Ortus has lent to pubs, hotels and other businesses in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as well as offering sharia-compliant loans.

The finance provider identified that non-UK nationals/residents, offshore structures, pension funds and trusts, for example, may not always fit in with some lenders’ criteria.

It added that some lenders may also be unwilling to grapple with any complexities, which can extend to the security over the property and even the underlying reason for getting the loan.

These may include:

• title anomalies
• unusual leases
• complex loan buy-backs
• settlement arrangements.

Ortus believes that falling into any of these categories didn’t necessarily make a borrower a complex case, but it increased the number of moving parts in a deal, especially if a borrower had several of these additional considerations to take into account. 

Ortus explained three reasons why a lender would be particularly well-equipped to handle complex transactions.

1. Extensive expertise

Having team members with experience of doing large, complex transactions in investment and private banking.

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Ortus explained that its credit committee had over 80 years of combined experience, so there were relatively few structures and situations it hadn’t come across before.

2. A project management approach

Ortus explained that complex deals comprise lots of different, changeable elements.

This meant that it wasn’t efficient to deal with matters chronologically or on a tick-box basis.

The lender felt that KYC had to happen simultaneously with underwriting; a call or meeting with the client taking place at the beginning of the process, while a deal-tracker system was vital.

However, above all, expectations needed to be managed because complex deals could involve lots of work, extensive documentation and intensive client interaction.

3. Advisory networks

Ortus said its legal advisers had an abundance of experience in executing complex deals.

The lender explained that legal advisers needed to know who to approach for legal options in different jurisdictions, their way around a trust deed, and whether they could anticipate and head-off objections and delays before they jeopardised a deal.

Ortus felt this was what made legal advisers a reliable and well-oiled cog in the lending process.

“We don’t claim that Ortus is unique in being able to handle complex transactions, but our skills, experience, track record and approach mark us out in this space, giving us a reputation as a lender who can deliver,” said Jon Salisbury, managing director at Ortus Secured Finance (pictured above).

“We look forward to growing this part of our business.”