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Overview
Amir Heyat is Of Counsel in the Securities and Capital Markets practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm's New York office. Mr. Heyat concentrates his practice on representing issuers and underwriters on a range of debt and equity capital markets, structured finance and liability management transactions. He has advised on a range of large-scale international securities offerings and debt restructurings by sovereign, corporate and multilateral organization issuers, including IPOs, deSPAC transactions, Eurobonds, high-yield bonds, MTN programs, securitizations and private placements. These include a number of award-winning and landmark transactions that were firsts within their respective markets.
Mr. Heyat also has extensive experience advising clients on on-going compliance with U.S. federal securities laws and corporate governance matters, counseling U.S. mutual funds and their independent directors on regulatory matters, advising investors and developers on large-scale project finance and licensing deals, and advising private equity firms and large corporations on regulatory and M&A matters.
Mr. Heyat was recognized by The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch (2021, 2024, and 2025) in the field of Project Finance Law, and by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star (2023 and 2024).
Recognitions
- Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch (2021, 2024, and 2025) in the field of Project Finance Law
- Rising Star, Super Lawyers (2023 and 2024)
Education
- University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, J.D., 2012, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif
- Cornell University, B.A., 2008
Representations
- Advised FiscalNote Holdings, Inc. in its $1.3 billion business combination with Duddell Street Acquisition Corp.
- Advised AdTheorent Holding Company, LLC in its business combination with MCAP Acquisition Corporation.
- Advised Freedom Acquisition I Corp. in its business combination with Complete Solaria, Inc.
- Advised Raymond James, as financial advisor, in connection with U.K. clinical stage biotechnology company Zura Bio Limited's business combination with JATT Acquisition Corp.
- Advised Getir B.V., an international rapid grocery development company, in its acquisition of Huvi Technologies Inc.
- Advised leading biotechnology and medical device companies in connection with multiple public and private equity financings.
- Advised a leading multinational pharmaceutical company in multiple investment rounds in a biotechnology company.
- Advised a leading publicly traded real estate investment trust in numerous equity and debt financings, shareholder activism and corporate governance matters.
- Advised numerous U.S. public companies on ongoing compliance with U.S. federal securities laws and corporate governance matters.
- Advised the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in connection with its debut offering of $1 billion unsecured notes.
- Advised Deutsche Bank and J.P. Morgan, as joint lead managers, in connection with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic’s offering of $750 million unsecured notes.
- Advised Wind Acquisition Finance S.A. and Wind Telecomunicazioni S.p.A., a leading Italian telecommunications operator, on a corporate refinancing that included a €4 billion issuance of three tranches of senior secured notes by Wind Acquisition Finance S.A. The transaction also included a simultaneous tender offer for outstanding securities of Wind Acquisition Finance S.A. to facilitate the transaction.
- Advised IGT (formerly GTECH S.p.A.), a leading Italian gaming technology and content company, in connection with its offering of senior secured notes denominated in three tranches totaling $3.2 billion and two tranches totaling €1.55 billion. This transaction represented the largest bond issuance at the time by an Italian issuer in the international capital markets.
- Advised the Black Sea Trade & Development Bank, a multilateral development bank, in connection with establishing its €1 billion Euro Medium Term Note Programme.
- Advised Air Canada in connection with its offering of C$850 million Class A and Class B shares, $650 million convertible senior unsecured notes, and two enhanced equipment trust certificate (EETC) offerings with a combined aggregate principal amount of approximately $870 million.
- Advised Aviation Capital Group in connection with offerings of multiple series of fixed and floating rate senior unsecured notes, a tender offer and consent solicitation, with a combined aggregate principal amount of over $6 billion.
- Advised the underwriters in connection with the registered offering by a U.S. bank of $96 million fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes.
- Advised Allegiant Travel Company in connection with its offering of $150 million senior secured notes, and tender offer and consent solicitation in connection with its outstanding $450 million aggregate principal amount of 5.50% senior notes due 2019.
- Advised a leading equipment leasing company in connection with the private placement of $150 million fixed rate notes.
- Advised the investors in connection with the private placement of $200 million fixed rate notes by a major Latin American corporation.
- Advised a global private investment firm in connection with the structuring of a sale of $911 million of three tranches of asset-backed notes.
- Advised Goldman Sachs and Credit Agricole, as initial purchasers, in connection with the issuance of $429 million of three tranches of asset-backed notes.
- Advised Oz Management as asset manager and equity investor in a tradable E note in connection with an asset backed securitization, which included three tranches of fixed rate notes with a total principal amount of $587 million and participating certificates with an aggregate face amount of $100 million.
- Advised the anchor equity investor in an asset backed securitization, which included an offering of two tranches of fixed rate notes and two series of broadly distributed equity securities. This transaction won the Ishka "Most Innovative Deal 2018" award.
- Advised the sponsor and issuer in connection with the issuance of three tranches of $781 million of asset-backed notes.
- Advised Kaupthing hf., as the successor entity holding the foreign assets of the insolvent Icelandic Kaupthing Bank hf., on the restructuring of liabilities, including high-yield notes, of more than $45 billion. The comprehensive restructuring included a U.S. Chapter 15 bankruptcy proceeding, a U.K. scheme of arrangement, an Icelandic composition proposal—a form of restructuring under Iceland’s Bankruptcy Act—and the issuance of various new debt instruments. This transaction represented one of the largest ever bank financial restructurings and won the Grand Prize for Global Finance Deal of the Year at the American Lawyer’s 2016 Global Legal Awards ceremony.
- Advised Afren plc, an Africa-focused FTSE 250 oil exploration and production company, on aspects of its debt restructuring of over $500 million, which involved amendments to secured facilities, high-yield debt restructurings, equity offerings and amendments of interests in its underlying oil and gas assets.
- Advised a healthcare venture capital fund as the borrower in a secured revolving credit facility.
- Advised numerous mutual fund groups on fund mergers, including both consolidations within fund groups as well as mergers of unaffiliated funds.
- Advised Iron Mountain Incorporated, a storage and information management company, on its approximately $191 million acquisition of Cornerstone Records Management.
- Advised The RMR Group, the parent company of multiple leading real estate investment trusts, on a series of acquisitions of travel hospitality centers across the United States.
- Advised the private equity sponsor in connection with structuring, financing and acquisition of an international fleet of over 50 marine vessels.
- Advised a leading U.S. energy investment fund, as the private equity sponsor, in connection with structuring and financing a multibillion-dollar coal and gas facility in the United States.
- Advised a leading Azerbaijani conglomerate in connection with its exclusive licensing agreement with a leading luxury international department store chain.
- Advised U.S. publicly traded companies in connection with disclosure and certification requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Engagement & Publications
- Published in International Financial Law Review and other legal publications
- Participates in professional panels on topics including capital markets, corporate finance and securities regulation
Involvement
- Member (2021), LCLD Pathfinders Program
- Board Member (2016-2019), University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law