M. Shams Billah

• Named in Bloomberg Law’s 2022 edition of “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40” in the Banking & Finance category.
• Recognized and featured in The Deal as a Rising Star corporate attorney in 2022.
• Featured in Global Restructuring Review for bankruptcy financing practice in 2022. 
• 2021 PPP fellow of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. 
• Counsel for transaction awarded M&A Deal of the Year 2021 by IFLR Asia-Pacific.
• Counsel for transaction awarded Middle East Deal of the Year 2019 by Airfinance Journal.
• Counsel for transaction awarded Shipping & Services Restructuring of the Year Award by Global M&A Network at the 2018 Annual Turnaround Atlas Awards.

• Panelist, “The Future of Finance and Society: a Roundtable Discussion with Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar of Malaysia,” Columbia Business School, June 1, 2022.
• Speaker, “ESG Counseling in Finance and Capital Markets,” American University Washington College of Law hosted by Professor Walter Effross, May 24, 2022.
• Guest Speaker, “Love as a Faith Strategy: Exploring ESG, Ethical Finance, the Workplace and Boardrooms,” Podcast hosted by Love as a Business Strategy, May 4, 2022.
• Panelist, “Doing Business with the Middle East: Trends, Challenges, and Strategies,” New York City Bar Association, June 24, 2021.
• Panelist, “Art Law and Lending,” Rutgers School of Law, February 25, 2021. 
• Instructor, “Islamic Finance in the Aviation Sector,” JetBlue Seminar, November 5, 2020.
• Speaker, “Islamic Banking and its Future,” St. Francis College, November 14, 2019.
• Panelist, “Islamic Finance in the West,” New York University Stern School of Business, October 21, 2019, with co-panelist Majid Dawood, CEO of Yasaar Capital.
• Panelist, “Halal Economy: Trends and Opportunities in Islamic Finance,” Muslim Urban Professional (Muppies) Annual Conference, September 21, 2019, with co-panelist Sheikh Taha Abdul-Baseer, former Chaplain at Harvard University, and Amany Killawi, Co-Founder and COO of LaunchGood.
• Speaker, “Structuring Islamic Finance Transactions in the United States,” New York University Stern School of Business, April 1, 2019.
• Author, “Arab Money: Why Isn't the United States Getting Any?”, University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law (2011).

• Muslim Urban Professionals (Muppies).
• Muslim Bar Association of New York (MuBANY).
• Standing Member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Co-Founder of the Interfaith Attorney Affinity Group and Member of the Asian Attorney Affinity Group of Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP.

Highlighted Corporate Credit Facility Matters

• Representation of Grab, Southeast Asia’s largest mobile technology company and super app, in connection with a $2.0 billion senior secured term loan B facility led by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., the largest credit facility in Asia’s technology sector, propelling the company towards its merger with Altimeter Growth Corp., a special purpose acquisition company or SPAC, that has taken Grab public in the largest-ever U.S. equity offering by a Southeast Asian company ascribing to Grab an equity value then of $39.6 billion.  
• Representation of Coupang, the largest Korean e-commerce website, in connection with its credit facility, convertible notes and IPO.
• Representation of Biotricity Inc., a publicly traded company in the diagnostic mobile cardiac telemetry market, in connection with its term loan credit facility with SWK Funding LLC.
• Representation of a syndicate of lenders in a $1.175 billion senior secured revolving credit and term loan facility for AMC Networks Inc. led by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. 
• Representation of a syndicate of lenders in a $1.06 billion senior secured revolving credit and term loan facility for CBS Radio Inc. led by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. 
• Representation of Geller & Company LLC in connection with its term loan and revolving credit facility led by Santander Bank, N.A.
• Representation of Allegiance Crane & Equipment LLC in connection with its senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility led by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

Highlighted Private Equity, Public M&A and Acquisition Financing Matters

• Representation of SPAC Isos Acquisition Corp., in its $2.6 billion IPO merger with Bowlero Corp. that took the world’s largest owner and operator of bowling centers public.
• Representation of Turnitin, a subsidiary of Advance Publications, in its acquisition of online assessment platform Examsoft.
• Representation of Infosys in the acquisition of Blue Acorn iCi, a digital services and consulting agency.
• Representation of private equity firm Platinum Equity in its $2 billion public acquisition of Wesco Aircraft and $1.475 billion public acquisition of Nesco Holdings Inc.
• Representation of Patrick Drahi in his $3.7 billion public acquisition of Sotheby’s.
• Representation of CBS Corporation in connection with its public merger with Viacom Inc.
• Representation of global information technology company Wipro Limited in its acquisition of Rational Interaction, a full-service digital customer experience company.
• Representation of ANI Pharmaceuticals in connection with a $340 million senior secured term loan B and revolving credit facility led by Truist Bank to finance the acquisition of Novitium Pharma.
• Representation of JD Sports in connection with a $315 million senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility led by PNC Bank and £400 million unsecured revolving credit facility led by Barclays and HSBC, each utilized to finance the public acquisition of The Finish Line, Inc. and subsequent acquisitions of DTLR Villa, Shoe Palace and Nice Kicks.
• Representation of The Madison Square Garden Company in connection with a $122 million senior secured term loan and revolving credit facility led by Goldman Sachs (and later refinanced by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.) and utilized to finance the acquisition of a majority ownership interest in restaurant and night club operator Tao and Tao’s later acquisition of Hakkasan.
• Representation of Cipla in connection with its acquisition financing of U.S.-based specialty pharmaceutical firm Avenue Therapeutics, a Fortress Biotech company.
• Representation of Brightwood Capital Advisors in connection with its various acquisition financings, including financings for BrightStar Group Holdings, Inc., Home Medical Equipment Specialists, LLC, Anodyne, LLC, The Corridor Group Holdings, LLC, E&M Logistics Inc., The Action Environmental Group, Inc., Impero Waste Services, LLC, Teinnovations, LLC and ECP-PF Holdings Group, Inc. (the second largest Planet Fitness franchise).  
• Representation of Greenbriar Equity Group in connection with its acquisition financings of various transportation and logistics companies.
• Representation of private equity firm Kenner & Company, Inc. in connection with senior secured notes and a senior secured revolving credit facility for its portfolio company Pace Industries, Inc.
• Representation of The Smithfield Group LLP, an independent fundless sponsor, in connection with an asset-based revolving credit facility provided by KeyBank National Association (and later refinanced by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.) and utilized as a working capital facility for Safety US Holdings Corp. following its acquisition.
• Representation of two independent fundless sponsors, The Smithfield Group LLP and Kensington Capital Partners, in connection with a senior secured term loan and revolving credit facility led by The PrivateBank and Trust Company and utilized to finance the acquisition of Pure Power Technologies, Inc.
• Representation of Kuramo Capital Management in connection with its various loan facilities, including financings for Feronia Inc. and a bridge facility with Silicon Valley Bank.

Highlighted Restructuring and Distressed Financing Matters

• Representation of Pace Industries, LLC with respect to its senior secured debtor-in-possession revolving credit facility led by Bank of Montreal and Regions Bank (and related exit financing) and separate senior secured debtor-in-possession term loan facility led by TCW and Cerberus (and related exit financing) in connection with its bankruptcy filing.
• Representation of United Airlines as a creditor in connection with the restructuring of Colombian-Panamanian aviation group Avianca.
• Representation of Paris-based minerals company Imerys SA in the Chapter 11 cases initiated by its three indirect subsidiaries to address their historic talc-related liabilities in the United States.
• Representation of DNB Bank ASA in connection with its $125 million senior secured exit financing and $80 million senior secured debtor-in-possession financing of GulfMark Offshore, Inc. and its subsidiaries, a marine transportation service company.
• Representation of Patriot National, Inc. with respect to its $15.5 million senior secured debtor-in-possession term loan facility in connection with its bankruptcy filing, led by Cerberus.
• Representation of CST Industries, Inc. with respect to its $15 million senior secured debtor-in-possession revolving credit facility in connection with its bankruptcy filing, led by BNP Paribas. 
• Representation of Ultrapetrol in the Chapter 11 restructuring of its international shipping and service business that operates in seven jurisdictions globally.

Highlighted Energy and Project Finance Matters

• Representation of a syndicate of lenders in five senior unsecured syndicated credit facilities for FirstEnergy Corp. and certain of its subsidiaries.  The credit facilities included a $4.0 billion revolving loan and letter of credit facility for FirstEnergy Corp., a $1.0 billion revolving loan and letter of credit facility for FirstEnergy Transmission, LLC, and three term loan facilities for FirstEnergy Corp. (for $1.2 billion, $125 million and $125 million, respectively).  
• Representation of MUFG Union Bank, N.A. as administrative agent and syndication agent, in a $350 million senior unsecured syndicated revolving credit and letter of credit facility for El Paso Electric Company.
• Representation of MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, joint lead arranger and lender, in three separate senior unsecured syndicated credit facilities for UNS Energy Corporation and certain of its subsidiaries.  The credit facilities included a $150 million revolving loan and letter of credit facility for UNS Energy Corporation, a $250 million revolving loan and letter of credit facility for Tucson Electric Power Company, and a $100 million revolving loan and letter of credit facility for UNS Electric and UNS Gas. 
• Representation of The Huntington National Bank, as administrative agent, collateral agent and lender, in a $120 million credit facility for Global Mining Holding Company, LLC.

Highlighted Islamic Finance Matters

• Representation of Citi Islamic Investment Bank E.C. and other Citibank affiliates in connection with a $500 million senior secured murabaha revolving warehouse facility for NCB Capital and its affiliates, the investment banking and aviation finance arm of the National Commercial Bank based in Saudi Arabia.
• Representation of Wafra Capital Partners in a number of Islamic financings to fund in-bound U.S. acquisitions, including the acquisitions of and joint ventures with Access Point Financial, Inc., Allegiance Crane, Anchor Loans, LP, EasyPay Finance, GA Telesis, LLC, North Mill Equipment Finance, Oxford Finance LLC, Reliance Asset Management, Stephenson’s Rental, TriplePoint Capital LLC and UC Credit.
• Representation of Emirates Aluminium in connection with a $475 million Islamic finance tranche of the $4 billion project financing of its Phase II aluminum smelter located in the United Arab Emirates.
• Representation of Goldman Sachs on Volker Rule issues with respect to an Islamic bond.
• Representation in connection with securities law disclosure for MSCI EAFE Islamic+ Index.