Energy
“With lawyers who speak English and French and often several local African languages, the team’s activities are not restricted by language.” Chambers Global, 2009
“The team has huge experience in the energy sector, which is invaluable to our work.” Chambers Global 2010
Energy is one of our key strengths and now extends to the renewable energy sector, where our team is recognised for its skills. We have advised on oil and gas assets offshore in Mauritania, LNG projects in Nigeria, gas projects in Libya, FPSOs in Angola, gas-fired power plants in Ghana, electricity privatisation in Liberia and hydropower plants in Zambia.
Renewable energy companies (including, solar, wind, biomass, nuclear and thermal energy) and oil and gas providers look to us to offer in-depth expertise on responsible investment and good governance, which are increasingly important aspects of doing business in Africa.
An important element required of legal advisers in this sector is a strong knowledge of emerging and transition markets. We have a long track record of working in key energy markets and unrivalled experience in Africa.
Clients
We work for financial institutions, international corporations, governments and commodity producers and purchasers including national oil companies and utilities.
We advise on the formation of projects, helping governments to structure and implement tendering processes; we work closely with local counsel to carry out investigations for clients looking to invest in projects; we help structure and negotiate financings on behalf of lenders and borrowers.
Having acted for a number of clients in the energy sector we have also become a major player in the South African Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff (REFIT).
Expertise
Our international business experience, combined with our black economic empowerment abilities in South Africa, gives us unique efficiency. We advise clients on how to reflect responsible investment and good governance in their contracts and on possible local implementation issues. We can also undertake detailed governance reviews of target businesses.
Our services
- Applications for and execution and registration of rights
- Drafting agreements
- Furnishing advice and opinions
- Statutory and contractual interpretation
- Conceptual and jurisprudential aspects
- The acquisition of land, and prospecting and enterprises
- Surface use and relationships with land owners
- Expropriation
- Aspects of traditional, tribal and trust law and land restitution
- Environmental aspects
- Damage and injury claims
- Ventures by foreign investors in South Africa and by South African investors abroad
- Water law
- Tax, royalty, and other fiscal implications
- Appeals, judicial reviews, and other litigation
We offer advice in the following areas
- Competition and regulatory
- Dispute resolution
- Downstream oil and gas / LNG / petrochemicals
- Energy trading
- Energy and utilities finance
- Energy and utilities (Mergers & Acquisitions)
- Energy networks
- Future energy - including renewable energy
- Offshore – shipping / contractors
- Restructuring / privatisation
- Upstream oil and gas
We offer
- Advice on how you can reduce your project risk by applying our experience garnered via work on large, complex energy projects
- Advice on how to identify sector and market risks, create financial structures that match those risks, negotiate political risk insurance packages and manage highly technical claims and disputes for you
- Advice on the acquisition of project equity stakes, on appropriate securitisation structures and on the level of protection afforded by Bilateral Investment Treaties and (potentially) the Energy Charter Treaty.
- A strong knowledge of emerging and transition markets, such as those found in Africa.
- Lawyers who have authored and co-authored textbooks on South Africa’s petroleum laws covering the 1967, 1991 and 2002 legislation and associated common law
Awards
- Kevin Cron – Recommended individual, Leading Firms and Lawyers 2007
- Julian Jackson – Commended for his work with Projects and Energy Africa, Chambers 2009
- Gavin Noeth – Highly recommended individual, Leading Firms and Lawyers 2007