Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP boasts a reputation in district cooling plant construction, waste-to-energy projects and other renewable energy infrastructure projects. The practice group is led by Sarosh Mewawalla, who heads the firm from Saudi Arabia and has been on the lender’s side of advisory regarding wastewater treatment plant project financing. Mewawalla also has a deep background of experience in the project financing sector. Phil Hanson is an active partner regarding the representation of lenders, borrowers, and sponsors.
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Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
Client satisfaction: Billing & efficiency
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘HSFK consistently delivers high-quality legal support with strong commercial and regional insight. The team is highly responsive and available when needed, which makes working with them seamless and efficient.'
- 'Phil Hanson stands out for his expertise, practical approach, and deep understanding of the market. Their advice is clear, timely, and always aligned with our business needs.’
- ‘The HSFK team stands out for their strong commercial understanding, regional expertise, and consistent availability. Their advice is clear, practical, and well-informed, which makes them a reliable legal partner. The team is responsive, easy to work with, and delivers high-quality support across matters. Their ability to balance legal precision with business context is what sets them apart from other firms.’
- ‘This is my best experience with a law firm over my past 30+ years of experience. The team has an outstanding knowledge of infrastructure and projects, as well as of project finance constraints. It perfectly knows the dos and the don'ts, what is the best type of contract for what type of transaction, what can or cannot be accepted with the lenders or by a client, what can be negotiated and to what extent, and what are the pitfalls.'
- ‘Danila Longofet is an outstanding lawyer in his field with an outstanding knowledge of infrastructure, projects & project finance matters. He also has outstanding negotiation skills. Treating his team and his counterparts with high respect is also part of his DNA which is greatly appreciated. Danila makes sure that we receive an answer as quickly as possible and usually within less than 24 hours.’
- ‘Reactive and very pragmatic. Deal-oriented.’
Key clients
- ENGIE
- Marubeni
- Kanadevia Inova
- Ajlan & Bros
- EDF Renewables
- Riyad Bank
- Banque Saudi Fransi
- Commercial Bank of Dubai PSC
- Korea Western Power Co Ltd
- Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company
Work highlights
Advised a consortium, including Marubeni, Kanadevia Inova, and JOIN, on the development and financing of the world's most advanced waste-to-energy facility in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Advised Saudi Awwal Bank and INFRA on the financing of the Diriyah Gate district cooling project, including the construction of a high-efficiency cooling plant and distribution network in Saudi Arabia.
Advised Masdar on its inaugural 1GW wind farm project in Kazakhstan, including on the investment and power purchase agreements for a landmark renewable energy development featuring battery storage.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Practice head
Sarosh Mewawalla
Other key lawyers
Christopher Cross; Adel Shageev; Phil Hanson; Charles Oliver; Sebastian Roberts; Danila Logofet