The Legal 500

Under this section, only the firms with no editorial in the next section on project finance have an editorial below.

Simmons & Simmons LLP’s project and energy practice is one the firm’s main drivers in Paris. Christophe Asselineau, a very experienced mining expert, leads the team while Yves Baratte was promoted to partner. The 12-lawyer team handles major mining and infrastructure projects in West Africa, mainly working alongside Anglo-Saxon sponsors such as AES Sonel, which it assisted on the development of gas plants in Cameroon. The firm was also Areva’s advisor on its Imouraren uranium project in Niger.

CGR Legal’s team is ‘very strong, available and specialises in renewable energies’, particularly in the solar and wind sectors. The firm has strong public law and regulatory expertise in Paul Elfassi and Fabrice Cassin, ‘one of the few public law experts in the energy and environment fields’. It represents prominent clients (GDF-Suez, Poweo, EDF-EN) on wind projects, takes on related litigations and also pleads before the energy commission regulator. Bertrand Galvez is a tax energy specialist, while investment and project finance work is handled by Florence Trognon-Dumain and Philippe Raybaud, whose ‘direct and straight-forward approach’ is greatly appreciated.

CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre’s 15 lawyer-team handles project, solar, wind, biomass, electricity and oil and gas work. Regulatory expert Christophe Barthélemy is an energy specialist, advising Solarneo on tariff changes and urban transport operator RATP on the third energy package. Jean-Jacques Lecat has wide experience advising on oil and gas and infrastructure projects in the emerging markets, assisting SMFG on an iron ore concession project in Guinea. Finance specialists Laurent Mion and Gérard Kling team up with public law expert François Tenailleau to advise on PPP projects in France.

Boris Martor manages Eversheds LLP’s project and energy practice. Ten lawyers handle solar projects in France and in the French overseas territories for clients such as Photoventure and Helios Energie. The firm also assists Total on downstream work. The project practice, which also includes David Sellers, focuses on advising sponsors, lenders and state entities in Africa while also developing its presence on French PPPs. It assisted the Malian Transport Ministry on the renegotiation of the railway project between Dakar and Bamako.

Franklin receives instructions on renewables in France (Veolia Environnement, Solaire Direct) and on electricity projects in Africa and the Mekong region. Public law expert Jérôme Michel is advising Sofreco on major hydroelectric projects in the Great Lakes region, and French grid operator RTE International and the Asian Development Bank on the creation of a regional electricity market in South East Asia.

JeantetAssociés AARPI’s Thierry Lauriol has experience advising lenders, sponsors and state entities on projects in West Africa, running a strong practice in the mining sector. The five-lawyer team handles credit export, trade financing, infrastructure and arbitration work.

Winston & Strawn’s practice head Vincent Trévisani and Carole Arribes handle M&A, project and litigation work for major operators and investors. The four-lawyer team has a comprehensive practice in the energy field, covering electricity transport and distribution, renewable, thermal power, hydroelectricity and some oil and gas work in France and emerging markets. Highlights included assisting EDF Energies Nouvelles and Dalkia on the sale of two offshore thermal power plants, and Eolfi on the development of solar projects.