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.

Marie Bouvet-Guiramand , specialist in transport infrastructure and public facility projects, co-leads the sizeable practice at Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I., alongside Thomas Courtel , John D Crothers , Farah El-Bsat, Victor Grandguillaume, Nicolas Jean , Laetitia Lemercier and ‘outstanding business lawyer’ Stéphane Vernay. The team is well-equipped to advise its noteworthy client list, being sponsors and lenders including EDF and Total Renewables, on significant and often cross-jurisdictional PPP and concession matters, as well as the tendering and development process of projects, spanning the full-range of industry sectors. A significant example of the complex and high-value work the team is currently involved in, is its work advising Naval Group on the €50bn, cross-jurisdictional project regarding twelve submarines and their shipyard in Australia. ​

Legal 500 EMEA 2023 - Project Finance

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. développe une pratique complète ; le cabinet accompagne des sponsors, des prêteurs, des agences internationales et des entités gouvernementales dans la réalisation et le financement de grands projets en France et à l'international. Au plan national, le cabinet est réputé pour son excellente expertise de PPP. Il est souvent mandaté pour intervenir dans de grands projets d'infrastructures publiques. Il est ainsi impliqué dans plusieurs projets de transport emblématiques concernant la construction de tunnels et de métros. L’associé publiciste Thomas Courtel et la spécialiste du financement Laetitia Lemercier sont recommandés pour les grands projets français. À l'étranger, le cabinet s’illustre par sa présence dans de grands projets d'infrastructures et d'énergies renouvelables en Afrique francophone. Il est aussi impliqué dans des projets de smart city en Côte d'Ivoire et au Bénin. Le cabinet déploie enfin son expertise dans d’autres régions du monde, notamment aux côtés de l’International Finance Corporation que le cabinet accompagne dans le développement et la rénovation de plusieurs aéroports à travers la planète. Marie Bouvet-Guiramand, John Crothers, Victor Grandguillaume, Nicolas Jean et  Stéphane Vernay sont les grandes figures de l’équipe pour l’international.

Legal 500 Paris 2022

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is home to an excellent international project practice, with a strong presence in Africa where it advises all types of stakeholders on infrastructure and energy projects. The team handles a high amount of energy-related work, advising on multiple solar projects as well as on large-scale hydropower projects. Several transport and real estate African infrastructure projects also feature in the caseload. The group’s expertise in European and Asian project work was sought after by EDF for the development of several billion-dollar nuclear EPR projects. Marie Bouvet-Guiramand, John Crothers, Victor Grandguillaume, Nicolas Jean and Stéphane Vernay are all excellent. The international practice is completed by strong domestic capabilities. Public law expert Thomas Courtel and finance partners Laetitia Lemercier and Farah El-Bsat, who was promoted to partner in July 2021, have a very good reputation in France for public infrastructure projects, notably for road and transport projects. The firm is increasingly present in French offshore wind projects. The named partners share the lead of the practice.

Legal 500 EMEA 2022 

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