White & Case LLP brings together expertise from multiple practice areas, among them debt finance, debt capital markets and project finance, to cover the full range of trade finance instruments. It acts for clients across levels in the deal structure, including bank creditors, traders, buyers, exporters, sovereigns and state-owned entities. The firm provides ‘excellent product knowledge with deep understanding of local jurisdictions’. Practice head James Hardy is a debt finance specialist whose work spans commodity pre-payment deals, pre-export finance, borrowing base transactions, receivables purchase, and export credit facilities. He works closely with newly promoted counsel Catherine West. Together, they assisted European Bank for Reconstruction and Development with its participation in the payables finance portfolio on trade receivables of Eurocash S.A. originated by Santander. The transaction forms part of EBRD’s Sustainable Supply Chain Finance programme. Clients remark that West ’has a very strong commercial background, and is fast-thinking and hardworking’.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Catherine West, counsel. She has a very strong commercial background, fast-thinking and hard working.’
- 'Excellent product knowledge with deep understanding of local jurisdiction is necessary for successful negotiations with demanding clients. W&C has shown both on a consistent manner; hence why they remain one of the top law firms for our transactions.'
- 'Catherine West has been consistently one of the most valuable lawyers within the firm. Always available to provide advice for our transactions, even if that means doing the extra step as a result of demanding transactions/clients.'
Key clients
- A.P. Møller Holding A/S
- Afreximbank
- Africa Finance Corporation
- Deutsche Bank
- European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
- Ghana National Petroleum Corporation
- Helios Investment Partners
- International Holding Company
- Ministry of Finance (Ghana), Ministry of Energy (Ghana)
- Ministry of Finance and National Development of the Republic of Zambia
- Ministry of Finance of Ukraine
- Moove Africa B.V.
Work highlights
Represented of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on its Sustainable Supply Chain Finance programme, including its participation in the payables finance portfolio on trade receivables of Eurocash S.A. originated by Santander.
Represented Deutsche Bank, Barclays Bank PLC and UKEF in connection with a UKEF supported export credit financing to Energoatom, the Ukrainian national nuclear power generating company, in support of Energoatom’s long-term contract with Urenco, a UK exporter, for the supply of enriched uranium products.
Represented of Société Générale as arranger of a term loan facility funding an SPV (sponsored by WMC Energy, a Dutch trader) to provide working capital financing to Northvolt Ett AB.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
James Hardy
Other key lawyers
Catherine West