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David Ampaw

David Ampaw

Partner
About

David Ampaw has extensive experience in non-contentious restructuring, insolvency and special situations assignments acting for corporates, clearing banks, international and investment banks, debt and hedge funds.

He has advised in relation to a number of domestic and cross-border workout assignments taking in transactions in established and emerging markets. He specialises in special situations assignments with complex financing or intercreditor arrangements, including securitisations, first lien/second lien, unitranche and bond, loan structures.

David's practice and expertise extends to advising on NPL trades (single name and portfolios) as well as trading of distressed loans and claim. He is recommended in the Legal 500, 2017 to 2021 (inclusive) and described as “excellent in the funds restructuring space” “excellent at navigating the issues of debt sales” “exceptionally user-friendly, delivering robust and commercial advice in a calm and friendly way.”

David was named 'Diversity Champion' at Turnaround, Restructuring & Insolvency (TRI) Awards 2018, for his engagement in various initiatives both within and outside of the firm. David's work includes working with graduate recruitment, diversity and London People Group teams to build and implement a strategy for increasing ethnic minority representation in the firm. David is partner sponsor of “Mosaic” the UK firms relaunched multicultural diversity network.

Outside the firm he is a mentor on the Black Solicitors Network’s “Career Pathways” programme, a director of the charity the PRIME Commitment, the leading legal social mobility initiative focused on broadening social diversity in the legal industry.

Professional QualificationsSolicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales

EXPERIENCE

Representative Experience

  • Advising the senior noteholders in relation to the first restructuring of a whole business securitization (GBP400 million).
  • Advising a key global pharmaceutical client in relation to a pre-packaged purchase of a downstream supplier to secure continuation of production of a pediatric medicine into the European markets.
  • Advising a US fund in connection with a restructuring and USD200 million “debt for vessel” exchange transaction.
  • Advising in relation to a GBP400 million property disposal of a marquee London property by way of Scheme of Arrangement.
  • Advising the sellers in relation to the successful sale of a granular loan portfolio of English and Irish commercial property and ancillary rights with a face value of circa EUR500 million.
  • UK CRE Loan Portfolio Sale - advising on sale of circa GBP2 billion loan assets.
  • Advising in relation to single name secondary distressed trades with circa face value of GBP750 million in 2019 alone.
  • Advising a creditor client in relation to the restructuring of one of the largest operators of private hospitals in the UK (GBP billion).
  • Advising an ad hoc bondholder group in relation to the EUR300 million restructuring of an Southern European shipping group.
  • Advising the administrators of the UK branches of a global fashion group and associated Chapter 11 restructuring.
Languages
  • English
Education
  • College of Law, London, Legal Practice Course, 2000
  • London School of Economics and Political Science, LL.B. (Hons), 1999

Awards

  • Powerlist 2018 (most influential persons - legal and professional services)
  • Nominated BSN Lawyer of the Year 2017, 2018
  • Turnaround Restructuring and Insolvency Awards Diversity Champion, 2018
  • "Recommended" Legal 500, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020

Publications

  • Debtwire Podcast: December 2017 – European NPL Market
  • Staged credit events and credit default swaps - a restructuring perspective, 9 May 2018
  • Secondary debt trading update: eligible transferees - what is a “financial institution”?, 7 Mar 2018
  • “COVID-19: An international guide to changes in insolvency law" - Lexology

Prior Experience

  • 2016 to date, Partner, DLA Piper 
  • 2005 to 2016, Solicitor, Associate and Legal Director, DLA Piper, London (Restructuring Group)
  • 2001 to 2005, Trainee, Associate, Magic Circle firm, London and Bangkok

Memberships And Affiliations

  • The Law Society of England and Wales
  • Prime Commitment (social mobility initiative), Director

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