Watson Farley & Williams LLP boasts expertise in matters under German and English law, the latter is a key strength of Florian Kutzbach in Frankfurt, and is well versed in international project financing. The team is regularly instructed by lenders, borrowers, investors, asset managers and project developers in connection with solar, geothermal energy, onshore and offshore wind. Thomas Hollenhorst acts as sole practice head since the move of Clemens Hillmer (asset financing in the shipping, aviation and rail sectors) to Clyde & Co LLP in January 2025; Hollenhorst focuses on project financing in the renewable energy sector.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Good expertise, strong commitment.'
  • 'The WFW team was very knowledgeable and worked very diligently. Specialists from various fields were easily involved and were quickly brought up to speed on the transaction.'
  • 'The team members were always available and responded quickly to inquiries/questions.'
  • 'It feels like the employees are available 24/7 and are always informed on the same level within their team. For special peripheral issues, experts from the WFW network are easily brought in. The customer and the parties involved are "picked up" and "taken along" in a professional, objective and human way. Billing was very transparent over time, with any additional costs incurred being plausibly derived and explained to the client.'
  • 'They were very helpful and cooperative, and even under great time pressure they continued to perform very well. In addition, they are very empathetic.'
  • 'Their in-depth knowledge of renewable energy projects, particularly solar, makes them a very good team in project finance, with a nuanced understanding of regulatory and market dynamics.'
  • 'The firm's culture encourages collaboration across practice areas and ensures that clients benefit from a comprehensive range of legal services. This approach is particularly valuable in complex transactions where numerous legal aspects need to be considered.'
  • 'With offices in key markets, WFW combines global expertise with local knowledge. This dual approach is critical for navigating cross-border projects and understanding the regional regulatory environment.'

Key clients

  • Bayern/LB
  • Builtech Holding
  • Calik Enerji
  • Çanakkale Otoyol ve Köprüsü Insaat Yatirim ve Isletme A.S.
  • Christofferson, Robb & Company
  • Commerzbank AG
  • Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank
  • Deutsche Bank
  • Eavor GmbH
  • Ellomay
  • Encavis
  • Flexam Invest Asset Management
  • Generate UK Holding
  • Goldman Sachs
  • Griffin Global Asset Management DAC
  • Hamburg Commercial Bank
  • Hamitabat Elektrik Uretim VE Ticaret Anonim Sirketi
  • I Squared Capital
  • Infranity
  • ING Bank
  • Joh. Berenberg Gossler & Co. KG
  • KfW IPEX-Bank
  • Masdar
  • Nexrail
  • NeXtWind Capital Ltd
  • NORD/LB
  • responsAbility Investments AG
  • Rivage Investment
  • UniCredit
  • Vauban Infrastructure
  • Warburg Bank
  • Wilmington Trust (London) Limited

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Thomas Hollenhorst