Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has sealed its first major transaction for leading whiskey supplier Whyte and Mackay, acting on the group’s £150m refinancing by Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBoS).

The deal sees German investment bank WestLB relinquish its 35% controlling stake in the group to chief executive Vivian Imerman and co-owner Robert Tchenguiz, with £188m of headline debt restructured into a £135m senior debt facility provided by HBoS, with a £15m increase in equity.