The Legal 500

Within International firms and joint ventures, Ashurst LLP is a second tier firm,

‘Outstanding’ Ashurst rise a tier this year in recognition of its impressive work load. The firm recently advised on the closing of the Falcon acquisition by Mitsui and Tokyo Gas, and continued to advise JBIC on a number of untied loans, buyer’s credit financings and IWPP bid financings. The banking and international finance team is led by the ‘responsive and organised’ John McClenahan and the highly recommended Kensuke Inoue, and includes Harvey Weaver and counsel Matthew O’Connor. Shri Maski was promoted to counsel in 2011. Clients appreciate the firm’s ‘appropriate and timely advice’ and ‘experience, with Export Credit Agencies’.

Within International firms and joint ventures, Ashurst LLP is a third tier firm,

John McClenahan’s ‘brilliant’ team at Ashurst has a high-quality general corporate and M&A practice, and an impressive track record acting for Korean clients. Highlights included advising KOGAS in its investment in the Gladstone LNG project, which represented the largest overseas investment by a Korean company in Australia to date; and advising Korea Eximbank on financing provided to Korea National Oil Corporation in relation to its successful $2.6bn hostile bid to acquire Dana Petroleum plc. In 2011 Anthony Patten relocated to Tokyo from London.

Within International firms and joint ventures, Ashurst LLP is a first tier firm,

Ashurst is a is a one-stop-shop for legal advice on projects, acting for both sponsors and lenders and covering all aspects of the project finance and project development spectrum. Highlights included advising KOGAS on the Gladstone LNG project - the largest investment in Australia by a Korean company; advising JBIC, KEXIM and other commercial lenders on the Donggi Senoro LNG Project in Indonesia; acting for KOGAS, GAIL, OVL and Daewoo International Corporation on the Shwe Field Pipeline Project; advising JBIC on the Vung Ang 2 2x600MW supercritical thermal power plant; and acting for Mitsui & Co on the Nghi Son 2x600MW supercritical thermal power plant. The team is large and includes projects partners John McClenahan, Rupert Burrows and Harvey Weaver, and counsels Dan LeFort, Shri Maski and Matthew O’Connor.

Within International firms and joint ventures, Ashurst LLP is a second tier firm,

John McClenahan’s team at Ashurst includes Harvey Weaver and Rupert Burrows. In 2010/2011, the aggregate value of the deals the firm advised on in the shipping space in this period is in excess of $2.5bn. The firm represented Tupi Pilot MV22, MODEC, Mitsui & Co, Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsui OSK Lines in the development and financing of a floating production storage and offloading vessel to be chartered by Petróleo Brasileiro SA - Petrobras and used for oil and gas production at the pre-salt area oil field off the Brazilian coast.

Within International firms and joint ventures, tier 5

At Ashurst, John McClenahan and Kensuke Inoue have experience in secured lending and structured finance.