John Dewar > Milbank > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Milbank Offices
100 Liverpool Street
LONDON
EC2M 2AT
England
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John Dewar
Position
Partner, Global Project, Energy and Infrastructure Finance
Career
Widely recognised as a leading global project finance lawyer, John has built an extremely broad practice and outstanding reputation for advising on the most innovative and significant ‘market-first’ transactions around the world. His practice focuses on advising parties in the development and financing of oil and gas, natural resources, independent power, telecommunications, satellite and other infrastructure projects. He has particular expertise in multi-sourced financings, including those involving multilateral and export credit agencies and Islamic institutions.
Lawyer Rankings
London > Projects, energy and natural resources > Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables)
(Hall of Fame)Milbank is noteworthy for its breadth of capabilities in the power space, with a strong reputation for its abilities advising its clients, including renowned banks, on matters involving transitional energy, including battery-related projects; green ammonia projects; green hydrogen matters, as well as on the full scope of renewable, power and gas-to-power work. Its workload in these areas is often multijurisdictional in nature. John Dewar, who ‘exhibits outstanding leadership’, heads up the offering. Battery specialist Matthew Brown joined from Latham & Watkins in May 2022. Climate and sustainability expert Chris Taufatofua is a key name to note, as is Munib Hussain who was promoted to partnership in January 2023.
London > Projects, energy and natural resources > Oil and gas
Experienced energy lawyer John Dewar heads a team at Milbank which sees a full suite of infrastructure, oil & gas, transitional energy, renewables, power, and gas-to-power deals, whilst focusing on lender and sponsor-side representation. The London-based team collaborates closely with its New York counterpart to place considerable emphasis on work arising out of the Americas, particularly Brazil. The team saw a couple of changes with experienced energy and infrastructure lawyer Matthew Brown joining from Latham & Watkins in May 2022, while Matthew Hagopian retired in June 2022. Munib Hussain is a key name on the financing side and was promoted to partner in January 2023.
London > Projects, energy and natural resources > Mining and minerals
Milbank‘s London-based mining practice is best known for advising lenders on large scale mandates, including transformative development and financing structures. The team has deep expertise in mining-sector restructurings and places emphasis on work focusing on critical metals and minerals required for the EV battery sector. Global project finance lawyer John Dewar leads the team, possessing particular expertise in multi-sourced financings.
London > Finance > Islamic finance
(Leading individuals)Regularly forming part of a cross-disciplinary team which centres on new money and restructuring mandates in key areas of firmwide strength, including projects, energy and aviation, Milbank excels in structuring high-profile, multi-jurisdictional transactions, often involving complex inter-creditor arrangements involving conventional and Islamic finance structures. The vastly experienced John Dewar is pivotal to much of the firm’s success in the area, acting for sponsors and lenders on big-ticket multi-source project finance transactions, many of which require highly bespoke structures. Alongside Munib Hussain, Dewar recently advised the underwriting banks in a first-of-kind $11.5bn Global Medium Term Note (GMTN) programme and a unique $1.5bn sukuk issuance, the proceeds of which were used to refinance the original bridge facility utilised by a BlackRock-led consortium to fund its minority interest in Aramco Gas Pipelines.
London > Industry focus > Emerging markets
(Hall of Fame)Milbank‘s London office ‘has an impressive ability to lead transaction mandates in an efficient and collaborative manner, with clients and the deal as the priority‘. Clients appreciate that the team ‘strongly collaborates with local counsel in emerging markets to provide seamless integrated services‘. Active across Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia, the firm is frequently involved in the development of mega-projects, and handles high-value project bond transactions, ESG-related financings, and matters related to energy transition. Lead partner John Dewar ‘has an impressive ability to marry strategic priorities of clients and the deal to the nitty gritty of the detail‘, and newly promoted partner Munib Hussain is ‘a superb legal technician who is excellent on Islamic finance transactions‘. Together, they acted for underwriting banks including JP Morgan and HSBC, on a first-of-kind $11.5bn GMTN programme and an innovative $1.5bn sukuk issuance. Emerging partner talents Şeyda Duman and Chris Taufatofua also play key roles in the practice. Taufatofua recently advised OnCorp on the structuring and negotiation of project documents in a bid to develop an LNG import and regasification terminal at the port of Suape, Pernambuco, Brazil.
London > Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure: Project finance and development
(Leading Individuals)A tour-de-force in the energy market with projects experience in the Americas, Europe and the Middle East, Milbank excels at advising lenders and sponsors on large-scale, complex financings, with extensive experience advising on first-of-its-kind funding structures across the full array of assets, particularly traditional energy enterprises. Wider work includes a significant aiport expansion in Greece, financing subsea electricity transmission networks across Europe and Asia, as well as overseeing the document drafting and negotiations for a new LNG import terminal in Brazil. Team head and market veteran John Dewar is a frequent port-of-call for financial institutions and export credit agencies for power, oil and gas and mining projects, with significant experience in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Chris Taufatofua has an active presence across a wide-array of mandates, working with stellar sponsor-side clients. Munib Hussain – who was recently promoted to partner – is also recognised for his project finance expertise, particularly in relation to petrochemical . Energy transition specialist Matthew Brown joined from Latham & Watkins in May 2022, alongside special counsel Rachel Croft. Kilian De Cintré is a well-regarded up and coming solicitor within the group, playing a support role on a number of key oil and gas infrastructure mandates.
India > Foreign firms
Acting for global financial institutions and domestic and international companies in the steel, energy, and infrastructure sectors, Milbank’s India practice stands out for its expertise in capital markets, projects, and financing work. Practice co-head James Grandolfo, in Hong Kong, has a broad debt and equity practice and leads on corporate and M&A instructions, while co-head John Dewar takes point on project finance from the firm’s London office. In Singapore, Giles Kennedy and new partner Terrence O’Donnell are recommended for their IPOs, share placements, and high-yield bonds expertise.
Lawyer Rankings
- Hall of Fame London > Projects, energy and natural resources > Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables)
- Hall of Fame London > Industry focus > Emerging markets
- Islamic finance London > Finance
- Leading individuals London > Finance > Islamic finance
- Leading Individuals London > Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure: Project finance and development
- Emerging markets London > Industry focus
- Infrastructure: Project finance and development London > Projects, energy and natural resources
- Oil and gas London > Projects, energy and natural resources
- Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables) London > Projects, energy and natural resources
- Mining and minerals London > Projects, energy and natural resources
Top Tier Firm Rankings
Firm Rankings
- Finance > Acquisition finance
- Finance > Corporate restructuring & insolvency
- Industry focus > Emerging markets
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure: Project finance and development
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Oil and gas
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables)
- Transport > Aviation
- Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail
- Finance > Derivatives and structured products
- Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets – mid-large cap
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Mining and minerals
- Finance > Securitisation
- Dispute resolution > Competition litigation
- Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions – high-value deals (£250m+)
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: civil
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Upper Mid-Market And Premium Deals, £750m+
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: premium