PRESS RELEASE
28 November 2025

A&O Shearman Represents NatWest Bank On Inaugural GBP2 Billion UK RMBS

AO
A&O Shearman

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A&O Shearman was formed in 2024 via the merger of two historic firms, Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling. With nearly 4,000 lawyers globally, we are equally fluent in English law, U.S. law and the laws of the world’s most dynamic markets. This combination creates a new kind of law firm, one built to achieve unparalleled outcomes for our clients on their most complex, multijurisdictional matters – everywhere in the world. A firm that advises at the forefront of the forces changing the current of global business and that is unrivalled in its global strength. Our clients benefit from the collective experience of teams who work with many of the world’s most influential companies and institutions, and have a history of precedent-setting innovations. Together our lawyers advise more than a third of NYSE-listed businesses, a fifth of the NASDAQ and a notable proportion of the London Stock Exchange, the Euronext, Euronext Paris and the Tokyo and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges.
A&O Shearman has advised NatWest Bank plc on a residential mortgage-backed securities transaction backed by U.K. residential mortgages, with a portfolio value of GBP2 bn.
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A&OShearman has advised NatWest Bank plc on a residential mortgage-backed securities transaction backed by U.K. residential mortgages, with a portfolio value of GBP2 bn. The transaction was arranged by NatWest Markets, which also acted as lead manager.

This transaction represents NatWest Bank's first stand-alone securitization of residential mortgage assets achieving accounting derecognition in doing so. The portfolio size and the first-of-its-kind nature for the bank underscore the strategic significance of the deal, as well as NatWest Bank's confidence in A&OShearman to deliver a smooth execution on a complex, high-profile mandate.

The capital structure includes a GBP1.78bn Class A1 Note, together with Class A2–G Notes, a Class R Note, and residual certificates.

Sally Onions, UK co-head of global financial markets at A&OShearman, said: "This RMBS marks a significant step in NatWest Bank's continued optimization of its funding and capital strategy. Achieving accounting derecognition on a stand-alone basis required thoughtful structuring, careful execution, and close collaboration with a sophisticated client team. We are proud to have supported NatWest Bank on a transaction that sets an important benchmark for the market."

The A&OShearman team was led by partnerSally Onions, alongside senior associateNeil Grant, and associateJames Sweeney.

A&OShearman regularly advises NatWest Bank and the NatWest Group on a wide variety of structured finance transactions across the UK and Europe, including both public and private transactions.

Contributor

A&O Shearman was formed in 2024 via the merger of two historic firms, Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling. With nearly 4,000 lawyers globally, we are equally fluent in English law, U.S. law and the laws of the world’s most dynamic markets. This combination creates a new kind of law firm, one built to achieve unparalleled outcomes for our clients on their most complex, multijurisdictional matters – everywhere in the world. A firm that advises at the forefront of the forces changing the current of global business and that is unrivalled in its global strength. Our clients benefit from the collective experience of teams who work with many of the world’s most influential companies and institutions, and have a history of precedent-setting innovations. Together our lawyers advise more than a third of NYSE-listed businesses, a fifth of the NASDAQ and a notable proportion of the London Stock Exchange, the Euronext, Euronext Paris and the Tokyo and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges.

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