Ms Chantal Kordula > Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP > San Francisco, United States > Lawyer Profile

Complex, cross border mandates form the cornerstone of the energy transactions offering at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, engaging with marquee projects and advising multinational energy players across South America, Australia, Europe and Asia. Domestically, the group demonstrates impressive capital markets expertise, working with a stellar roster of underwriters, energy producers and industrial manufacturers on substantial transactions that include first-of-its-kind global green bond issuances for clients. Richard Cooper and Jeffrey Lewis co-lead the practice, with the duo possessing vast experience in cross-border restructurings and financings between them. Chantal Kordula advises global investment funds and international energy producers on asset purchases and key financings for a wide array of projects, whereas Adam Brenneman is a crucial port-of-call for capital markets expertise in the group. All individuals are based in New York.

A wide number of investors, developers, and oil and water companies routinely turn to New York-based Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton for its team’s expertise in the oil and gas transactions space. In addition to handling complex mergers and acquisitions, restructuring and project financing matters, the team is also actively involved in exploration and production, pipeline and LNG projects. Financing transactions expert Jeffrey Lewis leads the practice together with Richard Cooper, who is known for his experience in domestic and international project finance and restructuring of distressed companies in the infrastructure sector, while Chantal Kordula notably focuses on project finance and PPP transactions, areas in which Adam Brenneman is also well versed.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton remains at the forefront of Latin America M&A, including outbound deals from Mexico into the US, along with Brazil inbound, outbound and intra-country deals under New York law. Much of the practice continues to centre on natural resources; it advised Brazilian mining giant Vale on two major divestitures including the sale of its stake in MRN to Ananke Alumina, and on the $2.2bn sale of CSP to ArcelorMittal. The Latin America team has achieved further growth in renewables and energy transition transactions; it is advising a number of private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds and pension funds on investments into renewable energy assets. More broadly, the department has worked on many of the headline transactions in the region in recent times and has landed a number of new clients that previously engaged competitor firms. It also continued to advise the Puerto Rican P3 Authority on a series of transactions that are part of the transformation of Puerto Rico’s electricity sector. It it also noted for its presence in Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Argentina deals, along with transactions in Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador, Panama and other Latin American jurisdictions. Chantal Kordula remains at the forefront of deals involving Mexico and multiple other Latin American states. Jeffrey Lewis is a senior name in natural resources and oil-and-gas deals, including for key client Vale. Juan Giráldez is an integral figure in Sao Paulo, where he leads many of the firm’s Brazil and Southern Cone region deals. Francesca Odell has historically worked on big-ticket transactions in Brazil and elsewhere, including private equity and venture capital deals.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has a major presence in energy and natural resources transactions. Leveraging the firm’s commitment to and reputation in Latin America, it has built up a prestigious list of blue-chip Latin American clients, along with major corporates and investors from outside the region. It remains active in renewable energy and infrastructure projects and transactions; recent mandates include advising Mexico Infrastructure Partners on the financing of its $6bn acquisition of 13 power plants from Ibedrola, and the practice continues to represent the Puerto Rican P3 Authority in connection with various public-private partnership projects relating to the transformation of Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA). Mexico is a primary market for the firm, which also has a much lauded presence across the region down to Brazil, Chile and Argentina. Deeply experienced practitioner Chantal Kordula remains the key partner for renewable energy and infrastructure projects, including P3 matters. Jeff Lewis has an outstanding record in energy and natural resources M&A. Sao Paulo-based Juan Giráldez is pivotal to the firm’s project finance and M&A work in Brazil and the Southern Cone, and garners extensive praise from clients, including for his ‘great responsiveness and creative problem solving‘. All named individuals are based in New York unless stated otherwise.