Manoj Pillay SANDRASEGARA is Co-Head of WongPartnership’s Special Situations Advisory Practice and a Partner in the Indonesia Practice. He leads the firm’s cross-border restructuring practice in Asia and is globally ranked as a pre-eminent Tier 1 practitioner having extensive experience in complex cross-border debt restructurings act for borrowers, court-appointed administrators and special situation investors.

Manoj is the Chairman of the Insolvency Practitioner’s Association of Singapore and an elected member of the International Insolvency Institute and an advisory board member of the Singapore Management University’s Singapore Global Restructuring Initiative. He was appointed by the Ministry of Law to the Committee to establish Singapore as a debt restructuring centre in Asia. Manoj is also a regular speaker on the international circuit on cross-border restructurings.

Matters of significance in which Manoj has been involved in include acting for the following:

  • Pacific International Lines on the restructuring of the approximately US$3.3 billion in aggregate of debts and liabilities of the shipping group via a consensual debt re-profiling exercise with its creditors in Singapore. Formulated an innovative and pragmatic structure for a US$112 million emergency cash facility, and pioneered a pre-negotiated restructuring strategy leading to a swift conclusion of in-court proceedings within 4 months. This was the most successful restructuring in Asia in recent history. 
  • The Liquidators of the crypto hedge fund 3 Arrows Capital where worldwide applications for recognition and enforcement will be made to help address the estimated US$3.5 billion debt claims.
  • The judicial managers of Xihe Holdings and over 40 of its subsidiaries which are laden with debt and claims as against its assets in excess of S$1 billion. Formulated a comprehensive strategy with the judicial managers to maximise the realisable value of one of the world's largest tanker fleets consisting of over 80 vessels of varying types and sizes, including the design and implementation of a structured sale and trading programme for the vessel fleet, unprecedented in its size, and a potential restructuring of an optimised diversified fleet of vessels. 
  • Hyflux Ltd in its US$2.3 billion restructuring. Hyflux Ltd is a water treatment company famous for being a homegrown “Singapore brand”, and its subsidiaries in a restructuring involving at least S$3 billion in liabilities.
  • ExxonMobil in its investment in Jurong Aromatics Limited’s distressed plant which had a US$1.5 billion debt burden.
  • EMAS Chiyoda Subsea Limited and its subsidiaries (“ECS Group”) in a US$1.6 billion cross-border debt restructuring exercise. Obtained stay of proceedings and anti-suit injunction in support of US Chapter 11 restructuring, which was the first time such relief was granted by the Singapore Court. Subsequently obtained recognition of a US Chapter 11 reorganisation plan, another first for the Singapore Court.

Related Practices

  • Indonesia
  • Restructuring & Insolvency
  • Special Situations Advisory
  • Getting the Deal Through - Restructuring & Insolvency 2013 to 2017 - Singapore Chapter

Manoj is consistently recognised as a leading Tier 1 restructuring and insolvency lawyer in Chambers Asia-Pacific – Asia-Pacific's Leading Lawyers for Business; IFLR1000 – The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms; Best Lawyers in Singapore; asialaw Profiles – The Guide to Asia-Pacific's Leading Law Firms; Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers; Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Restructuring & Insolvency Lawyers; and The Legal 500: Asia Pacific – The Client's Guide to the Asia Pacific Legal Profession. Manoj is recognised as an Elite Practitioner for restructuring and insolvency in asialaw Leading Lawyers – The Guide to Asia-Pacific's Leading Lawyers and has been recommended as a leading lawyer for dispute resolution. He has also been recommended as a leading lawyer in China by Chambers Global – The World's Leading Lawyers for Business: Experts Based Abroad.

 

He is described as “the doyen of the restructuring Bar” by Chambers Asia-Pacific – Asia-Pacific's Leading Lawyers for Business and is known to be "the first port of call for any major restructuring in the market for the last few decades." The Legal 500: Asia Pacific – The Client's Guide to the Asia Pacific Legal Profession recognises Manoj as a "leading individual" for Restructuring & Insolvency in Singapore and he is listed as a "Elite Practitioner" in asialaw Profiles – The Guide to Asia-Pacific's Leading Law Firms, he is noted for his "standout reputation in the field". He was commended by Chambers Global – The World's Leading Lawyers for Business for his depth of experience in advising Chinese companies on their debt restructuring and is described as "incredibly strategic and always looking two steps down the road - absolutely brilliant".

 

Manoj is listed as a Global Leader for his Restructuring & Insolvency expertise in Singapore in the 2022 edition of Who's Who Legal: Restructuring & Insolvency, a Thought Leader in Who's Who Legal: Thought Leaders - Restructuring & Insolvency 2022 and a National Leader in Who's Who Legal: Southeast Asia - Restructuring & Insolvency 2021. Manoj was named as the winner for the Restructuring & Insolvency category for Singapore in the Lexology and International Law Office (ILO) Client Choice Awards 2021.

Contact Details

Career & Qualifications

National University of Singapore (LL.B. Hons.)

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