Miss Paula Hodges KC > Herbert Smith Freehills LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Herbert Smith Freehills LLP remains among the leaders in the space, well-recognised in the marketplace for its full-service capabilities in the oil and gas sector. In particular, the team excels on energy M&A work, alongside an emphasis on oil and gas financings – with particular strength acting for lenders, borrowers and project sponsors in upstream financings and complex upstream and midstream project finance work. Specialisms in HSSE, ethics & compliance, sanctions, construction, cyber, tech, tax and insurance bolster the group’s offering in the space. Practice head Lewis McDonald has significant experience throughout the energy value chain, particularly upstream oil & gas, LNG, power and renewables. Seasoned litigator James Baily is the go-to name on the team for contentious matters, with his experience including cross-border disputes related to major energy projects. Head of global arbitration Paula Hodges has over 30 years experience advising on international disputes in the space, whilst Reza Dadbakhsh focuses his practice on the oil and gas, LNG and power sub-sectors.

With ‘huge strength in depth in international arbitration‘, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP‘s London-based team has an enviable excellent track record in achieving arbitral awards, particularly in relation to energy disputes and investor-state conflicts. Global arbitration head Paula Hodges KC is ‘a leader in the London market‘ for energy, telecoms and technology disputes; and Craig Tevendale heads the international arbitration group in London. Also integral to the firm’s offering, Andrew Cannon leads the India disputes group; Chris Parker KC ‘commands the respect and attention of the room‘; James Doe is UK construction disputes practice head; and David Nitek specialises in the resolution of infrastructure, construction and engineering claims. Counsel Marco de Sousa and senior associate Louise Barber are also key team members. During 2023, former senior associates Hannah Ambrose and Charlie Morgan were both made partners, while of counsel Anuradha Agnihotri was recruited from Indian firm Trilegal, where she was partner.

Herbert Smith Freehills LLP is among the most active firms in emerging markets, and in 2022 alone its Africa and India practices alone were involved in more than990 and 331 client matters. ‘What sets it apart is its dedication to emerging markets‘, notes one client, adding that the firm has ‘a team of highly skilled attorneys who are well-versed in the legal and regulatory issues involved in these markets and are able to provide creative and effective solutions‘. Martin Kavanagh, who is global co-head of the Africa Group, and up-and-coming partner Dhananjaya Chak recently advised Eden Renewable Cite Private Limited, a joint venture between Total-Eren S.A and EDF Renouvelables S.A., and its sponsors in connection with a $165m green term loan to finance a 300MW solar project in Rajasthan, India. William Breeze has extensive expertise in prepayment and pre-export finance transactions, and structured commodity trade finance. He acted for International Finance Corporation (IFC) and ING Bank N.V. in a $275m green loan financing to the Louis Dreyfus Company, for use by its Brazilian subsidiary. Head of global M&A Gavin Davies, global head of arbitration Paula Hodges, UK head of both the arbitration and energy practices Craig Tevendale, and global head of debt capital markets Amy Geddes are all firmly focused on emerging market work.