Ibrahim Abdel Salam Babiker

IBRAHIM ABDEL SALAM BABIKER advises on a wide range of high value finance matters with a primary focus advising on cross-border debt restructurings and workouts (both in and out-of-court). Ibrahim has also advised on special situations transactions, refinancings, European restructurings, distressed M&A transactions, and on the review and due diligence of investment opportunities in par, stressed, and distressed transactions for hedge funds and private equity houses.

Ibrahim was part of the team recognized as ‘Restructuring Team of the Year’ at the 2024 IFLR Asia-Pacific Awards and ‘Asia Practice of the Year’ at the Global Restructuring Review Awards 2024.

Prior to joining Sidley’s London office in 2020 and moving to Hong Kong as part of the team to form Sidley’s APAC Restructuring practice, Ibrahim trained at another international law firm in London, where he gained experience in private equity and strategic M&A, leveraged finance, special situations, debt capital markets, and restructuring. 

Ibrahim is also fluent in English and Arabic.

Recent examples of Ibrahim’s work include advising:

• Shimao Group Holdings Limited on the restructuring of its US$11.5 billion in offshore debt.  The restructuring is being conducted in parallel with bilateral restructurings of certain other offshore debts outside of the scope of the scheme totaling US$2 billion. This deal is one of the largest China real estate restructurings and was named a “Deal of the Year” by China Business Law Journal 2024.
• Certain major Hong Kong-listed real estate issuers, including China Evergrande Group and Fantasia Holdings Group Co., on offshore debt restructuring transactions.
  
• Ebix, Inc., a global software and technology company, and certain of its affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, to address approximately US$700 million in funded debt obligations, through a successful asset sale and sponsored plan of reorganization.
• Zhongliang on the restructuring of its circa US$1.2 billion of offshore debt via a Hong Kong scheme of arrangement.
• A special situations fund in relation to GBP170 million sale and lease back of a Formula One and sports cars manufacturer’s global headquarters.
• Travelex on its financial and operational restructuring.
• An underwriter in connection with the tap of a sovereign’s existing high yield notes.
  
• Underwriters in connection with the issuance of US$300 million notes issued by an Armenian mining services group.
  
• The ad hoc committee of lenders to a global furniture company in respect of the financial restructuring of the group.
• A petroleum company in respect of its investment in, and acquisition of, another energy group.
• The ad hoc committee of bondholders in respect of the financial restructuring of a Scottish multimedia company.
• An investor in its acquisition of a significant stakehold and investment in a UK newspaper group.
  
• A British film and studio group in connection with its GBP 300 million refinancing.
  
• Agent and lenders in connection with the GBP 530 million refinancing of a major British fashion and homeware retailer.
  
• Lender in connection with the refinancing of a major European cinema operator.

*Some of the above matters were handled by Ibrahim prior to joining Sidley