The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > France > Project finance

Clifford Chance's state-of-the-art public law, project finance and M&A infrastructure capabilities make the firm an infrastructure and energy project leader in France, in Africa and other parts of the world. The practice is currently advising on many of France's largest rail, motorway, broadband network and renewable projects. Highlights included assisting Eiffage Concessions with its tender bid for the RCEA motorway project tender, and EDF EN with the floating offshore wind test project. The firm is also involved in large-scale LNG, gas power, geothermal and hydro projects, mostly in Africa but also in other diverse jurisdictions including Georgia and Indonesia. It is assisting the government of Ethiopia with a 500MW geothermal project. The group is also advising on strategic new pipeline projects and on major infrastructure projects in Turkey including assisting a group of lenders with the Bursa health campus project. The 27-lawyer team is made up of high-profile figures including Anthony Giustini, Nikolaï Eatwell, Daniel Zerbib, Richard Tomlinson, Delphine Siino Courtin and public law expert David Préat. Benjamin de Blegiers joined Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in April 2019.

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.'s wide-ranging expertise and international reach makes the team a popular choice for large-scale projects, especially in France and Africa. The group has considerable French PPP expertise and is notably assisting the Ministry of Transport with the landmark Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport express rail project. Thomas Courtel is highly regarded for domestic work. The team is also advising on key infrastructure projects in Africa and other parts of the world. It is assisting EBRD and IFC as advisers to the government of Kazakhstan with the country's very first PPP pertaining to the building of a road project. The group also has a leading presence in large-scale international energy projects and in recent highlights, it is advising EGL and the contracting states on the development of Ruzizi III 147MWh hydropower plant in the Grands Lacs region in Africa, as well as EDF on the development of six EPR nuclear reactors in India. Stéphane Vernay, John D Crothers, Marie Bouvet-Guiramand and counsels Victor Grandguillaume and Nicolas Jean are other key names. Nicolas Jean was recently promoted to partner.

Orrick Rambaud Martel has impressive capabilities and fields a large team of around 30 lawyers who are able to advise on all types of projects. The ‘responsive and available’ group has strong credentials advising on France's largest infrastructure projects. It is advising a mix of clients, including the French state, sponsors and lenders, on France's largest transport and energy projects. Highlights included assisting the lenders to a consortium with a bid for the CDG Express railway project, as well as Colas Projects with its bid for the RCEA motorway project. Francophone Africa is another very strong area of expertise, especially in the energy sector where the firm is advising on several of the continent's largest hydro and power plant projects, as well as handling numerous smaller solar and other power projects. The practice is notably assisting the Ministry of Energy of the Democratic Republic of Congo on the construction of the Inga 3 4,800MW hydroelectric project, as well as Eneo on the €1bn Nachtigal 420MW hydroelectric power plant project in Cameroon. The team also advises on infrastructure and energy projects in other parts of the world. It notably acted for international finance institutions on the financing of the Sainshand wind farm in Mongolia, and the Serbian government on the development of the JSC Nikola Tesla Airport (Belgrade). Yves Lepage leads the practice. Simon Ratledge, Jean-Luc Champy, Amaury de Feydeau, senior counsel Noël Chahid-Nouraï and of counsel Geoffroy Berthon are also noted.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP's team is made up of ‘deal makers who have an impressive ability to find solutions that fit both sponsors' and lenders' goals and concerns’. The firm combines leading public law and project finance expertise that earns it instructions on France's largest infrastructure projects and high-profile projects abroad. The team assists sponsors, as well as lenders where its stands out for its ‘ability to remarkably address lenders' concerns and to select only the most important points to be negotiated with the sponsors’. Recent highlights include advising on leading transport and road infrastructure projects in France. It notably assisted the institutional investors with the first project refinancing in France through the new project bonds format issued by Arcour for the A19 motorway refinancing, and advised Oc’via on the refinancing of the Nîmes-Montpellier high-speed railway bypass. In other work, the team advises on large-scale health campus projects in Turkey, as well as on several port and airport projects in other jurisdictions. The practice also handled several energy projects in France and assisted the Republic of Djibouti with a 750km gas pipeline project. Practice head Amir Jahanguiri is ‘an astonishing and incredible lawyer’ and Michaël Armandou ‘finds adequate solutions for both lenders and sponsors’. Public law specialist Thierry Laloum is also noted.

De Pardieu Brocas Maffei has strong project infrastructure finance expertise. The firm regularly advises domestic and international lenders on project financing in France. It recently handled the financing of several new mid-sized infrastructure projects and was also involved in large refinancing transactions in the broadband telecoms and energy sectors. Other work includes assisting the European Investment Bank with the refinancing of Nord-Pas de Calais’ broadband network project and advising Neoen on the refinancing of Europe’s largest photovoltaic park near Bordeaux. The firm, which is a key player in the energy sector in France, has strong financing capabilities in this area and also has considerable experience acting for sponsors on high-profile brownfield transactions. Practice head Jean-Renaud Cazali is highly respected. Also noted are Christine Le Bihan-Graf for public law issues and Thomas Bréart de Boisanger for corporate matters.

Dentons has 'a solid team for infrastructure projects in France’. The firm is notably advising on several of the market's largest rail and road projects, including assisting the Ministry of Transportation with the awarding of the RCEA highway road project. The practice also advised on domestic university and school projects and is assisting Vinci Airport with its bid for the Belgrade airport Nikola Tesla concession project. Public law expert Marc Fornacciari and project finance partner Jean-Marc Allix are ‘very good’. The firm also handles energy projects abroad. It was recently involved in large wind and solar projects in Africa and Iran, advising Meridiam and Eiffage on the development of a 30MW solar plant in Senegal, as well as Quercus on a €500m deal with Iran’s Ministry of Energy for the development of a 600MW solar energy plant in Iran. Ramin Hariri and Leïla Hubeaut are key names for energy projects.

The ‘very professional’ White & Case LLP has ‘strong experience and leads very well-organised processes’. The firm has a strong presence among French and international lenders for the development and financing of major projects in France and abroad. Domestically, it recently advised the lenders on several motorway projects, including assisting Arcos' lenders with the financing, construction and operation of the A355 motorway concession project. The practice also advised on several major campus projects in Turkey including acting for Japanese banks on the $1.83bn financing of the Ikitelli healthcare campus project. Energy projects are another strength and it is notably advising on several large-scale hydro power projects in Georgia and Africa. In evidence of this, it is advising Eiffage, Themis Energy and Eranove as sponsors on a 200MW hydro power project in Madagascar, as well as Eranove on a 42MW hydroelectric dam project in Mali. Practice head Paule Biensan, Jacques Bouillon, François-Guilhem Vaissier and counsel Marianna Sedefian are key names.