Baker McKenzie Hosts Lending and Collaterals Seminar to Help Banks Navigate South and Southeast Asia

Baker McKenzie's Taipei office, in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Loan Market Association (APLMA), hosted a seminar titled "Lending and Collateral Issues that Banks Face in South and Southeast Asia" on 7 November 2024.

The seminar, featuring APLMA representatives and senior banking specialists from Baker McKenzie across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Taiwan, delved into key topics such as lending from offshore, taking security over shares/equities and other tangible and intangible collaterals, and recent legal and market developments in India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. A panel discussion on the complexities of choosing governing law and jurisdiction, with a focus on issues relevant to banks, ensued.

APLMA Taiwan Committee Chair, Matthew Liaw, also the Executive Vice President & Head of Structured Finance Division, CTBC Bank Co., Ltd., said: "South and Southeast Asia are presenting new opportunities for Taiwan banks, particularly in India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam, among others, where there is strong demand for corporate financing as businesses seek funding for their acquisitions or operations expansion. Several interest rate cuts are expected to be on the horizon and the robust economic growth of these markets is adding further impetus to this growing trend."

James Hogan, CEO of the APLMA, said: "We are delighted to work hand in hand with Baker McKenzie to organize this seminar for APLMA's members in Taiwan, with the aim of enriching their understanding of the opportunities and challenges in the South and Southeast Asian markets. According to insights from APLMA's Taiwan Loan Market Conference held in June this year, Taiwan's savings rate remains at a high level even after the COVID pandemic, providing sufficient liquidity in the banking sector. Together with the strong financing demand in the South and Southeast Asian region, this presents a great opportunity for Taiwanese banks to expand their offshore lending footprint. As an industry association committed to fostering the sustainable development of the loan market in the Asia Pacific region, we look forward to continuing our collaborations with regulators and various strategic partners, including Baker McKenzie, to facilitate knowledge exchange within the industry and the ongoing growth of loan markets as a crucial funding mechanism in the region."

Bee Leay Teo, senior consultant in Baker McKenzie's Banking and Finance Practice in Taiwan, said during the event: "Many Taiwan banks and financial institutions are increasing their presence in various Asian markets. However, operating in a region as diverse as Asia, they are required to navigate a complex web of diverse laws and regulations which can have far-reaching impacts beyond a single market. Often times, banks and FIs are faced with the challenge of coming up with innovative financing solutions to meet clients' needs and expectations while adhering to regulations and policies in an ever-evolving landscape of the banking industry. Through this seminar, we hope to help banks tackle some of the burning issues related to lending in South and Southeast Asia."

Seraphim Ma, Managing Partner of Baker McKenzie's Taipei office, said, "Baker McKenzie's Taipei office will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in February 2025. For close to 50 years, we have been helping clients navigate the Taiwan market and helping Taiwanese companies with their offshore investments. As Taiwanese banks and corporates as well as other Asian and global clients pick up pace to increase their presence or diversify their supply chains in parts of Asia, we are well placed to support their business strategy. What differentiates us from other law firms is the availability of full-service offerings and local expertise in all of our offices in 45 locations across ASEAN and key economies worldwide, with deep understanding of the business culture in the jurisdictions we serve. We could not be more pleased to be able to partner with APLMA, and for our team of Taiwan and overseas banking specialists to share their regional and local insights and foresight on future business opportunities with the participants."

The seminar also featured the following speakers:

Matthew Liaw, APLMA Taiwan Committee Chair
Matthew Liaw is a board member of the APLMA and Chair of the APLMA Taiwan Committee. He is also the Executive Vice President & Head of Structured Finance Division of CTBC Bank and has been with the bank since 2010. Matthew has also worked for ABN Amro Bank and RBS in similar functions in the relationship management space since 1994.
Matthew has been a regular speaker at loan syndication and bond conferences in the Asia Pacific region as well as in Taiwan over the past decade. He received his MBA degree from University of Wisconsin at Madison, USA, and MS and BS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from National Taiwan University.

James Hogan, Chief Executive Officer, APLMA
James Hogan was appointed as the CEO of the APLMA with effect from January 2024. He is a seasoned international banker and strategic adviser with more than three decades of experience in the financial services sector across nine different countries. During a 32-year career at HSBC, James held senior executive roles in Hong Kong, London, New York and Sydney - as well as in several other markets, predominantly in Asia. He has held leadership positions across multiple wholesale banking business lines, including client coverage and product roles. James served as Asia Pacific Regional Chief Operating Officer for HSBC's Commercial Banking business and, before that, was Country Head of Corporate and Commercial Banking at HSBC Australia.

Outside of the APLMA, James is a board director of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and a member of Cyberport's Entrepreneurship Committee Advisory Group. He graduated from University College Dublin with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, and attended London Business School where he completed the Senior Executive Programme.

Emmanuel Hadjidakis, Principal, Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow, Singapore
Emmanuel Hadjidakis is a principal at Baker McKenzie's Singapore member firm, Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow, and is the chair of the Global Financial Institutions Group at Baker McKenzie. Emmanuel regularly acts for financial institutions, borrowers and private equity funds throughout Asia Pacific. He is experienced in general finance, acquisition finance, restructurings, structured finance, Islamic finance and property finance. Emmanuel regularly advises on large and complex financings.

Mark Lim, Partner, Wong & Partners, Kuala Lumpur
Mark Lim is the managing partner of Baker McKenzie's Malaysian member firm, Wong & Partners, and he also heads the office's Finance & Projects Practice Group. With over 25 years of legal experience, he focuses on both conventional and Islamic banking and finance, debt capital markets (conventional and Islamic), asset-backed securitizations, structured finance and project financing. Mark has vast experience and has advised various local and international lenders in relation to complex aspects of syndicated financing deals. He has also advised on numerous capital market transactions (local and cross-border) and has represented various multinational corporations, conglomerates and financial institutions in landmark deals.

Mahardikha Sardjana, Partner, HHP Law Firm, Jakarta
Mahardikha Sardjana is a partner at Baker McKenzie's Indonesian member firm, HHP Law Firm. He specializes in banking and finance matters as well as M&A projects for financial institutions, with extensive experience in advising clients on derivatives, commission sharing, securitization, loan syndications, mergers and acquisitions of banks, and general banking and finance transactions.

Oanh Nguyen, Partner, Baker McKenzie, Ho Chi Minh City
Oanh Nguyen is the managing partner of Baker McKenzie Vietnam and leads the office's Banking & Finance and Capital Markets practice. She has been practicing capital markets, banking and finance, M&A, and commercial law for more than 30 years. Knowledgeable about all aspects of investments, she advises on all types of transactions, ranging from investment structures to project structures and their related financing. She focuses on banking and finance, public M&A matters including major IPOs, and project finance.

Murray Bowler, Senior Consultant, Baker McKenzie, Taipei
Murray's practice focuses on energy and infrastructure projects, banking and finance (including syndicated lending, trade receivables, PRC lending, acquisition finance, aircraft/ship finance, structured finance, project finance and derivatives), financial regulation, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, foreign investment (inbound to and outbound from Taiwan), insolvency, restructuring, workouts and enforcement, distressed debt transactions, construction, and property investment.