Davis Polk advised Bank of America, N.A. as administrative agent and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. as joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners in connection with commitments for a $1.6 billion senior unsecured bridge loan facility provided to STERIS Corporation in connection with its proposed $1.9 billion acquisition of Synergy Health plc.

STERIS Corporation, headquartered in Mentor, Ohio, provides infection prevention and other procedural products and services, focused primarily on healthcare, pharmaceuticals and research. Synergy Health plc, headquartered in Swindon, England, is a U.K. provider of outsourced equipment-sterilization services. The deal would create a combined company with annual revenue of $2.6 billion and approximately 14,000 employees worldwide.

The Davis Polk financing team includes partner Monica Holland, associates Vivian Y. Wong, Rustin M. Brown and Brantley Hawkins, and law clerk Alexander Kerchner. Partners Jonathan Cooklin, Nick Benham and Will Pearce, and associates Aaron Ferner, William Tong and Dominic Foulkes provided English law advice. Counsel Jeanine P. McGuinness provided advice regarding FCPA/OFAC issues. Partner Harry Ballan and associates Ameya V. Bapat and Joseph Pahl provided tax advice. Members of the Davis Polk team are based in the New York, London and Washington DC offices.