United Kingdom > London > Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure
Index of tables
Infrastructure
-
1
-
2
-
3
- CMS Cameron McKenna LLP
-
Hogan Lovells International LLP - Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP
- Pinsent Masons LLP
- Shearman & Sterling LLP
- Slaughter and May
-
-
Fulbright & Jaworski International LLP - Trinity International LLP
-
Leading individuals
-
- Conrad Andersen - Allen & Overy LLP
- Alan Black - Linklaters LLP
- Nicholas Bliss - Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
- Nicholas Buckworth - Shearman & Sterling LLP
- Martin McCann - Norton Rose LLP
- Charlotte Morgan - Linklaters LLP
- John Scriven - Allen & Overy LLP
- Gavin Teague - Clifford Chance
- Bruce White - Linklaters LLP
Allen & Overy LLP is ‘easily the best infrastructure practice in the market’, with work in 2011 encompassing international and domestic road, rail, ports, waste and social infrastructure deals. The firm advised DP World on the financing and development of the London Gateway. International mandates included advising the IFC on the establishment of the African, Latin American and Caribbean Fund. Conrad Andersen is ‘highly regarded by banks and borrowers for his technical ability, and can successfully execute both M&A and PPPs’. Susan Howard is recommended, and senior associate Sara Pickersgill is very highly regarded.
Ashurst’s UK-focused practice remains a strong presence in the domestic social infrastructure market. With notable expertise in transport, the team recently advised TfL on the purchase of two DLR concession companies in relation to its ongoing restructuring. International work included advising the sponsor consortium on the financing of its bid to develop the Muharraq Waste Water Treatment Plant. The firm is also known for its advice to bidders on defence projects, where the highly regarded Mark Elsey has been active.
The ‘very professional and very solid’ Linklaters LLP remains particularly active in the Russian projects market. Recent mandates include advising the consortium lenders, including VTB Capital and the European Development Bank, on the St Petersburg Western High-Speed Diameter toll road. In the UK, the team is acting for the sponsors on the procurement and £1.6bn financing of a new fleet of 115 trains to operate on the upgraded Thameslink network. Bruce White is ‘a highly effective lawyer, and a commanding presence in his field’.
A strong presence in the domestic project finance and corporate market, Clifford Chance was instructed on many of the UK’s biggest-ticket deals of 2011. The firm advised a consortium of commercial lenders, including RBS and DNM Nord, on the £1.5bn financing of Phase 1 of the London Gateway Port Development; and the senior lenders, including EIB, on the £1.85bn financing of the Thames Rolling Stock Project. Brendan Moylan specialises in M&A; and Gavin Teague has expertise in the rail and defence sectors.
Among several high-profile international mandates, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is advising the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure of British Columbia on the Evergreen Line Rapid Transit Project, an extension to the existing Vancouver Skytrain system. On the domestic front, it is advising DEFRA on access to private finance in relation to the Thames Tunnel sewage management project. Alex Carver heads the London infrastructure group.
Rail powerhouse Herbert Smith LLP is ‘committed to deadlines and quality of output’, ‘can mobilise a large resource’, and is ‘in the top quartile in the Middle East’. Among several large-scale rail mandates, the firm is advising HS 1 Ltd, the concessionaire of High Speed 1, on regulatory and property management issues; and, using a cross-office team, is also advising the Haramain High-speed Rail Consortium, chosen to construct the Mecca- Medina-Jeddah rail link. Patrick Mitchell heads the global infrastructure team.
Norton Rose LLP’s international focus secured it work on major projects in Germany, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia. With power infrastructure a specialism, the firm advised a sponsor consortium, including Marubeni Corporation and Chubu Electric Power, on the Sur Independent Power Project (IPP) in Oman, which completed in November 2011. Other recent work includes advising a shortlisted bidding consortium on the procurement of the RegioTram project in Groningen. Martin McCann heads the team.
White & Case LLP acted on some of the largest energy infrastructure projects in the EMEA region in 2011. Jason Kerr and Mark Castillo-Bernaus were part of a team that assisted Nord Stream AG and the sponsors in closing Phase II of the Nord Stream Pipeline Project. The firm has been particularly active in Turkey, where it is acting on several major infrastructure projects. Kerr is ‘an outstanding project finance lawyer’.
CMS Cameron McKenna LLP has a strong UK energy infrastructure focus, and is currently advising National Grid Offshore Ltd on its bid for OFTO transmissions assets, the lines linking offshore wind farms to the main grid system. In Canada, the firm advised Laing O’Rourke and Innisfree as projects investors in the Centre Hospitalier de L’Université de Montréal. Jason Davies and Jonathan Dames are recommended.
Hogan Lovells International LLP advised the lenders to the Blue Transmission Consortium (Macquarie and Barclays) on their successful £105.4m bid to buy the transmission link to the Walney 1 offshore wind farm. The firm is also handling nuclear, coal and aviation deals. Andrew Gallagher and Adrian Walker are recommended.
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP’s mega-deal projects practice acted as international counsel to the lenders, including ANZ and HSBC, on the $1.5bn financing of the acquisition of licences for the Broadband Wireless Access Spectrum obtained from the government of India. Phillip Fletcher, Cathy Marsh and John Dewar are highly regarded.
Pinsent Masons LLP mainly advises sponsor, developer and government clients, with a strong focus on construction. Michael Allan led the team which assisted the Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors consortia on the winning bid to build the Forth Replacement Crossing; and Mark Roe is currently advising the Ukrainian state entity responsible for the procurement of the new safe confinement at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Shearman & Sterling LLP’s ‘globally very well-connected’ practice has been active in high-profile projects, particularly in the Middle East, where it advised a consortium of lenders, including Crédit Agricole, on the financing for the Muharraq wastewater project in Bahrain. Tim Pick ‘brings great depth of knowledge into the deal’; Ben Shorten is ‘attentive to the needs of the clients’; and Laurence Levy is ‘a smoothing presence in negotiations’.
International in focus, Slaughter and May continues to act on some impressive UK mandates, including advising Lend Lease on the delivery of infrastructure for the Olympic Park at the London 2012 Games, with Steven Edwards leading the advice. The firm also advised Gatwick Airport Ltd on a £5bn financing.
Baker & McKenzie LLP has been particularly active in deals in emerging markets. The firm is currently advising Sonangol in relation to the development of a greenfield refinery site in the country. Mike Webster heads the infrastructure group, and project finance lawyer Marc Fevre joined from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP in August 2011.
Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s projects group, led by Adam Dann, continues to advise the Olympic Delivery Authority on the delivery and disposal of the Athletes Village at the London 2012 Games. The firm is also advising Thames Water Utilities Ltd on the £3.6bn Thames Tideway Tunnel project, one of the few mega-infrastructure projects in the UK. The group has developed a niche advising on the formation and launch of infrastructure debt funds, acting for Aviva and GCP in this market.
DLA Piper UK LLP is acting on several high-profile mandates in Africa. On the UK side, it is advising Agility Trains in relation to the procurement by the Department for Transport of a fleet of up to 1,400 train coaches to replace the current fleet of rolling stock. Nigel Drew and Dimitri Papaefstratiou are recommended.
SNR Denton was appointed to the UK infrastructure related panels of Galliford Try plc and Morgan Sindall in 2011, and has been very active in international PPP projects. Edward Hickman joined from Linklaters LLP in January 2012.
Simmons & Simmons LLP advised the Ministry of Justice on the competitive dialogue procurement for four prisoner escort and custody services contracts. Juliet Reingold was appointed as head of energy and infrastructure in October 2011.
Specialising in mega-project financings and strategic debt capital raising, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP acted on the £800m Eurotunnel refinancing and on several significant mandates in emerging markets in 2011. Jamie Logie and Stewart Robertson co-head the project finance group in London.
Trowers & Hamlins LLP remains a robust presence in both PFI and PPP. The firm has a very strong transport disputes practice, particularly in rail, and among several instructions is representing BAM Nuttall in relation to its claim against Cambridgeshire County Council regarding the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway.
Bircham Dyson Bell LLP focuses on the planning side of major domestic infrastructure projects. Among several high-profile mandates, Nicholas Brown’s team was instructed by HS2 Ltd to provide planning advice on the proposed High Speed 2 rail link; and advised TfL on the planning and real estate aspects of the Thames Cable Car project for the London 2012 Games.
Burges Salmon LLP maintains an impressive roster of central and local government clients, and has been particulary active in rail, education and waste. It advised the now-defunct London Development Agency on procurement strategy for the redevelopment of Royal Albert Docks. Other highlights for William Gard’s team included advising First Capital Connect on the Thameslink Project.
Focused on real estate and construction, Dundas & Wilson LLP recently advised the Scottish Futures Trust on procurement under the National Housing Trust Initiative. Hugo Coetzee’s team is currently advising Transport Scotland on delivery of the Borders Rail Project.
Heavily involved in domestic public/private partnerships, Michael Grimes’ team at Eversheds LLP is active in a variety of projects including PFI mandates in social housing and waste. Jonathan Cripps and Rebecca Carter left for Stephenson Harwood in August 2011.
Known for its expertise in healthcare, Wragge & Co LLP advised NHS Midlands and East Strategic Health Authority on creating the franchise for the first independently run NHS hospital. Particularly active in the remaining domestic PFI projects, David Fennell continues to advise Amey Ventures on its bids for the Sheffield and Isle of Wight highways projects.
With a specialism in Middle East and Africa matters, Clyde & Co LLP recently won a mandate to advise Deutsche Bahn International on its project documentation for the Qatar Integrated Railway Project.
Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP advises National Grid and BP on energy infrastructure matters. Practice head Roger Sargologo is well known for his expertise in pipeline matters.
Andrew Hart’s team at Fulbright & Jaworski International LLP advises multilateral financial institutions on international project financing. Clients include the International Finance Corporation and Asian Development Bank.
Trinity International LLP’s ‘infrastructure knowledge and experience is excellent’. The firm has considerable niche expertise in African emerging markets; it is acting on several energy-related and transport infrastructure projects, including the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund.