Latham & Watkins LLP’s restructuring and insolvency group covers a myriad of issues stemming from both public high-yield bonds and private bank debts, acting on both debtor and creditor side mandates. Its work frequently incorporates its American roots in order to provide US law advice, such as advising on cross-border proceedings under Chapter 11 and Chapter 15. Players from multiple sectors, including energy, real estate, finance, and aviation, often turn to the team, especially those with connections to China’s corporates. Leveraging its cross-practice and multi-jurisdictional teams, the department is well-positioned to provide clients with advice on highly complex situations for private and publicly listed companies in Hong Kong and the wider Asia region, expertise essential when advising on non-traditional mandates like restructuring work covering Hong Kong scheme arrangements and UK restructuring plans. Howard Lam leads the practice and is a key point of contact for insolvency practitioners, bondholders, distressed funds, and bank lenders on China-related and Asia-based restructuring matters. Working alongside Lam is Flora Innes, whose involvement spans complex corporate restructurings, insolvency proceedings, and cross-border disputes.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Key clients

  • Hong Kong Airlines Limited
  • Huachen Energy Co., Ltd
  • Ad Hoc Committee of bondholders in relation to China Fortune Land Development.
  • Value Partners and Prudence Asset Management Pte. Ltd.
  • Ad Hoc Group of bondholders in relation to Dr Peng
  • Donald Osborne and Christopher So (of PWC), as joint and several liquidators of Shanghai Huaxin (Hong Kong) Limited (In Liquidation)
  • Tianqi Lithium
  • Beijing Gas
  • Ad hoc group of bondholders in respect of Dafa Properties Group Limited
  • Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd
  • Private Bondholder of Shimao
  • Marketlend Pty Ltd

Lawyers

Leading associates
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Latham & Watkins LLP
Flora Innes advises clients on restructuring and insolvency matters. Ms. Innes has significant experience in complex corporate restructures, insolvency proceedings, and cross-border disputes, and has acted in many high-profile matters. She regularly advises banks, investment funds, insolvency practitioners, and corporate borrowers.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Latham & Watkins LLP
Howard Lam advises clients in China and across Asia on restructuring, special situations, private credit, and banking finance transactions. In his restructuring practice, Mr. Lam draws on more than two decades of experience to guide all types of parties to a transaction, including: Creditors, particularly banks and credit funds Debtors Insolvency practitioners Bondholders He regularly helps clients resolve a full range of difficult matters, including restructuring, bankruptcy, as well as distressed and other special situations. As a Mandarin and Cantonese speaker, trained in Hong Kong, UK, and Australian law, he brings a multicultural, multijurisdictional perspective to his matters. Familiar with the internal motivations and sensitivities of parties on all sides of a matter, he can help clients choose the best jurisdictions and legal regimes for implementing restructurings. He complements his creative problem-solving and decisive recommendations with an ability to remain even-keeled and diffuse tension in high-stakes situations, and so bring parties together around a solution. Mr. Lam is an INSOL Fellow and a regular speaker at international restructuring and insolvency conferences, and has served on the APLMA China and documentation committees, TMA Hong Kong board, and the executive committee of Restructuring and Insolvency Faculty (RIF). In Mr. Lam’s financing practice, he advises private equity sponsors, banks, and private capital lenders on a full spectrum of complex financing structures, including: Leveraged buy-outs Corporate acquisition financings China onshore/offshore financing Margin loans Direct lending transactions He draws on a keen sense of what is at market and insights from the firm’s global deal flow on cutting-edge financing terms to translate best practices in global jurisdictions to deals Asia.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Howard Lam

Other key lawyers

Flora Innes