The cross-practice team at Clifford Chance assists clients across the globe with a range of major projects, including wind projects, hydrocarbon pipeline projects and battery power projects. Work relating to clean hydrogen is a notable focus and the team assists stakeholders throughout the clean hydrogen value chain. Anthony Giustini is a key contact at the firm and has a strong focus on project development and financing transactions in the energy transition sector. David Préat is well versed in public law matters. Laurent Schoenstein excels in M&A work such as the acquisition of offshore wind parks. Finance expert Richard Tomlinson is sought out by both sponsors and lenders for assistance with transactional work in the EMEA region. Nikolaï Eatwell, Delphine Siino Courtin, Milica Zatezalo-Falatar, Daniel Zerbib, Gauthier Martin, Marianne Pezant, Emmanuel Mimin, Pierre-Benoît Pabot du Châtelard and Benjamin De Blegiers are further key members of the ‘high-calibre’ cohort.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Very experienced, knowledgeable and agile. They provide timely input and in a concise way. Problem solvers and high-calibre lawyers.’

  • ‘Benjamin de Blegiers is a highly experienced, out-of-the-box thinker. He is an excellent lawyer and very detailed-oriented.’

  • ‘The firm's different departments and offices work very well together, meaning that their Paris office can act as a single point of contact for a number of topics in various jurisdictions.’

  • ‘Marianne Pezant fights very well for her clients, and was able to explain difficult legal concepts in a way that could be understood to allow us to be comfortable with the decisions we were taking.'

Key clients

  • Bouygues
  • CDC Group Plc
  • Eiffage
  • EDF
  • ENGIE
  • ENEL
  • Meridiam
  • Hydrogène de France
  • International Financial Institutions
  • Agence Française de Développment (AFD)
  • Africa Finance Corporation
  • African Development Bank (ADB)
  • Asian Development Bank
  • Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
  • DEG
  • EBRD
  • EIB
  • FMO
  • Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
  • IDA
  • IFC
  • Inter-American Development Bank
  • Inter-American Investment Corporation
  • MIGA
  • OeEB
  • OFID
  • OPIC
  • Proparco
  • The Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF)
  • Bpifrance
  • Euler Hermes
  • K-sure
  • SACE
  • UK Export Finance
  • Abu Dhabi Fund for Development
  • Auxifip
  • Barclays
  • CIC
  • First Abu Dhabi Bank
  • HSBC
  • Macquarie
  • MUFG
  • Santander
  • Standard Chartered bank
  • Türkiye Garanti Bankasi A
  • UniCredit
  • BNP Paribas
  • CACIB
  • Natixis
  • Société Générale
  • Ethiopian Electric Power
  • French Ministry in charge of Energy
  • Government of Namibia
  • Ministry of Water Irrigation and Energy, Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Work highlights

  • Advising TotalEnergies on the development of the world’s first open-source CO2 transport and storage infrastructure.
  • Advised the Government of Namibia on the first green hydrogen/ammonia value chain project in the country, setting important parameters for future development of the Southern Corridor Development Initiative in Namibia.
  • Advising HyDeal Espana in connection with a full value project for the production of green hydrogen from solar energy, its transport and use in steel and other applications in Spain.

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.
Leading individuals: Regulatory and public law
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners: Energy projects
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Anthony Giustini, Delphine Siino Courtin, Nikolaï Eatwell, Richard Tomlinson, Milica Zatezalo-Falatar, David Préat, Laurent Schoenstein, Daniel Zerbib, Gauthier Martin, Marianne Pezant, Emmanuel Mimin, Pierre-Benoît Pabot du Châtelard, Benjamin de Blegiers