Emerging Markets Debt Restructuring

Corporate debt in emerging markets (EMs) has reached historical levels in the post-Covid-19 world. This challenges international lenders (e.g., commercial banks, development finance institutions, and impact investors) and EM economies in their pursuit of economic development. This book builds on the authors’ first volume by focusing on the role of institutions in the economy, credit markets, and ultimately debt restructuring. The authors identify, contextualize, and evaluate the major challenges confronting restructuring professionals in EMs, offering “ten observations” on the major differences for the practitioner in the restructuring environment of EMs versus that of advanced economies. The authors present four detailed EM case studies (following these with counterfactuals) reflecting these ten observations. The authors also explore the main elements of an effective EM insolvency framework as relevant to the restructurer’s choice whether to pursue a formal versus an informal solution. Written for restructuring professionals by restructuring professionals, this book explores the factors which drive success—or failure—in EM debt restructuring. Richard Marney is a senior advisor for risk management at responsAbility Investments (Zurich). He previously served from 2014 to 2019 as the firm’s chief risk officer. Prior to responsAbility, he had a broad and varied 40-year career in emerging and frontier markets banking and principal investing, with senior-level business and corporate development, risk management, and operating roles, including with BNY-Mellon and JP Morgan. He currently sits on multiple boards of directors in the emerging markets, including the African Guarantee Fund, Finca Armenia, MikroKapital Romania, MikroKapital Moldova, and Oasis Credit, Uzbekistan, and serves as an advisor and investment committee member to the Beacon Fund, Vietnam. He is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University, Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, and University College London, with a specialty in development economics. Timothy Stubbs is a partner with the global law firm Dentons based in London. Tim has worked on emerging markets transactions with Dentons (and its legacy firm Salans) since 1992, having previously practiced law in Chicago and New York. Tim also worked for two years in the Office of General Counsel of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London on working sabbatical. Tim has led numerous debt restructurings as well as financings of all types, including bilateral and syndicated lending, real estate finance, and project finance.