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Borrowers in need of a loan for corporate purposes such as mergers and acquisitions or working capital expenditures often obtain syndicated or bilateral loans for financing. Here we provide a simple way to distinguish between the types of loans and understand the various roles of the key players in the capital markets.
What is Loan Agency?
Loan agency refers to syndicated or bilateral loan financings that are commonly used for mergers and acquisitions or general working capital.
What is a Syndicated Loan?
When a loan is too large or risky for a single lender to manage, the risk is shared by a group of banks, institutional investors, or funds in what is called a syndicated loan.
What is a Bilateral Loan?
A bilateral loan is one that is typically associated with less risk than a syndicated loan and is typically funded through a single lender.
What is an Administrative Agent?
An administrative loan agent manages administrative tasks associated with the credit agreement and services a bilateral or syndicated loan. Most effective as an independent third-party agent, the administrative agent coordinates between the borrower and the lender (or lending parties) to ensure efficient loan management.
Understanding Loan Agency and the Role of the Administrative Agent
Loan agency is essential for running a smooth transaction whether it be financed via a bilateral or syndicated loan. A syndicated loan is often used when a financing is very large and/or comes with risks that would be better shared via a group of lenders. A bilateral loan typically is between a single lender and a smaller business that does not carry much risk for the individual lender.
No matter which type of loan is used, an administrative agent serves as a key coordinator to carry out administrative tasks related to the credit agreement. Among the agents’ roles are providing financial statements, calculating interest, processing trades and compiling compliance materials. In the case of syndicated loans, the agent acts upon the direction of majority lenders.
Renee Kuhl
Managing Director, Loan Agency tel:612-509-2323
Renee is the managing director for the Loan Agency Group for SRS Acquiom. As an accomplished financial industry professional, she leads the loan agency product.
Before joining SRS Acquiom, Renee served as an administrative vice president at Wilmington Trust, N.A., most recently leading the loan agency and restructuring products. In addition to her 10 years at Wilmington Trust, she also worked for Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. in the corporate trust and shareholder services departments.
Renee has a Juris Doctorate from Mitchell Hamline School of Law in Minnesota, and a B.A. in political science and history from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California.