James Grandolfo > Milbank > Hong Kong, Hong Kong > Lawyer Profile

Milbank’s Philippine offering focuses on three main areas: corporate transactions, capital markets, and energy and infrastructure projects. Handling M&As and IPOs on the corporate side, and renewables on the energy side, the firm often acts for key financial institutions, lenders, and sponsors. Leading the practice, James Grandolfo has considerable experience advising on capital markets, M&A, and private equity, across multiple jurisdictions with a particular focus on the Philippines. Another force in capital markets is Paul Pery who handles investment grade and high-yield debt and equity, while James Murray leads the firm’s project, energy, and infrastructure finance group, which often acts for regional sponsors and developers, and export credit agencies.

Milbank’s Vietnamese practice features projects and energy mandates, with additional experience in handling corporate and capital markets matters, and demonstrable experience in the telecoms and technology sectors. Jointly leading the practice, Jacqueline Chan operates from Singapore and specialises in M&A, corporate finance and restructurings, while James Grandolfo, who is based in the firm’s Hong Kong office, has an active portfolio in regional capital markets and corporate transactions. On the projects front, James Murray contributes to the firm’s regional offering, being a central figure in renewable energy, and with recent work consisting of wind projects.

Active across India, the UK and Asia more broadly, Milbank fields a considerable workload that spans projects, M&A and capital markets issues. The team is frequently handling matters arising from the energy, transport and telecoms industries on both a domestic and international scale. James Grandolfo, who helms the group, possesses extensive experience in the domain of debt, high-yield and equity related mandates, while Giles Kennedy is routinely entrusted by clients active in the sectors of tech, telecoms and real estate. Terrence O’Donnell is noted for his strengths in managing IPOs, share placements and high-yield bonds.

Using the Hong Kong office as a hub to structure deals through Southeast Asia, and also increasingly active on mandates with a nexus to China, Milbank is seen with increased frequency, particularly for arrangers/underwriters, on a myriad investment grade and high yield issuances. James Grandolfo has particular knowledge of the Philippines capital markets space, and as well as advising on standalone bond issuances, is also regularly instructed by underwriters on the establishment and updating of MTN programmes for Philippines issuers. The ‘outstanding’ Alex Tao  co-heads the team alongside Grandolfo and has been pivotal to the increase in China work, both for local real estate companies and more recently for industrial companies on their high yield offerings.

Leveraging ‘excellent local knowledge, connectivity and sensitivity to local culture and customs’, Milbank’s Hong Kong capital markets team has gained particular acclaim for its work for issuers and underwriters in relation to Korean ECM matters. Under the guidance of James Grandolfo, the team also continues to pick up work with a nexus to other Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam and Thailand, with Paul Pery and Ari Singzon also key members of the team.