The Legal 500

Clients are impressed with the ‘profound legal knowledge’ and ‘practical way of solving problems’ at Musat & Asociatii. The firm has a full service energy practice with experience across oil and gas, nuclear and renewable sources. The firm is one of a number of Romanian players advising on the development of Unit 3 and Unit 4 of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant – it is acting for Enel. The practice acted for the same client on the acquisition of several energy companies owned by the Romanian State including an 800 MW Hard Coal Capacity station located in Braila. It also worked with Sagacarbon on regulatory matters related to emissions trading. Rompetrol Group and Gabriel Resources are key clients. Miruna Suciu heads up the energy team providing ‘clear and fast support’; Luminita Popa leads the natural resources team.

Recognised as a leading player in the sector, Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen fields a ‘flexible’ and ‘balanced’ team with experience of all facets of energy work. The firm is assisting E.ON Kraftwerke in relation to the establishment of a joint venture company in electricity generation together with other strategic investors and the Romanian Electricity Generator, Termoelectrica, as part of a privatization process. It is also acting for Nabucco Gas Pipeline International and Transgaz in connection with a five-nation project to construct and operate a natural gas pipeline linking production areas in the Caspian Sea and Middle East regions to Central and Western Europe. Clients include GDF Suez, Total and OMV Petrom. Gabriela Cacerea, Ruxandra Bologa and Adina Chilim-Dumitriu are joint heads of the practice and are recommended.

Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii provides energy clients with ‘high quality advice and fast response times’. The firm has a full service practice with clients in the oil and gas, renewable and nuclear fields as well as natural resources expertise. Czech energy giant CEZ is a key client; the practice is providing the company with ongoing advice in relation to the development of the largest onshore wind farm project in Europe, a project valued at over €450m. The firm is advising the same client on its participation in the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant project. The firm is also advising the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business Environment Assistance on the first LNG (liquefied natural gas) project in Romania, the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania Interconnector (AGRI). Managing partner Gabriel Zbârcea and Sorin Vladesc share responsibility for energy work. Cornel Popa is also recommended.

Clients deem the energy practice at CMS Cameron McKenna SCA ‘excellent’. Managing partner Todd Robinson leads a full service team. The firm acted for Iberdrola Energias Renovables on the development of a €300m wind energy project in Romania with a total planned capacity of around 1,600MW. It acts for Atomic Energy of Canada (AECL) on the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant project. The practice is also representing GE Energy and Vestas with regard to renewable projects in Romania. John Fitzpatrick is recommended.

The energy practice at Peli Filip is ‘responsive and commercial’ and has attracted a broad portfolio of clients in the sector. The firm is advising OMV Petrom in relation to a new co-generation power plant with a capacity exceeding 800 MW. It also acts for a large European player on the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant project. The practice is active in renewables and is representing Continental Wind Partners with respect to developing several of the largest wind farm projects in the country. Cristina Filip heads up the energy team and is highly respected by clients and peers alike.

Transactional work is an area of strength for Popovici Nitu & Asociatii. Clients welcome the firm’s ‘commercial and pragmatic approach’. It represents Arcelor Mittal on the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant project while, on the renewables side, it provided advice in connection to the merger of the Enel companies involved in Romania in the wind energy sector, Enel Green Power Romania and Electrogrup. The firm also has an active oil and gas practice; Primagaz Romania is a key client. Florian Nitu is the name to note.

Clients find the service of the energy team at Schoenherr si Asociatii SCA ‘exceptionally responsive’. The firm works on the full array of energy-related mandates, including M&A transactions, project development, regulatory and competition advice. It is acting for Nuclearelectrica on the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant project and is also representing OMV Petrom in relation to the design and construction of an 850MW gas-fired power plant in the country. On the corporate side, it advised the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in connection with the acquisition of indirect equity stakes in the Romanian electricity distributor E.ON Moldova and the Romanian gas distributor E.ON Gaz Romania. Markus Piuk is recommended.

Badea Clifford Chance boasts expertise in carbon trading emissions and oil work as part of a broader energy practice. The firm assisted UNIEL Energy Investment on the €150m new co-generation plant in Bucharest – the first co-generation (heat and power) PPP in Romania. It also acted for EdF Trading in connection with setting up a local presence and getting an electricity trading licence. On the natural resources side, the firm represented KazakhGold regarding due diligence work for a rights offering in London. Managing partner Daniel Badea is the key contact.

Regulatory matters and electricity trading work forms the core of the energy practice at Buzescu Ca. Clients appreciate the firm’s ‘well reasoned advice’. It acted for Merrill Lynch Commodities (Europe) on the issuance of an electricity trading license and various other regulatory issues. Statkraft Markets and Gazprom Marketing & Trading are important clients for the firm. Adrian Tomescu and Peter Buzescu are the names to note.

DLA Piper Dinu SCA has a full service energy practice with expertise across oil and gas and renewables work. Romania’s largest company Petrom is an important client. The practice advised Petrom on the acquisition of a wind-powered electricity generation project with a capacity of 45MW in Romania. It advised the same client on the €300m financing, raised partially from EBRD, as part of the company’s overall strategic environmental investment programme. Managing partner Marian Dinu is highly regarded by clients and peers.

Despite the departure of the former head of its energy practice Stefan Botezatu to join Kinstellar, Gide Loyrette Nouel retains significant capability in the energy sector. It has a number of important clients in the oil and gas sector and is advising Spanish energy giant Spanish energy giant Iberdrola in relation to its participation in the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant project. Managing partner Bruno Leroy is the main contact for energy work.

Transactional work and financing are at the heart of Radu Taracila Padurari Retevoescu SCA in association with Allen & Overy LLP’s energy practice, reflecting the firm’s broader profile. It advised the EBRD in connection with the financing of two greenfield wind farm projects in the county as well as acting for ContourGlobal Solutions on the set up of an electricity trading company. Costin Taracila heads up the practice.

Salans has a full service energy practice with particular expertise in the renewables sector. The firm is advising GDF Suez on the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant project. Claudiu Munteanu-Jipescu now heads up the energy team; managing partner Anda Todor is also recommended.

Clients are impressed by the ‘dynamic’ energy team at Voicu & Filipescu SCA, which has experience in oil and gas, renewables and electricity work. The firm is advising Karomex Invest in the development of a 40 MW wind farm located in Dobrogea. Clients include Gaz Sud and Romelectro. Marta Popa and Daniel Costea head the department.

Delia Pachiu heads up the energy team at White & Case, Pachiu SCA, which is developing a significant Romanian practice. The firm acts for the project company EnergoNuclear on the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant project. The practice also advised Hidroelectrica, Romania’s largest electricity producer, in connection with a €30m term facility agreement for financing its operations. Clients include PNE Wind, Aura Holding and Gran Via.

Renewable energy is an area of particular expertise for the team at Wolf Theiss. The practice is advising ButanGas Romania, the affiliate of a leader in the liquefied petroleum gas distribution field, on the acquisition from several sellers of a majority stake in a special-purpose vehicle developing two wind farm projects of 25MW and 5 MW in Dobrogea. Bryan Jardine is the key contact.

Bostina & Associates is active in the wind power field. The firm is providing advice to Verbund Austrian Renewable Power on the development of wind power plants in Dobrogea.

Bulboaca & Asociatii has leveraged its financial services expertise to develop a significant practice in representing investors on renewable energy matters. The firm is advising a consortium of energy companies in connection with the negotiation and completion of a grid connection contract with Translectrica for several wind farms projects with an aggregate capacity of 600 MW.

D&B David si Baias energy practice is focused on transactional work. The firm acted for Termoelectrica in connection with a planned joint venture envisaged with E.ON and ENEL for the purposes of developing a thermal power plant in Braila. Anda Rojanschi is the main point of contact.

E. Platis C. Bazilescu LLLP is active in the renewables field. The firm is acting for Frey Nouvelles Energies and Valorem concerning investments in wind farms in Romania. Radu Ionescu is the name to note.

Managing partner Nicholas Hammond is the main contact for energy work at Hammond, Bogaru and Associates SCPA. The firm has experience in oil and gas work as well as renewables. It acted for a producer of excess electricity advising on sale into the Romanian grid.

J&A Garrigues SLP – Sediu Permanent’s clients include Tractebel Engineering, South Wind, GEN-I Bucharest trading and sales of electricity and Bogaris Energy Rom. Mihai Mares is the name to note.

Kinstellar has significantly strengthened its energy practice with the arrival of Stefan Botezatu from Gide Loyrette Nouel. The firm advised ENI in the acquisition of ten petrol stations from MOL in Romania; it is expected to develop its energy practice significantly in the medium term.

Energy trading is a key strength for Lina & Guia SCA. Clients are impressed with the firm’s ‘very commercial approach’. The practice is acting as sole Romanian counsel to the European Federation of Energy Traders in connection with the implementation in Romania of its standard agreements and other related matters. It also acted for Gazprom Marketing and Trading in relation to carbon and power trading, assisting the client on three major transactions in 2010, all of which required regulatory advice, transaction and security documentation. Cristian Lina is well respected in the market.

Vernon | David counts BP and the Public Power Company of Greece among its client base. The firm’s energy practice is mainly focused on transactional work. Charles Vernon is the main point of contact

Vilau & Mitel’s energy offering is focused on transactional work with a strong oil and gas client list. The practice advised oil refiner Rafo on obtaining guarantees as part of a €330m financing for the modernisation and reconstruction of a refinery into a petrochemical complex. On the renewables side, the firm acted for Eurocape New Energy in connection with the development and operation of its wind projects in Romania. Dragos Vilau leads the team.

Zamfirescu Racoti Predoiu Law Partnership is active in the oil and gas field. The firm is also a premier contentious practice and has acted for Petrom on a number of large commercial disputes.