Since its creation in early 2002, Orion has carried out a number of transactions and advisory tasks. In the period 2002-2006, Orion has directly advised a number of companies and projects, including the following:
- Five Lebanese Banks:
1. On operational restructuring, capital optimisation, risk management and Basel II implementation, and funding. Orion has structured for this bank a successful preferred share issue linked to performance
2. On raising tier 2 capital and structuring two preferred share issues. Rating advisory for this bank, which was later on merged with a larger bank, was started but discontinued due to the bank's board unwillingness to go down that path
3. On Basel II implementation and the setting of a regulatory capital calculation mechanism
4. On operational restructuring, including funding diversification, re-writing policies and procedures, establishing a correspondent banking methodology, and credit analysis capabilities
5. On the establishment of policies and procedures, and on the development of credit analysis and risk management capabilities.
- A Contractors Real Estate and Ready Mix: on debt rescheduling, re-financing and restructuring, and group operational and legal restructuring, which has led to the splitting of the group's activities and re-distribution of shareholding
- A casual dining restaurant chain: on operational restructuring, including systems overhaul, profit optimisation and the reshuffling of the shareholding structure
- Union of Arab Banks: advising on Basel II implementation, organising workshops and seminars on risk management, credit ratings and analysis, writing papers on ratings and risk management, and advising the Board on strategic direction
- A real estate project in Jordan: on capital optimisation and potential credit rating
- A factoring company: on setting up a factoring fund for the MENA region
Banque du Liban (central bank of Lebanon): on regulation. Participated in the implementation of rules and regulations regarding loan classification and debt to property swaps.
During the 2011-2018 period, Orion was assigned other tasks, the main ones being as follows:
- A large gas distribution company in Lebanon. Advised on capital optimisation, and arranged for financing from both a conventional and Islamic bank to fund regional expansion.
- Four major card dealerships:
1. Including one of the largest car dealers in the Levant region. Advised on the potential to set up a trucks assembly plant in Jordan, the potential acquisition of two other Lebanese car dealers, the acquisition of a Lebanese truck dealer and on the potential establishment of a leasing and car finance company
2. On company restructuring and debt repayment, involving the structuring of the sale of one of dealership to a local competitor
3. On the potential sale to a competitor
4. On raising financing for the Company for the purpose of debt restructuring, re-financing, re-scheduling and repayment of existing bank debt. Financing and re-financing the Company included the issuance of debt securities as well as equity financing, as well as a triangulation between cross boarder financing, swap against equity and repayment of debt with a third-party foreign car concessionary.
- A major casual dining group in Lebanon: advised on the potential acquisition of a stake by a local private equity fund
- An agro-food processing plant in Lebanon: advised on the potential acquisition by a local competitor, both local leaders in their fields of expertise, which is processing and distribution
- A shoe manufacturer in Lebanon: on the disposal of the company to a group of individual investors
- A major Egyptian Property and Hotel group: board member of a group of hotel and luxury property companies in the Hurghada region in Egypt. Advised on arbitration between shareholders and restructuring of debt
- A Lebanese stockbroker and finance company: advised this Lebanese brokerage firm on restructuring and development. This mission was carried out in close cooperation with the central bank of Lebanon.
- Two minor international rating agencies
1. Advised on business development in the GCC region for this US, SEC accredited rating agency
2. On business development in the MENA region and Islamic world
- A Jordanian start-up company: Advised this Jordanian start-up information provider in creating a scoring system for the various retail banking products on offer in Jordan, and expand into Egypt
- A solar electric energy solution provider: advised the company in securing alternative financing, by factoring the cash flow derived from Jordanian municipalities. The triangulation was done in Jordanian dinars and lowered the weighted average cost of capital for the consortium by 500 basis points
- An agro-food processor and distribution chain: Structured a leverage buy out to one of the major shareholders from a scattered minority shareholder (mainly a family inheritance stake), after a proper valuation of the company. Later a debt restructuring project was submitted and an expansion plan into Europe was put in place. Both restructuring and expansion plans are earmarked to be executed by mid 2020.
The partners of Orion have advised a number of other projects, corporates and financial institutions. Some of them are on-going assignments and will be disclosed upon completion.
