Philip Stopford > White & Case LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Jointly led by Michael Watson and Philip Stopford, the oil and gas team at White & Case LLP is highly sought after for its wide practice which encompasses the breadth of M&A, project finance and disputes, in addition to energy transition mandates. David Baker is noted for his adept handling of high-profile construction cases, development work and M&A, with a particular focus on LNG projects, Jason Kerr deals with international project finance matters and the ‘exceptionally talented’ Mukund Dhar, who is backed by an excellent track record in international oil and gas transactions, ‘goes above and beyond for clients’.

At White & Case LLP ‘the team is solidly collegial, innovative, responsive and overall, a force to be reckoned with‘. The firm has one of the broadest and most active emerging markets teams in London, acting for the world’s largest commercial banks, DFIs, sovereigns, state-owned entities, commodity traders, energy companies, and multinational corporates on deals across the Americas, Africa, CEE, CIS and the Middle East. The practice, which is home to US- and English law-qualified partners, handles sovereign and corporate loans, leveraged finance, export credit matters, structured trade and commodity finance, sustainability-linked loans, project and debt finance, and much more. The firm is ‘unique in its ability to problem-solve and ensure its clients achieve their desired outcomes in challenging jurisdictions‘. The deep bench of talent includes US-qualified debt specialists Melissa Butler and Ian Clark; English law debt experts James Hardy and Stuart Matty; energy partner Philip Stopford; banking partner Christopher Czarnocki; head of the Africa group Mukund Dhar; and international finance lawyer Jason Kerr.

MHR & Partners in association with White & Case LLP demonstrates considerable expertise in managing large, cross-border energy projects and transactions across the renewable, petrochemical and ammonia industries. The team is particularly adept at handling multi-currency syndicated loans and acquisitions. Ziad Gadalla is renowned for his work on high-profile energy projects, while fellow co-head Sherief Rashed leads the project financing offering and is a leading authority on structuring Islamic financing transactions. Tarek Mohanna and Philip Stopford complete the team’s leadership group and are both key contacts for energy project financing, with a focus on the development of petrochemical projects.

Commended by clients for its ‘strategic approach and deep expertise’, MHR & Partners in association with White & Case LLP is a trusted adviser to local and international corporations, financial institutions and government-related enterprises. Key strengths include project development and financing in the energy, real estate, mining and transportation sectors. The team is led by four project financing specialists: Ziad Gadalla, renowned for his advisory work on energy, mining and infrastructure projects; Sherief Rashed, an authority on Islamic financing transactions; Tarek Mohanna, who leads on petrochemical and transportation mandates; and Philip Stopford, who brings expertise in petrochemical and natural gas projects.

MHR & Partners in association with White & Case LLP represents leading Egyptian and international corporations, financial institutions and government bodies, excelling in innovative and complex financing transactions. The team is particularly renowned for supporting Egyptian companies in their overseas investments and providing strong expertise in project financing. The practice is spearheaded by a trio of specialists: Sherief Rashed, a recognised authority on structuring Islamic financing transactions; Ziad Gadalla, a specialist in project financing in the energy, mining and infrastructure sectors; and London-based Philip Stopford, who typically acts for sponsors on large-scale project financing deals.

White & Case LLP‘s projects, real estate and construction department has ‘significant depth and breadth of skills’, and leverages its vast experience in matters with international components, including the development, financing and due diligence of multi-jurisdictional energy projects and construction companies. The team is particularly skilled in energy-related work, and is additionally experienced in major real estate, construction and public redevelopment projects for private investors. Based in Doha, Payvand Vahdat and recent hire Joshua Cohen co-lead the team with Michael Turrini, Gareth Hodder and Philip Stopford. Noted as an ‘extremely motivated individual with intense attention to detail’, Verena Gross is recommended by clients for her international arbitration expertise in construction and commercial matters.