Adam Brenneman > Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has a significant presence in domestic and global high-yield debt offerings. Much of its debt offerings practice is driven by Latin American clients, including corporate and sovereign issuers. It has a solid record in high-yield offerings linked to leveraged financings, M&A, liability management and restructurings. The firm is also noted for ESG and sustainability-linked offerings. Duane McLaughlin has an established record in high-yield debt offerings, as does Adam Brenneman and Jorge Juantorena, who specializes in Latin America offerings. All named partners 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.

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.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton is a market leader in distressed financings, refinancings and restructurings, most notably in Brazil and Mexico, where it has a significant market share of the major engagements. The firm has also led the way in Chile and is increasingly active in Peru. Building on its expertise in restructurings, it is now at the forefront of private credit financings in Latin America. It also has a presence in high-value syndicated loans for large Latin American corporates and continues to make a further impression in sustainability-linked financings. The Brazil office continued to work on numerous large-scale restructurings and distressed financings during in the jurisdiction during 2023; a case in point being its advice to Samarco Mineração on its continued debt restructuring and its pre-petition, pre-export, finance facilities. ‘Rainmaker‘ Richard Cooper is a leading practitioner in debt restructurings and new money financings in Latin America, while Sao Paulo’s Francisco Cestero is ‘extremely friendly, smart and has a unique understanding of the Brazilian market and culture’, and is noted for distressed financings, private credit financings and restructurings. Adam Brenneman is also noted for special situations financings and liability management exercises. Carina Wallance is a key figure at counsel level, while David Botter joined from Akin in 2023 to reinforce the firm’s restructuring expertise. All named individuals are based in New York unless stated otherwise.