Team Adds Experience in Middle East, Africa Transactions
New York, December 11, 2007 — LAWFUEL – The Legal Newswire – The international law firm of Chadbourne & Parke LLP announced today that Jon Nash, Sohail Barkatali and Agnieszka Klich are joining the Firm’s London office as partners and members of the project finance practice.
The three are coming to Chadbourne from Berwin Leighton Paisner in London, where they had been partners working together on transactions in the finance department.
“The addition of Jon, Sohail and Agnieszka is a major enhancement of Chadbourne’s ability to serve our project finance clients,” said Chadbourne Managing Partner Charles K. O’Neill. “They are exceptionally experienced lawyers who have worked on major projects throughout the Middle East and Africa, across all sectors of project finance. They are a most welcome addition to our practice and the London office.”
The three lawyers are joining a practice that has substantially expanded its resources over the past year. In March 2007, three partners and three associates joined Chadbourne’s project finance practice in the Los Angeles office and the group there has grown to 12 lawyers. In May, the Firm opened an office in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, to better serve energy and other clients in the Middle East. And in October, the Firm elected three lawyers with project finance and energy experience to the partnership. Worldwide, Chadbourne has over 90 lawyers in its project finance practice.
“We very much enjoyed our years at Berwin Leighton Paisner, but the opportunity to join a firm with such a deep history of energy and project finance work was one we could not ignore,” said Mr. Nash. “We look forward immensely to contributing our part to such a prestigious worldwide practice.”
“We are delighted to welcome Jon to the Firm and look forward to the arrival of Sohail and Agnieszka in due course,” said Claude Serfilippi, Chadbourne’s London Office Managing Partner. “They have advised on some of the most notable project finance transactions to close over the last few months.”
The team’s recent transactions include the Marafiq independent water and power project in Saudi Arabia, the Taweelah A10 refinancing in the Emirates, the Barka 2/Rusail project and Sur desalination projects in Oman. The three currently have roles on the Saudi Landbridge rail project, two Abu Dhabi wastewater projects and a Portuguese wastewater project.
Mr. Nash has advised clients on projects in the Middle East, Africa, the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia, with a focus on energy, water and infrastructure in emerging markets. Mr. Nash holds an LL.B., honours, and an LL.M. in international law from Nottingham University, and he passed the Law Society Finals at the College of Law, York.
Mr. Barkatali is a commercial lawyer with a focus on the energy and water sectors. He has worked on projects in the Middle East, Africa, the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. His transactions have involved independent water and power producer projects, water and wastewater concessions, unbundling and restructuring electricity supply industries, production sharing arrangements, cross-border transportation agreements, sale and purchase agreements, the disposal of oil and gas interests and assets, regulatory matters and privatizations. Mr. Barkatali holds an LL.B., honours, and an LL.M. in commercial and corporate law from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and he passed the Law Society Finals at the College of Law, Lancaster Gate.
Ms. Klich specializes in international project finance, with a focus on transactions in emerging markets involving oil and gas, mining, power and water. She has extensive experience with ECAs and multilateral financings. Ms. Klich has advised lenders, developers and equity investors on project financings. She holds a B.A. in history, summa cum laude, from the University of Houston, an M.A. in regional studies from Harvard University and a J.D. from Stanford University Law School.
Chadbourne is a franchise name in the project finance market. It has worked on transactions in more than 60 countries. Its lawyers advise on the development and financing of greenfield energy, transportation and other industrial projects, including novel public-private partnership structures, as well as acquisitions and divestitures (including privatizations), private equity investments, debt restructurings, and the resolution of political risk claims and investment disputes. Its lawyers worldwide advise major energy and other industrial sponsors, governmental and commercial financing sources, and governments.
About Chadbourne & Parke LLP
Chadbourne & Parke LLP, an international law firm headquartered in New York City, provides a full range of legal services, including mergers and acquisitions, securities, project finance, private funds, corporate finance, energy, communications and technology, commercial and products liability litigation, securities litigation and regulatory enforcement, special investigations and litigation, intellectual property, antitrust, domestic and international tax, insurance and reinsurance, environmental, real estate, bankruptcy and financial restructuring, employment law and ERISA, trusts and estates and government contract matters. Major geographical areas of concentration include Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and the CIS, the Middle East and Latin America. The Firm has offices in New York, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Houston, London (a multinational partnership), Moscow, St. Petersburg, Warsaw (a Polish partnership), Kyiv, Almaty, Dubai and Beijing. For additional information, visit www.chadbourne.com.
