A&O Shearman is a standout firm for structured finance, projects and debt capital markets deals in emerging markets, and the firm continues to build on its strong track record in first-of-kind transactions. The team is 'experienced in various sectors, knows its stuff from a legal perspective and is well staffed', and one client notes that the firm 'has good matter management, driving deals forwards and being very proactive in approach, acting very much as trusted advisers in a collaborative way'. The lead partners for the emerging markets group are debt financing specialist Greg Brown and banking and restructuring partner Kathleen Wong. International capital markets partner Sachin Davé and head of the ECA practice Lorraine Bayliss (who 'really knows her stuff, is commercial, responsive and proactive') are among the many standout partners. Bayliss is a key adviser to Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG on its project to build a new new gas pipeline crossing Turkey, Greece, Albania and the Adriatic to terminate in Italy. Upstream oil and gas specialist Andrew Castle, head of the Africa group Tim Scales, who is also co-head of the global projects practice, and Oleg Khomenko, who advises lenders and borrowers on cross-border financing transactions in the CEE and the Middle East, are also highly recommended. Trade and commodities finance specialist Catherine Lang-Anderson recently acted for the co-ordinating committee of creditors ED&F Man on the restructuring of its debt and the provision of $300m in new money facilities.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'I really like working with this team. They are experienced in various sectors, know their stuff from a legal perspective and well staffed. They have good matter management, driving deals forwards and being very proactive in approach, acting very much as trusted advisers in a collaborative way.'
- 'Lorraine Bayliss is excellent. She really knows her stuff, is commercial, responsive and proactive. She has surrounded herself with a great team of associates. We always feel well looked after on project finance transactions when we work with her. She is very involved and visible on transactions. She works well with the lawyers on the sponsor side to ensure that the deal runs smoothly and efficiently. She has an amazing ability to be totally switched on to what is happening across a number of diverse deals at the same time. '
Key clients
- Standard Chartered Bank
- Société Générale
- European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
- Servizi Assicurativi del Commercio Estero (SACE)
- International Finance Corporation (IFC)
- The African Development Bank (AfDB)
- Metinvest
- The Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB)
Work highlights
Advising the co-ordinating committee of creditors representing creditors with over USD1bn of debt claims and the agent in relation to the restructuring of the financial indebtedness of the ED&F Man Group and the provision of USD300m new money facilities.
- Advising TAPI Pipeline Company Limited (TPCL) on all aspects of the USD10bn development, construction and implementation of the new-build Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, including the complex multi-contract procurement and construction arrangements.
- Advising Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG (TAP) on the development and implementation of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline project, which is a new-build 10 BCM gas pipeline commencing at the Turkey-Greece, crossing Greece, Albania, the Adriatic Sea and ending in Italy.
Lawyers
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Kathleen Wong, Greg Brown