In civil and common law alike, Gide acts at all stages of project financing operations, be they public, private or partnerships: transaction structuring, drafting and negotiating documentation, choosing and putting in place guarantees suited to the project, executing contracts, refinancing and restructuring existing project financings.

Gide handles all issues related to the bankability of project contracts, as well as those related to the granting of risks borne by the various actors on the project, and advises all actors on project financing operations, including public bodies, sponsors, investment funds, commercial banks, credit-export agencies, development banks, multilateral lenders and international financial institutions.

Gide puts in place financing structures that draw on all types of structured finance techniques: asset financing, LBOs, Islamic financing, property financing, securitisation, restructuring, bond issues, derivatives or capital markets. Gide sets itself apart thanks to the extraordinary technical knowledge of its financing practitioners, its ability to involve teams displaying in-depth knowledge of related topics (real estate, PPP, tax etc.) and the sectors involved, as well as innovative capacity.

Experience includes:

• Music Centre of Ile Seguin: advising a bidding consortium on the preparation of contractual and financial documentation for the PPP transaction.
   
• Eiffarie/APRR, France: advising two banking syndicates on the refinancing of the Eiffage and Macquarie debt contracted for the acquisition of motorway company APRR (EUR 3.5 billion).
   
• Ashegoda wind farm, Ethiopia: advising banks (commercial banks, credit-export agency and multilateral lenders) on the financing of a wind farm’s construction in Ethiopia (EUR 210 million).
   
• Dakar airport, Senegal: advising the government on the financing of Dakar’s new international airport (EUR 500 million).
   
• Malé airport, Maldives: advising an international organisation and the Maldives government on the concession of the international airport.
   
• A63 motorway, France: advising sponsors on financing the A63 concession project (EUR 1.14 billion).
   
• Oil, France: advising Maurel & Prom on the 350 million USD financing secured by oil reserves in Colombia and Congo.
   
• Cogeneration, Russia: advising Mosenergo on the implementation of export financing worth 186 million euros for the supply and installation by Alstom of a 420MW-turnkey cogeneration unit.

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. has a well-rounded practice which assists sponsors, lenders, international agencies and governmental entities with the development and financing of projects in France and overseas. Domestically, the firm has a well established PPP practice, often retained to advise on large public infrastructure projects such as landmark transport projects, including tunnel and metro infrastructure. Public law expert Thomas Courtel and finance partner Laetitia Lemercier are the key contacts. Abroad, the firm is extensively advising oninfrastructure and renewable energy projects in francophone Africa. It is notably involved in smart city projects in Ivory Coast and Benin. The practice also handles key projects in various other parts of the world, for example for key client The International Finance Corporation whom the practice assists with the development and renovation of several airports around the globe. Marie Bouvet-Guiramand, John Crothers, Victor Grandguillaume, Nicolas Jean and Stéphane Vernay are the key names for international work.

Legal 500 EMEA 2021