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Viroj Piyawattanametha

Partner
Baker & McKenzie Limited Attorneys at Law

Biography

Viroj Piyawattanametha is a partner in the Firm's Bangkok office. He joined Baker McKenzie in 2000 after several years of practice with another law firm, and became a partner in 2006. He has extensive experience in matters related to project financing, debt and equity capital markets, and major projects.

Practice Focus

Mr. Piyawattanametha's major clients include banks, financial institutions and securities companies in their capacity as underwriters, and major listed and non-listed companies in a diverse range of business sectors, including petrochemical, automobile, finance, and securities businesses.

Representative Legal Matters

  • Representing Krung Thai Bank Public Company Limited, a Thai state-owned financial institution, in its offer of USD700 million Basel III-compliant Tier 2 notes pursuant to Regulation S under its USD2.5 billion Euro Medium Term Note (EMTN) Program, the first ever issue of Basel III-compliant Tier 2 notes offered to sell by a Thai bank.
  • Representing Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Public Company Limited and its Singapore subsidiary in relation to its issuance of USD300 million notes.
  • Representing KASIKORNBANK Public Company Limited in its issuance of notes under its Euro Medium Term Note Program in reliance on Regulation S, its first USD bond issue since September 2012.
  • Representing two international banks as the joint book runners and lead managers on the offering of USD750 million notes by Siam Commercial Bank Public Company Limited under its Global Medium Term Note Program pursuant to Rule 144A and Regulation S, the first USD bond issuance out of Thailand in 2014.
  • Advising an international bank and a Thai bank as the joint lead arrangers in their transaction involving Noble Group's Thai baht-denominated bond issue.
  • Representing Electricity Generating Public Company Limited (EGCO) as a sponsor and Khanom as a project company in their USD850 million development and financing of a 930MW gas-fired power plant.
  • Acted for PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited in relation to its acquisition of shares in Perstorp Holding France SAS.
  • Acted for PTT Chemical Public Company Limited in relation to its acquisition of Cognis Oleochemical business, through its share acquisition in Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the US. This deal was the first global M&A transaction by a Thai acquirer.

Professional Honors

  • Leading Lawyer in Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, Capital Markets: Structured Finance and Securitization, and Project Finance, IFLR 1000: Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms, 2014-2016
  • Recommended Lawyer in Banking & Finance, Corporate/M&A and Projects and Energy, Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2014-2015
  • Recognized Practitioner in Projects & Energy, Chambers Asia Pacific, 2015
  • Recognized Practitioner in Projects, Chambers Global, 2015
  • Recommended in Banking & Finance, Projects and Energy / Corporate/M&A, Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2014-2015 / 2015

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Thai Bar Association
  • Law Society of Thailand

Admissions

  • Thailand (2003)

Education

  • New York University School of Law (LL.M. Corporate Law) (2000)
  • University of Geneva (Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures) (1999)
  • Kyushu University, Japan (LL.M. International Economics and Business) (1997)
  • Thammasat University (LL.B., Honors) (1995)

Languages

  • English
  • French
  • Japanese
  • Thai