Waranon Vanichprapa

He/HimPartner

Country Managing Partner, Thailand

Head of Finance, Projects and Restructuring, Asia

A remarkable lawyer
Client, Chambers Global 2022
About

Waranon (Warren) heads our Finance, Projects and Restructuring practice group for Asia.

Warren is a leading banking lawyer in Thailand. He focuses on all types of bank lending transactions, cross-border deals, acquisition finance, structured finance, interbank lending, export credit financing, projects and debt restructuring. He has over 20 years’ experience of advising leading financial institutions and multi-national corporations on their most complex financing and restructuring transactions, financing regulatory matters, bankruptcy and commercial law issues.

With his professional background including years of practice in London, Hong Kong and Singapore, Warren has been appointed to advise foreign clients on their demanding inbound investment as well as leading domestic clients on their most complex and often first outbound investments.

Warren has been recognised by various leading legal directories and publications such as Chambers Asia Pacific, Legal 500 Asia Pacific and IFLR1000 over the past 16 years as a leading practitioner in Banking & Finance and Restructuring.

His recent deals won many prestigious awards including “Best Deal of the Year: Best Acquisition Financing” and “Best Cross Border Financing” where he acted for leading banks in Thailand. The Chambers Asia Pacific 2024 notes client feedback that “Waranon had a wonderful strategy to drive the transaction, and his attention to detail has been great.”. He is also recognized as one of Thailand Top 100 lawyers by Asia Business Law Journal.   

 
Professional QualificationsLawyer admitted with the Lawyers Council of Thailand

Highlights

EXPERIENCE

  • Representing Bangkok Bank Plc, China Minsheng Bank, Industrial Bank Co., Ltd., DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited and other financial institutions in providing USD500 million facilities for ND Paper Malaysia (Selangor) Sdn Bhd.
  • Representing CIMB Bank (Thai) Plc and Bank of Ayudhya Plc as all bondholders’ representatives for all bond debts of THB75 billion in the Thai Airways debt restructuring process
  • Advising Bangkok Bank PCL, Mizuho Bank, SMBC, Krungthai Bank PCL and Government Savings Bank on their THB38.5 billion five syndicated facility agreements for PTTOR Public Company Limited*
  • Advising Bangkok Bank PCL as mandated lead arranger and lender and The Siam Commercial Bank PCL and Krungthai Bank PCL on their approx. THB60 billion (USD2 billion) financing for the construction of Mass Rapid Transit Pink and Yellow Line with sponsors being BTS Holding, Ratchaburi and Stecon*
  • Advising Bangkok Bank PCL, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Mizuho Bank on their THB5 billion, JPY9 billion and USD70 million share acquisition facilities agreement to BCPG Public Company Limited with Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand being relevant jurisdictions (Best Deals of the Year: Best Acquisition Financing, The Asset Country Awards 2017)*
  • Advising The Siam Commercial Bank Plc on its acquisition financing loan of THB10 billion to Gulf Energy Development Plc on its tender offer finagling of Intouch Holdings Plc
  • Advising seven mandated lead arrangers (three Thai and four international banks) on their USD6 billion acquisition financing; the financing was for the acquisition of Siam Makro PCL shares by CP All PCL*
  • Advising Bangkok Bank PCL, Kasikornbank PCL, Tisco Bank PCL and Mizuho Bank, Bangkok Branch on their THB10 billion secured facilities agreement to BCPG Public Company Limited (Renewable Energy Deal of the Year, Thailand, The Asset Triple A Asia Infrastructure Awards 2017)*
  • Advising TISCO Bank PCL in connection with its acquisition of over THB40 billion retail businesses from Standard Chartered (Thai) Bank Plc*
  • Representing IRPC Clean Power Co., Ltd. on its THB7 billion refinancing and new project financing for an expansion of a gas fire cogeneration project with the lenders being Krung Thai Bank Plc, Government Saving Bank, LH Bank and Bank of Ayudhya Plc
  • Advising a leading Thai bank as a shortlisted bidder in the bidding for the USD2 billion acquisition of Citi Bank's retail business in Thailand
  • Advising Citibank N.A. on its acquisition of credit card and personal loan portfolios from Tisco Bank PCL*
  • Advising Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI) PCL on the refinancing and acquisition financing of USD600 million Thai and English law facilities agreements, which are fully secured by English and Thai assets; at the time this was one of the largest financing arrangements ever provided by Thai banks to a Thai company and one of the most complex given the cross-border acquisition structure and the existing financing*
  • Advising Bangkok Bank PCL, The Siam Commercial Bank PCL, Kasikornbank PCL and Krungthai Bank PCL as mandated lead arrangers on the acquisition financing of EUR700 million of MW Brands SAS by Thai Union Frozen (TUF) PCL*
  • Advising CIMB Thai Bank PCL, Tisco Bank PCL and TMB Bank PCL on their secured THB3.3 billion financing for TPI Polene Power Company Limited with TPI Polene Public Company Limited acting as guarantor*

*Denotes experience at a previous firm.

Languages
  • English
  • Thai
Education
  • University of Bristol, UK, LLM in Commercial Law, 2005
  • Thammasat University, Thailand, LLB (2nd-class Hons), 1997

Awards and recognition

  • Ranked as a leading individual for Banking and Finance in Thailand by Chambers Asia Pacific, and Chambers Global, 2018 – 2024. 
  • Ranked as a leading individual for Restructuring & Insolvency in Thailand by Chambers Asia Pacific, 2022 – 2024. 
  • Ranked as Leading Individual for Restructuring and Insolvency in Thailand by Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2023.
  • Ranked as Leading Individual for Banking and Finance in Thailand by Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2023.
  • Ranked as a Next Generation Partner in Thailand for Banking & Finance practice, Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2020 - 2022
  • Named in The A-List: Thailand's Top 100 Lawyers 2021, Asia Business Law Journal
  • Rising Star, Banking and Project Finance, IFLR1000 2011 and 2018-21

Pro Bono

  • Active speaker on diversity and inclusion, including for the United Nations Development Programme, the Embassies of Australia and Germany, and at other events
  • Global Foodbank Network stakeholder in Thailand

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Member, Thai Bar Association
  • Lawyers Council of Thailand
 

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