WFW advises group of core creditors on Bourbon Maritime debt restructuring
Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) has advised an enlarged working group of creditors comprising certain French banking groups (the “French Creditors”), ICBC Leasing and Standard Chartered Bank (together, the “Creditors”) on the shipping-related aspects of the debt restructuring of French shipowner BOURBON Maritime (“Bourbon”).
The restructuring was extremely complex and challenging, and involved innovative strategies which have not been previously adopted in the maritime sector. During the three years it took to complete the restructuring, the Creditors successfully converted part of their debt into shares in Société Phocéenne de Participations (“SPP”), a French company established to acquire all of Bourbon Corporation’s assets. The acquisition of the assets of Bourbon Corporation by SPP represented the first judicial takeover by creditors of a French listed company in a French rehabi