Shawn Er
Partner

Shawn is a Partner in the firm’s Asset Finance group.

Prior to joining Watson Farley & Williams he worked at Baker, McKenzie Wong & Leow, Ashurst (London) and Lovells (London).

Shawn is dual qualified as a solicitor of England and Wales and an advocate & solicitor of Singapore.

He has a wide range of cross-border finance experience encompassing asset finance (in particular the financing of ships and offshore oil and gas assets), project finance in the renewables sector, Islamic finance, acquisition finance and general bilateral and syndicated corporate lending. Shawn also has experience with ECA financing, receivables finance and debt restructuring.

Shawn has been seconded to the legal team of Egg plc (UK), the leveraged finance origination team of Bank of Scotland plc (UK) and the general legal team of ANZ Bank (Singapore).

• The sponsors in relation to (a) the financing of the Baveat solar power project in Cambodia and (b) the financing of a portfolio of solar roof top project in Thailand.
• Acting for an international Australian bank in respect of the Sinosure backed financing of isotanks.
• Acting for an international Australian bank in respect of the two Sinosure backed facilities provided to one of the largest commodities companies in China to finance the acquisition of two bulk carriers.
• Acting for SapuraKencana in connection with a US$2.3bn equivalent multi-currency commodity murabaha facility.
• Acting for a syndicate of banks led by The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. as agent and UniCredit Bank AG, Singapore Branch as security trustee in relation to a US$479,557,744 term facility provided to FSL Trust Management Pte. Ltd as trustee-manager for the First Ship Lease Trust. Note: Winner of Marine Money Bank Debt Deal of the Year (East) for 2012.
• Acting for Dolphin International AS (a subsidiary of Fred Olsen Energy ASA) as borrower in relation to facilities of up to US$1.5bn provided by a syndicate of 10 financial institutions led by Danske Bank A/S (as agent) to fund (amongst other things) the refinancing of Fred Olsen’s existing facilities relating to a fleet of 7 drill ships/semi submersible and the acquisition of a newbuild drill ship.   Note: Finalist for the Asset and Corporate Finance Deal of the Year in the Asian Legal Business SE Asia Awards 2013
• Acting for Fred Olsen Energy ASA as borrower in relation to facilities of up to US$2bn provided by a syndicate of 17 financial institutions led by ING Bank NV and Nodea Bank Norge ASA to fund the refinancing of Fred Olsen’s existing facilities to a fleet of 8 drill ships/semi submersible vessels and the acquisition of a new semi submersible;
• Acting for a joint venture company owned by MISC Berhad and Petrovietnam Technical Services Corporation as borrower in respect of a US$240m facility provided by a syndicate of financial institutions led by Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (as facility agent and security agent) for the purposes of financing the acquisition and conversion of the FPSO “Ruby II”.
• Acting for Brunei Gas Carriers Sdn Bhd as borrower in relation to various islamic finance facilities relating to the (i) refinancing of the LNG vessel “Abadi”; (ii) the financing of Brunei Gas Carrier’s 4th LNG vessel (Note: Winner of Islamic Finance News – Structured Finance Deal of the Year 2012) and (iii) the financing of Brunei Gas Carrier’s 5th LNG vessel.
• Acting for Golar LNG Energy Limited as borrower in relation to the financing of the FSRU “Nusantara Regas Satu”. Note: Marine Money Offshore 2012 – Project Finance Deal of the Year
• Acting for Petrofac and Sapura Kencana as sponsors in relation to the financing of the “FPSO Berantai”
• Acting for M3nergy (as sponsor) in relation to the financing of the “FPSO Ratu Nusantara”

• 2012: Qualified as an Advocate and Solicitor of Singapore
• 2010: National University of Singapore Part A Bar Course
• 2004: Qualified as a Solicitor of England and Wales
• 2002: Oxford Institute of Legal Practice Legal Practice Course
• 2001: Called to the Bar of England and Wales
• 2001: Inns of Court School of Law Bar Vocational Course
• 2000: University of Bristol LLB

• “Surviving the Downturn: Time to revisit your contracts?” – Speaker at Marine Money Singapore Offshore Finance Forum 2016
• “Private Equity and Shipping: An investment in rough waters?” Article for Marine Money August 2014
• “The Right Exit Strategy in the Current Economy” Speaker at Southeast Asia VC and PE conference 2014
• “Case study: Brunei Gas Carriers $170 million Ijarah financing” Speaker at Brunei Darussalam Islamic Investment Summit 2013
• “Securing Financing for FSRU Projects” Panelist at IBC’s 2nd Annual FSRU Conference 2013
• “Case Study: Brunei Gas Carriers US$170 million Ijarah Project Financing” Speaker at IFN Singapore Road Show 2013
• “Islamic Ship Finance Structures” Speaker at 3rd Asian Islamic Banking Conference 2012
• “Risk Mitigation in Project Contracts for offshore assets operating in S.E. Asia” Speaker at Asean Oil and Gas Expo 2012

• Law society of Singapore
• Law society of England and Wales
• Lincolns Inn

• 2011 – present: Watson Farley & Williams
• 2010 – 2011: Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow
• 2005 – 2010: Ashurst, London
• 2002 – 2005: Lovells, London