US pension backs Vista credit fund
Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) has approved a $50 million commitment to Vista Credit Partners Fund III, according to documents from the March board of trustees meeting  

Restructuring partner rejoins Allen & Overy after buy-side stint
The law firm has bolstered its funds practice in London 

Beechbrook hires head of DACH to lead new Frankfurt office
Beechbrook Capital, a lower mid-market direct lender, has hired an investment director for the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) from German bank Mainzer Volksbank to lead a new office

Attestor hires former Barclays distressed trader
Attestor Capital has hired a former Barclays distressed credit trader as an analyst

H&A appoints head of private debt as it gets to halfway on €1 billion fundraising goal
H&A Global Investment Management has appointed a former Deutsche Bank official to lead the firm’s newly launched private debt division

Goldman Sachs lands big hire from Alcentra to expand DACH lending
Alcentra’s former head of DACH mid-market has emerged at Goldman Sachs Private Capital

Creditflux and Debtwire unveil European Direct Lending Perspectives
Creditflux and its Acuris stablemate Debtwire have joined forces to produce European Direct Lending Perspectives in a report that sheds light on the biggest trends from 2018.

Värde partners with Guber on €734 million NPL deal
Värde Partners along with Guber Banca have led a group of investors to make a joint acquisition of a €734 non-performing loan portfolio originated by 22 mutual, rural, and cooperative banks spread throughout Italy  

UK pension allocates £900 million to four private debt managers
The £21.9 billion pension fund has awarded £900 million to three private debt managers and one real estate debt manager, according to 6 March board minutes

Alcentra's co-head of US direct lending switches focus to Europe - Debtwire report
Alcentra has appointed Peter Glaser as co-head of European direct lending, according to Creditflux’s sister publication Debtwire

Connection hires from Invesco for head of funds role
London's Connection Capital has named Lorna Robertson as the firm’s new head of funds

European regulators lower Solvency II capital charges for private debt
The European Commission has amended Solvency II rules to make it easier for insurance companies to invest in private debt and private equity

Los Angeles pension to shortlist managers for private credit mandate
Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System (LACERS) is set to short-listed six firms as semi-finalists as part of a $670 million private credit mandate.  

Being the only provider in a deal allows us to be closer to the company
Tikehau's Cécile Mayer-Lévi takes our credit quiz

Investors eye trade finance as alternative to direct lending
Institutional investors are turning their attention towards trade finance funds in a bid to reduce duration risk within their portfolios, sources say.

Italian pension fund seeks loan exposure through direct lending and large cap loan funds
Intesa Sanpaolo’s defined contribution pension scheme has issued a tender notice seeking senior secured loans and direct lending funds to invest in.  

Ares to expand network with hubs in Amsterdam and Madrid
Ares Management is expanding across continental Europe by opening offices in Amsterdam and Madrid. These are expected to be running in the first half of 2019

Ares and GSO carry unitranches over €1 billion mark
Flush with cash, European direct lending managers have finally passed the milestone one billion unitranche mark this quarter

Unlevered direct lending funds bring in first-time investors
Unlevered direct lending funds are particularly appealing to first-time investors and one of the biggest managers in the business has taken note of this

Private credit body urges regulators to remove barriers
The Alternative Credit Council (ACC) is lobbying for policy makers to remove barriers in some EU countries that restrict the ability of non-bank lenders to operate

We have a completion rate of around 4% of transactions we see
Ares' Mike Dennis takes our credit quiz

Former KKR pair resurface with new direct lending business
KKR's former global co-head of mezzanine and European head of private credit has reunited with his former colleague to launch a London-based direct lending business