| Energy and Natural Resources Team of the Year |
 To be considered for this award firms must demonstrate specific strength in the energy and natural resources sector. Although, we will be accepting submissions covering corporate and finance matters as well as regulatory and contentious work, it is not the size of the deal that counts but the industry knowledge behind it. Winners will have advised on trailblazing transactions that have significantly impacted the market and these can relate to power, oil and gas, mining or alternative energy.
Previous Winners
With a London team headed by international securities specialist François Feuillat, Texas-headquartered Vinsons successfully represented Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corporation, the wholly-owned subsidiary of state-owned China Petrochemical Corporation, in its trailblazing acquisition of Canada-based Addax Petroleum Corporation. Sinopec is China’s largest producer and supplier of oil products and major petrochemical products. The total transaction value was a hefty $8.8bn (including debt) and, among its many banner benchmarks, the acquisition represented the largest cross-border deal to date in the energy sector. In addition, it marked the second-largest cross-border deal – in any field – done by the Chinese.
HIGHLY COMMENDEDBURGES SALMONRoss FairleyBristol-based Burges Salmon continues to dominate in its dedicated sectors, building market-leading niche strengths in areas ranging from nuclear decommissioning through to cutting-edge renewables projects. In a landmark mandate, the firm advised Helius Energy on the sale of the development and operation rights to the Stallingborough project – one of the UK’s largest biomass plants, capable of producing a maximum capacity of 65mW. HOGAN & HARTSONGarry PeggFollowing on from its appointment to advise Russian giant Gazprom on the mammoth South Stream Pipeline project in 2008, the London office of oil and gas heavyweight Hogan struck gold again. The firm successfully advised Sumitomo Corporation on the sale of its wholly owned subsidiary Petro Summit Investment to Idemitsu Kosan, Japan’s third-largest refiner. LINKLATERSJohn PickettFew firms have managed to stamp their mark on the renewables sector as confidently as Linklaters, and the recent Project Boreas was a market-defining deal for the wind industry. The firm advised a club of 14 arrangers providing £340m of non-recourse project finance facilities for Centrica, which simultaneously sold a 50% stake in these assets for £84m. SHEARMAN & STERLINGBen ShortenBolstering its enviable reputation in the Middle East, Shearman advised more than 20 lenders on the E2.1bn Al Dur IWPP in Bahrain. In an important milestone, the deal was the first Middle East power project financing to reach financial close since the Lehman Brothers crash. The challenging economic backdrop also saw the project become the first example of a hard mini-perm structure in a Middle East power project. TROWERS & HAMLINSMartin AmisonIn a major coup, Trowers advised the government of Jordan on the country’s first-ever multibillion-dollar oil shale concession agreement. The firm used its historically strong regional knowledge to draft the agreement with the Jordan Oil Shale Company, part of Royal Dutch Shell. With no precedent to draw from, the deal was particularly groundbreaking and took over two years to conclude. Award sponsored by Hudson Legal |
The transaction broke new geographical ground, involving 26 petroleum assets in over six countries across Africa and the Middle
East, becoming one of the largest-ever acquisitions in West Africa, an up-and-coming oil and gas heavyweight. Importantly, it
facilitated the Chinese company’s first steps into Iraq, with the formerly Swiss-based Addax having interests in Iraqi Kurdistan. In
short, while its size is undoubtedly phenomenal, the deal stands out for demonstrating China’s ambition and ever-growing global
might in natural resources, placing Vinsons right at the heart of international energy trends.