Global law firm White & Case LLP has boosted its global project finance expertise with the arrival of Ken Hawkes as a partner in the Firm’s Singapore office.
“Ken is one of Asia’s leading project finance lawyers, and we are delighted to welcome him to White & Case,” said Art Scavone, head of the Firm’s Global Project Finance Practice. “Cross-border project financing has seen an upswing in Asia in recent years, and Ken is well placed to advise sponsors, lenders and others on their financing needs, particularly in the area of independent power projects (IPP).”
Hawkes joins White & Case from Hogan Lovells LLP, where he was head of the firm’s banking and finance practice in Singapore. He has 16 years’ experience in project finance, with specific expertise in negotiating, structuring and documenting complex financing transactions in the oil and gas, power, resources and telecommunications industries. While the majority of his work has been in Asia, where he has been based since 1997, he also has experience in the Middle East, South America, Africa, Australia and the Indian subcontinent.
“Ken’s addition demonstrates our commitment to solidifying our position as Asia’s leading project finance law firm,” said Barrye Wall, head of White & Case’s Asia Region. “Importantly, Ken’s arrival adds to the already substantial English law capability we can offer clients, and he joins us at a time when the number of project transactions is increasing, such as IPP financings in Indonesia and outbound Chinese investments in natural resources, as well as renewable energy and transmission projects in Asia and the Middle East.”
The Singapore office of White & Case has grown significantly over the past few years – now 40 lawyers strong, including 10 partners. Much of this growth is attributable to the office’s success following White & Case’s selection in 2008 by the Singapore Ministry of Law as one of only six international firms to be permitted to practice Singapore law in Singapore.
With more than 200 lawyers internationally, White & Case’s Global Project Finance Practice offers market-leading expertise regarding project structuring and development, financing, government regulation, construction and other contract issues, and mergers and acquisitions. This expertise spans several sectors, including oil and gas, power, petrochemicals, mining and metals, infrastructures, telecoms and PPP/PFI/IPP. Recent transactions the practice has advised on include:
- Representing Saudi Basic Industries Corporation in connection with its US$3.3 billion joint venture with China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (SINOPEC) to acquire and operate a new petrochemical complex adjacent to SINOPEC’s existing refineries in the coastal municipality of Tianjin, China.
- Representing the lenders in the US$2.1 billion financing of Riyadh PP11, a greenfield gas-fired independent power project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- Advising a bank consortium on a US$1.5 billion project bond financing by Odebrecht Oil & Gas, the largest Brazilian debt offering in a year.
- Acting for the joint venture project company, Nord Stream AG, and the sponsors on the €7.4 billion Nord Stream pipeline project.
In 2009, White & Case advised on more than 20 project finance deals worth US$20.3 billion, ranking second worldwide in Infrastructure Journal‘s project finance league tables.
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