Operating across the aviation, oil and gas, telecoms, construction and transport, maritime and shipping sectors, the team at Clifford Chance is well-equipped to handle high-profile transactional and contentious mandates in the restructuring and insolvency arena. The firm is also able to effectively mobilise market-leading practitioners from complementary practice areas, such as banking and finance, across its extensive network of international offices, ensuring a highly coordinated cross-border offering. Nish Shetty continues to act on some of the region’s largest and most high-profile insolvency cases. He leads the team alongside Shaun Langhorne, who has vast experience in complex, multi-stakeholder, and cross-border contentious and non-contentious restructuring matters. Elan Krishna, a partner at Cavenagh Law LLP, the firm’s Formal Law Alliance partner, is noted for his focus on arbitrations involving allegations of fraud, corruption or illegality.

Well regarded for its ability to offer clients ‘practical solutions’ and ‘technical expertise’, the ‘commercially minded’ team at Milbank is well-versed in the full spectrum of debt and corporate restructurings. Counting domestic and international finance clients among its key roster of clients, the practice continues handle high-value and complex matters, particularly in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Practice head David Zemans maintains a busy and broad practice, covering commercial bank lending, private debt and other types of leverage finance as well as restructuring and banking sector issues. Jacqueline Chan is a key port of call for financial institutions, corporates, investment funds and private equity funds seeking assistance on cross-border transactions throughout Asia. Nicholas Dunstone has been praised as an ‘exceptional practitioner who has excellent technical skills’.

Praised for combining ‘legal acumen’ with ‘practical experience’ to deliver ‘commercially relevant advice’, the team at A&O Shearman is well-positioned to handle cross-border restructurings and insolvencies, often collaborating with offices in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Sydney. The team is jointly led by Gautam Narasimhan and Rishi Hindocha. Narasimhan is a key port of call for international banks, private equity funds and credit funds on a large number of high-profile financings and structured transactions, while Hindocha ‘has a treasure of experience in dealing with insolvency and restructuring matters’. Viola Jing is noted for her ability to handle both contentious and non-contentious matters.

Singled out for its ‘partner-led experience’, Ashurst ADTLaw fields a team that is praised for its ability to offer ‘comprehensive end-to-end solutions for complex restructuring and insolvency cases’. The team is well-versed in a range of mandates from financial restructurings, formal insolvencies and distressed investing, to security enforcement and insolvency litigation. Leading the team is the ‘thoughtful and considered’ Robert Child, who is frequently involved in complex and multi-jurisdictional restructurings and insolvencies across Asia and Europe. A mix of financial stakeholders, advisory firms, insolvency practitioners and issuers turn to Karan Puri for his assistance on cross-border mandates.

Tapping into the ‘knowledge and experience from other related areas’, the restructuring and insolvency team at Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow frequently has a seat at the table for key stakeholders in high-value, complex mandates across the construction, technology, energy and financial services sectors. Leading the team is Nandakumar Ponniya, who has specialist expertise in international arbitration, commercial litigation, and corporate restructuring and insolvency. Elsewhere in the team, Emmanuel Chua, praised for his ‘exceptional communication skills’, stands out for his work on cross-border and contentious matters, while Emmanuel Hadjidakis is a key port of call for financial institutions, borrowers, and private equity funds throughout Asia Pacific.

Fielding a team of ‘creative lawyers who go the extra mile for clients’, Gibson Dunn’s restructuring practice handles the full scope of mandates, including financial restructuring, distressed debt trading, distressed M&A, insolvency proceedings and special situation transactions. A litany of domestic and multinational companies, financial advisors and financial institutions turn to the team for its global reach, utilising its network of offices to navigate complex cross-border matters. Steering the practice is Jamie Thomas, who has extensive experience advising on creditor led debt restructurings, as well as distressed M&A. Peter Madden has wide-ranging experience in advising creditors, debtors and strategic investors on a range of transactions.

Lauded for its ‘strategic thinking and commercial approach’, the team at Hogan Lovells Lee & Lee is frequently instructed by international banks and financial institutions on cross-border mandates, including debt restructurings, distressed M&A, insolvency cases, and enforcement litigation. The practice is jointly steered by Nick Williams and counsel Carol Hartopp Hall. Williams earns praise for his ‘deep understanding of complex cross-border insolvencies and restructurings’, while Hall stands out for her experience advising banks and non-bank lenders on structured and syndicated lending. Koh Wei Lun is recommended for his ‘meticulous attention to detail and strategic approach’.

The ‘very helpful and professional’ team at Linklaters is well-positioned to assist clients on restructuring and refinancing transactions, as well as distressed debt and related contentious mandates. Spearheading the team is the ‘highly commercial practitioner’ Andrew Payne, whose practice covers a broad client base, including credit funds, sponsors, special situations funds, financial institutions, corporate borrowers, boards of directors and insolvency practitioners. Jelita Pandjaitan routinely advises clients in arbitrations, litigation and mediations in Hong Kong, Singapore and throughout the ASEAN region.

Under the leadership of Tahirah Ara, a key port of call for publicly listed and private companies, the team at Mishcon de Reya LLP boasts a strong presence in the Indonesian market, representing corporate borrowers in complex debt restructurings. Praised for its ability to ‘provide tailored solutions that align with client needs’, the practice stands out for its experience with both court-supervised restructurings, including PKPU proceedings in Indonesia and out of court consensual arrangements with creditors. Lawrence Altman is noted for his cross-border work, advising companies, banks and funds in debt restructuring.

Counting multi-national companies and domestic businesses among its key roster of clients, the team at Norton Rose Fulbright maintains an impressive track record in all areas of financial restructurings and insolvencies matters. With a particular focus on the shipping sector, the practice strategically partners with local firm Ascendant Legal LLC, delivering advice on prominent domestic matters. Practice head Meiyen Tan specialises in restructuring and insolvency matters, with particular emphasis on complex cross-border matters, and has been lauded as ‘extremely knowledgeable’. Yu-En Ong leads the firm’s Singapore office and is noted for his expertise in all aspects structured finance. Shipping expert Sue Ann Gan continues to act on high-profile restructurings globally, while Kei Jin Chew stands out for his focus in the energy, banking and commodities sectors.

The team at Stephenson Harwood LLP is well-versed in debt restructuring and refinancing, debt for equity swaps, judicial management, and insolvencies, standing out for its expertise in the transportation and offshore sector. The team is spearheaded by Gregg Johnston, who specialises in shipping and offshore financing, including secured and unsecured lending, syndicated and bilateral loans, limited recourse, sale and leaseback structures, and tax-driven structured financings. Elsewhere in the team, Huay Yee Kwan stands out for her focus on PRC matters, while Michelle Yong continues to work on high-profile and complex shipping, oil & gas and international trade disputes.