Jonathan Leitch | Hong Kong | Hogan Lovells

Jonathan Leitch

Partner Corporate & Finance

Languages

English

Leitch Jonathan

Jonathan Leitch
Leitch Jonathan
  • Overview
  • Experience
  • Credentials
  • Insights and events
quote mark

"Jonathan’s technical ability, coupled with exceptional soft skills and commercial sense makes him a formidable legal advisor on any restructuring and you want him on your side."

Legal 500 2022

Jonathan Leitch is a restructuring partner in our Hong Kong office.

Jonathan specialises in restructuring and special situations. He has wide-ranging experience in acting for all types of stakeholders in the restructuring and insolvency of financially challenged companies. He acts for a range of financial institutions, credit investors, insolvency office holders, turnaround specialists, hedge funds, private equity firms and corporations.

Jonathan has advised on transactions throughout the Asia Pacific region, principally Hong Kong, PRC and Singapore, and also Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and India.

Jonathan is frequently involved in cross-border matters and has experience in bond defaults (English and New York law governed) and corporate restructuring involving schemes of arrangement, as well as distressed debt sales and non-performing loan portfolio sales. He regularly advises clients on all aspects of financial restructurings, including wind-down and solvent liquidations, debt rescheduling, loan-to-own distressed investment strategies and debt-for-equity swaps, together with enforcement options and formal insolvency proceedings.

He has been involved with the restructuring of companies in a variety of sectors, including retail, property, shipping and transportation, manufacturing, energy, mining, technology, and agriculture.

quote mark

“Jonathan Leitch is very responsive and commercial, very knowledgeable and always willing to help you out.”

Chambers Asia-Pacific 2022

Representative experience

Advising an adhoc committee of sukuk holders in relation to their exposures to Malaysian listed oil and gas services business, Serba Dinamik Holdings Berhad

Advising Argentem Creek Partners on the restructuring of US$500 million notes issued by GCL New Energy Holdings Ltd, a HK listed company and one of the leading solar power operating companies in China

Advising certain bondholders in the restructuring of the US$200m notes issued by Knight Castle Investments Ltd, a subsidiary of the Shandong Sanxing group and a leading corn oil manufacturer in China

Advising certain lenders to Hyflux in connection with the restructuring of the Singapore water company

Advising Madison Pacific as lender agent in the restructuring of China Fishery Group on the US Chapter 11 restructuring and UK Restructuring Plan involving borrowings in excess of US$1.6 billion

Advising the Official Unsecured Creditors Committee of SpeedCast in connection with its US Chapter 11 proceedings

Advising Oaktree on its subscription for up to US$1 billion of private secured notes in a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources

Advising Oaktree on a over US$100 million convertible term loan to be made available to a subsidiary of a leading conglomerate in India with operations ranging from construction to financial services

Advising a fund on its bid to acquire a lenders’ US$500+m stake in a mezzanine loan made by a syndicate of lenders to a Shenzhen-listed, global new energy materials company

Advising SC Lowy HK in the establishment of SC Lowy’s second special investments fund to invest in special investment opportunities in Asia (primarily Korea, India, Indonesia and Australia)

Advising a prospective bidder on their proposal for a recapitalization of the Virgin Australia business. 

Advised a significant holder of  the US$400 million bonds issued by Luckin Coffee Inc. following the admission of fraudulent accounting

Advising a Malaysian bank in relation to its exposure to Genting Hong Kong group

Advising a HK bank on their exposure under a secured syndicated facility to Universal Terminals as a result of its Singapore parent company, Hin Leong Trading, being placed under judicial management

Advising a syndicate of lenders, comprising Indian banks and funds in relation to a restructuring of a US$470 million facility granted to a Singapore subsidiary of a large Indian conglomerate

Advising a U.S. emerging market credit fund in relation to the restructuring of US$ high yield bond holdings in various PRC businesses

Advised a bondholder in relation to its exposures to China Energy Reserve and Chemicals Group*

Advised an asset manager in relation to exposures to Shanghai Huaxin Group (Hong Kong) Limited, a subsidiary of CEFC*

*Matter handled prior to joining Hogan Lovells.

Credentials

Education
  • LLM LPC, Nottingham Law School, 1998
  • LLB (Hons) Law, Nottingham Trent University, 1996
Bar admissions and qualifications
  • Hong Kong
  • Solicitor, England and Wales
Memberships
  • International Insolvency Institute
  • Editorial Board (Asia Region) of INSOL World (the quarterly journal of INSOL International)
  • HKICPA Restructuring and Insolvency Faculty

Recognition

Restructuring & Insolvency (Hong Kong), Recommended practitioner

Who's Who Legal

2018-22
Restructuring/Insolvency: China (International Firms), Leading individuals

Chambers Asia Pacific

2017-23
Leading Lawyer - Highly regarded in Hong Kong SAR

IFLR1000

2016-21
Restructuring and insolvency, Leading individuals

Legal 500 Asia Pacific

2016-23
M&A, Private Equity and Restructuring and Insolvency - Highly regarded in Hong Kong SAR

IFLR1000

2022
Thought Leaders & National Leader - Mainland China & Hong Kong SAR - Restructuring & Insolvency 2022 - Thought Leader

Who's Who Legal

2022
Global Leader - Restructuring & Insolvency 2023 - Recommended

Who's Who Legal

2022