take in a syndicate to help facilitate the transaction? What are the responsibilities each role?
What are the differences between a best efforts syndication and an underwritten syndication? What about the differences between partially and fully underwritten deals?
Why is holding a role in a syndicate a coveted position?
How does the borrower generally help with the syndication process?
Why and how are Market Flex provisions used?
What are some of the Admin Agent’s postclosing responsibilities?

Part 2: Group Exercise

Lead a group discussion based on the exercise. To encourage collaboration, divide the attendees into groups to discuss the exercise, then have a representative from each group summarize their views to the larger group. Call on people to share their thoughts and ask others to respond.

Tip for remote sessions: use your web conferencing system’s breakout room feature to divide people into groups.

Part 3: War Stories and Firm Specifics

Share your own experiences and guidance, including:

Anecdotes and war stories (e.g., about a near-disaster or a tough negotiation)
General practice tips (dos and don’ts)
Firm-specific guidance and practices

After the session

To continue their learning, attendees can check out related courses in Hotshot’s Commercial Lending topic.

About Hotshot

Hotshot helps lawyers develop their legal, business, and technology skills through short videos, quizzes, and summaries, and we help law firms and law schools plan and deliver engaging training programs. Our customers include Am Law 200 firms, top law schools, and regional and international firms.