Sri Lanka

General business law 

Work highlights 

Assisted Global Climate Partnership Fund in assessing facility agreements, ensuring conditions triggering a specific action have happened. 

Acted for The Shipowner’s Protection in a prosecution of a ship for oil spillage. 

Worked with Clifford Chance in China on a proposed acquisition of an offshore parent company with three subsidiaries in Sri Lanka. 

Advised Seoyoung Engineering on a study of the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development’s proposed light rail transit system. The government envisions the project as a PPP. 

Registered trademarks for clients including TM Online, Euro Asia Freight and Villa Saffron. 

Acted for MBSL Insurance on its proposed private placement with a substantial minority shareholder by preparing investment and shareholders agreements. 

Defended Vitol Asia against Ceylon Petroleum’s claim of a late delivery of gas oil. 

Key clients 

Airbnb, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, China Development Bank, HSBC, JP Morgan Chase, Platinum Equity, Siam City Cement 

Client feedback 

“Their service has always been professional, courteous and provided us with excellent advice which has brought in positive results for us but can improve by investing more in IT.” – Intellectual property, Real estate, Shipping  

Senior associate Kolitha Dissanayake left the firm to join Siam City Cement during the research period. 

General business law 

Work highlights 

Advised the joint lead managers including Citigroup CLSA and Deutsche Bank on a $1.5 billion, 10-year sovereign bond. 

Assisted NDB Zephyr Partners’ Emerald Fund by conducting corporate and land due diligence for the client’s bond investment into Idea Group, a manufacturer and distributor of PVC roofs. 

Defended the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) in its litigation with Bartleet Religare Securities.  

Acted for China Development Bank on its project finance to Chec Port City Colombo. The firm’s role includes examining the enforceability of an agreement among Chec, the national government and the Urban Development Authority.  

Acted for Keppel Logistics and MISC Enterprises on its share sale of Trans-Ware Logistics to John Keells.    

Key clients 

China Merchants Port, HSCB, ICBC, Jetwing Symphony, NDB Zephyr Partners, Standard Chartered Bank 

General business law 

Work highlights 

Advised solar power developer Norsk Solar Org on build-own-operate model to establish a SPV. 

Assisted a Swedish firm by helping the client understand whether a judgment by a foreign court was enforceable in Sri Lanka.   

Instructed by German engineering company BonTerra Weiland, the team is advising on the implications of a joint venture, licensing a trade mark and understanding how oppression and mismanagement work in Sri Lanka.  

Key clients 

BonTerra Weiland, B Sharp, Temenos, Tetra Tech, World Windows 

The firm is active in assisting global banks providing opinions about sub-custodianships in Sri Lanka.  

General business law 

Work highlights 

Advised Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing, which has equity and bond trading schemes with exchanges in China, on establishing a cross-border market exchange. 

Acted for China Development Bank on its receivables financing to Sri Lanka clients. 

Worked on incorporating Odoc, a platform connecting patients with their doctors in video and audio consultations over a phone. Brandix, Lanka Orix Leasing and MAS are backers of the health technology company. 

Instructed by Biomass Ventures, the team advised on an innovative biomass infrastructure project.  

Key clients 

AerCap Ireland, Airbus Financial Services, Apollo Aviation Management, BNP Paribas, Lloyds Bank, Zurich Insurance 

General business law 

Work highlights 

Assisted the national government in association with the World Bank to improve its ability to manage, structure and negotiate PPPs in infrastructure development. As the sole legal advisor, the firm is working with on and offshore teams of PricewaterhouseCoopers. 

Worked with Gazelle Ventures to purchase a domestic company implementing an innovative project. It involves the integration of sugar manufacturing and firewood and bagasse fuelled power plants. Bagasse is the by-product after extracting juice from sugar cane. 

Acted for Softlogic on its private placement to Samena Capital’s Samena Ceylon.  

Advised the shareholders of DSI Samson on its corporate restructuring. The project involved about 25 subsidiaries and many groups of stakeholders.  

Key clients 

Citibank, Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO), Sampath Bank, Sri Lanka Telecom