Lawrence is a New York-qualified lawyer, based in Singapore, advising companies, banks and funds in capital markets transactions and restructurings in South East Asia.
He has experience advising on private placements, Reg. S/144A transactions and convertible securities, with an emphasis on restructuring publicly offered securities and other liability management transactions. He also advises clients on cross-border acquisitions and investments between the US and Southeast Asia. Lawrence has worked on transactions in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. He began his practice in New York advising on the structure and sale of asset backed securities. Lawrence has been recognised for his expertise in restructuring matters and commended for ‘thinking commercially and for being both legally and commercially insightful’ by The Legal 500. He has also been recognised for Banking and Finance by the Best Lawyers in Singapore™ from 2014 to 2024.
Key Experience
- Advising PT Apexindo Pratama Duta Tbk, a listed Indonesian offshore and onshore drilling contractor, on the implementation of a composition plan homologated by the commercial court in Jakarta, Indonesia for the restructuring of the company’s debts including a US$445 million syndicated loan and bank guarantee facility.
- Advised PT Bumi Resources Tbk. in its US$4.5 billion restructuring including the exchange of its three US dollar denominated bond issues. New debt included a combination of senior loans and bonds, mandatory convertible bonds and contingent value rights as well as new equity. This was one of the largest and most complex debt restructurings in SE Asia and was awarded "Finance Deal of the Year: Insolvency and Restructuring" at Asian Lawyer’s Asia Legal Awards 2018, "Debt Market Deal of the Year (Premium)" at the 2018 ALB SE Asian Law Awards.
- Advised ChipMos Technologies, a Taiwan based, NASDAQ listed company, in an exchange offer with its US dollar denominated bondholders and the issuance of new equity-PIK convertible securities. The transaction was unique in its complexity for the issuance of convertible securities that required scheduled interest payments to be made in the form of equity listed on the Nasdaq.
- Advised Garuda Airlines, Indonesia’s flagship carrier, in its US$850 million debt restructuring, including a tender offer for its floating rate notes through a reverse Dutch auction process and a consent solicitation and amendment of the remaining bonds. This deal was awarded "Asia Restructuring Deal of the Year" by The Banker in 2010.
- Advised the Republic of Indonesia on the issuance of €1.25 billion Euro-denominated notes under its Global Medium Term Note program due 2025.
- Advised the arranger, Phillip Capital, on the establishment of a US$400 million MTN programme by Geophysical Sub-Strata Ltd. and the initial issuance of US$151.5 million 8% notes due 2023 under the programme, and on the subsequent additional issuance of US$114.5 million 8% notes which was consolidated as a single series with the initial issuance.
- Advised the underwriter, Yuanta Securities, on the issuance by Taiwan based Silergy Corp of US$125 million Zero Coupon Convertible Bonds due 2021.
- Advised the trustee and paying, transfer and conversion agent on the consent solicitation and early redemption by Taiwan based Neo Solar Power Corp. of US$112.5 million Credit Enhanced Zero Coupon Convertible Bonds due 2017 and the replacement issuance of US$120,000,000 Credit Enhanced Zero Coupon Convertible Bonds due 2019.
- Advised PT PP Presisi Tbk as international counsel on its initial public offering on the Jakarta IDX in November 2017.
- Advised Global Power Synergy Company Limited (GPSC), the wholly owned subsidiary and flagship power company of Bangkok-based PTT Group, on its Series B2 and Series C strategic investments in 24M Technologies, Inc., a US technology startup based in Boston, Massachusetts, that focuses on battery storage systems.
- Advised Hanesbrands, a NYSE listed apparel manufacturer, in acquiring manufacturing facilities in Vietnam.
- Advised John Deere Asia, a subsidiary of Deere & Co, one of the world’s largest agricultural equipment makers, on various commercial and regulatory matters relating to its operations in Asia x-China.
Career History
Special Counsel, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Special Counsel, Withers KhattarWong LLP, Singapore
Partner, K&L Gates, Singapore
Associate, Clifford Chance, Paris and Bangkok
Associate, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, New York
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, J.D.
University of Chicago, B.A.