Magda Ali

The US-based firm, which is led by co-founders Mark Okada (pictured) and James Dondero, hopes to raise between $750m and $1bn for The Highland Loan Fund. 

The €500 billion of new non-core loans issued during 2012 offset the €600 billion of loans sold or run off over the same period, confirming the European deleveraging process is far from over.

 Investment consultancy Redington is advising its pension fund and insurer clients to exploit opportunities in European property debt.   

Carlton Group has arranged a £35 million ($53 million: €41 million) loan to help refinance a UK property owned residential developer Dorchester Group.

M&G Investment has provided project financing to St. Modwen Properties to back a new £450m student accommodation development on behalf of Swansea University.

Legg Mason’s global fixed income subsidiary Western Asset Management is set to launch a UK-domiciled infrastructure debt fund that will invest in publicly-traded securities worldwide. 

 As the second round of funding by the UK government’s Business Finance Partnership approaches, some managers have criticised the decision to fund established, rather than fledgling managers, in the first round. 

 Martin De Ville will join bond broker Cantor Fitzgerald as part of its private debt structuring team to execute leveraged private lending in Europe.

An increasing number of real estate asset managers are looking to take advantage of loan restructuring opportunities in real estate assets in a bid to eventually win control of assets. 

 Alcentra, led by David Forbes-Nixon, is building its presence in the US and the UK with two senior hires: ex-Highland Capital managing partner Jack Yang, and former European head at Cantor Fitzgerald Mike Johnson.