Ashwin Sathyamoorthy is a Counsel in our London, UK office and a member of our Business Law and Financial Services Groups.
Prior to joining the firm, Ashwin previously trained and practised for several years in the Finance practice of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s London Office. He carries on a business law practice, focussing on financing and leasing. He has acted on multi-jurisdictional transactions relating to various industry sectors (including, rail, aviation, mining and investment funds).
Ashwin has co-drafted the book “Contract Practices under the Cape Town Convention – Volume 1”, and provided drafting and materials for other books dealing with the application of the Cape Town Convention to the various stages of a transaction, legal opinion practice and registration practice. He has co-prepared, co-presented and co-facilitated a talk/seminar on the Cape Town Convention in Oklahoma City to various US lawyers, leasing companies, financiers and aviation operators.
Ashwin received a First Class Honours Degree in Law (LLB Hons) from Nottingham University.
Representative transactions include:
- Representing the sole lender (a plc) on a US$300 million secured refinancing of an iron-ore mining project in Brazil.
- Acting for the purchaser in relation to the financing and escrow aspects of a $500 million purchase of a stake in a South African mining company.
- Representing the borrower on its financing (on a secured and guaranteed basis) of a cement plant in Kazakhstan.
- Representing a seller in relation to a complex issue, restructuring and transfer of loans and promissory notes within a large corporate energy and mining focused group.
- Representing a leading Canadian bank in relation to 20 or so multi-jurisdictional/English, secured/unsecured lending transactions to UK/foreign based investments funds.
- Acting for three separate Irish purchaser/lessor/borrower entities in connection with three separate aviation financing, sale and leaseback transactions, that included: (a) the acquisition of aircraft; (b) the segregation and collapse of US owner trusts; (c) the novation and lease of aircraft to airlines; (d) the syndicated financings for the transaction; (e) the security package for the financing; (f) negotiations with airframe and engine manufactures in connection with the warranty package; and (g) negotiations and structuring in connection with letters of credit.
- Acting for major UK rolling stock leasing company in relation to the restructuring of a purchase, leasing, maintenance and government backed transaction for 700 Siemens Desiro Electric Multiple Units leased to a leading UK train operator. This was undertaken to satisfy revised government plans for franchising and utilisation of the trains across the rail network, necessitating the reconfiguration and transfer of various rolling stock to other networks.
- Acting for major UK rolling stock leasing company in relation to the purchase of 120 Siemens Desiro Electric Multiple Units, to be leased to a leading UK train operator, maintained by Siemens and backed by certain government documents.
- Acting for major UK rail company in relation to the prepayment of certain loan notes. The transaction included: (a) a corporate whitewash procedure relating to 7 different entities; (b) the simultaneous redemption of loan notes issued by a BVI company (BVI) and a Delaware limited liability partnership (LLP); and (c) the restructuring of an existing secured facility agreement and security package; and (d) the implementation of new secured facility agreements for each of BVI and LLP to finance the redemption of the BVI/LLP loan notes.
- Acting for major UK train operator in relation to the restructuring of existing purchase, leasing and servicing agreements relating to various 9-Car Meridians involving HSBC and Bombardier.