Raj Karia > Norton Rose Fulbright > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Norton Rose Fulbright‘s impressive deal flow sees consistent high-end mandates related to complex mining projects and transactions with a focus on battery metals, electric vehicles and the energy transition, with a notable increase in greenfield battery metals projects and battery processing. Private equity and debt financing across projects and transactions is another key specialism of the ‘experienced team’, which is particularly well-known for its experience in Africa. The London-based team also possesses demonstrable know-how on disputes, regulations and investigations in key global mining markets. Practice leader and pre-eminent project finance lawyer Martin McCann lends his expertise to all aspects of debt financing in the mining sector. Corporate partner Raj Karia advises sector-specific clients on M&A, ECM, joint ventures and restructuring transactions. Daniel Metcalfe is a key name for financing complex cross-border transactions in emerging markets.

Norton Rose Fulbright is recommended by clients for its ‘capability to offer creative solutions despite pressure, and work as one team with its clients‘. The firm has an extensive emerging markets practice in London, and is active in Francophone and Anglophone Africa, the Middle East, the CIS region, Latin America and in Southeast Asia. Its work focuses on key sectors such as mining, agriculture, oil and gas, power and infrastructure development, and commodity trading, covering transactional work, finance and disputes. Martin McCann, who has extensive experience in infrastructure, mining, commodities and project finance, is head of the London emerging markets group. He acted for Horizonte Minerals PLC in arranging a $660m financing package for the construction and development of an Araguaia ferronickel mine in Brazil. Head of banking and finance Madhavi Gosavi is a key adviser on structured financings, project financings and restructurings. She recently assisted the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Angola with the $1bn financing of the Bita water production, transmission and distribution system in South Luanda. Corporate partner Raj Karia is a key member of the firm’s mining and minerals practice, and Bayo Odubeko, also in the corporate team, focuses on cross-border energy investments into Africa.

Praised for possessing a ‘wide geographic footprint, including in jurisdictions where other leading ECM firms don’t have a presence’, the team at Norton Rose Fulbright is equally adept acting on major London transactions and across emerging markets, representing issuers in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. The practice group advises on the entire range of equity and equity-related transactions across the full spectrum of issuers, and is particularly strong with respect to London listed funds. The team has also seen a hive of activity in the real estate and technology sectors over recent years. Raj Karia leads the practice group, which includes US corporate finance expert Thomas Vita and Fiona Millington who advises on IPOs, equity fund raisings and public M&A.

Spearheaded by Raj Karia, the team at Norton Rose Fulbright has ‘vast subject matter expertise and bench strength’, offering a strong competence across the full range of infrastructure and energy assets, with particular strength in digital infrastructure and transport. Given the global reach of the firm, the team advises on a litany of complex, cross border mandates, including key transactions such as tower deals,  for major financial and industry players in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Providing counsel to large global investment platforms alongside public limited companies, market veteran Stephen Rigby is a go-to for renewables work, with a particular focus on getting new capital into infrastructure. Christopher (Chris) Grieves has worked on a roster of big-ticket mandates and has been notably active on mining and oil deals in the United Arab Emirates, while Oliver Stacey‘s expertise includes telecoms and data centre transactions. At the more junior end, Andrew Davies and Mark Maurice have been exposed to a wide variety of work over the past twelve months and are recognised for their supporting roles on complex, multi-jurisdictional transactions. Nari Ertem has been instrumental to the practice’s deals centering around Africa and the Middle East.

Norton Rose Fulbright draws praise from clients for its ‘strong grasp of the commercial implications of legal points and speed to act on key points’. The London-based ECM practice advises on the entire range of equity-related transactions for a litany of issuers, from FTSE 100 to AIM, as well as being particularly strong in London listed funds. The team is also noted as an adviser to bookrunners in the space, as well as for its deep sector expertise in real estate-related transactions. Raj Karia heads up the cross-disciplinary corporate, M&A and securities practice. The highly experienced Richard Sheen is well known for his focus on equity capital markets and investment fund work, while Fiona Millington‘s broad practice sees her advising issuers and investment banks on IPOs, equity fund raisings, sponsor transactions for listed companies, and public M&A. Clementine Hogarth  advises listed companies and financial investors on the entire gamut of ECM transactions.

Praised by clients as a ‘top international law firm with an outstanding ability,’ the corporate, M&A and securities team at Norton Rose Fulbright  handles cross-border M&A transactions for clients  in sectors such as financial services, technology, energy and healthcare. Practice head Raj Karia is well-placed to advise international corporations and investment banks on M&A, joint ventures and restructuring in the natural resources and energy sectors. Paul Whitelock who co-chairs the public M&A group, and Kit McCarthy are recommended for expertise in Main Market and AIM takeovers, and both of whom were previously seconded to the Takeover Panel. Corporate practitioner Alan Bainbridge specialises in advising banks and other financial institutions. Handling listed company work across a range of sectors is Fiona Millington , while Christopher (Chris) Grieves, a joint venture and public and private M&A expert, demonstrates particular capabilities in emerging markets and energy, infrastructure, mining and industrials. Stephen Rigby is another name to note, highly regarded for his equity investment and M&A advice in the energy, infrastructure and utilities sectors. Associate Zahra Sachedina is also recommended.