Norton Rose LLP - The Who's Who Legal 100 2012

What is the Who's Who Legal 100?

The merger of Norton Rose with Macleod Dixon in January of this year marked “the ascension of a new superpower in global mining law,” according to one source, and this claim is amply justified by our research. A total of 15 Norton Rose lawyers achieve listings in the corresponding section, earning our law firm of the year award in this discipline. The “internationally renowned” Glenn Faass is the managing partner of the Bogota office and a co-founder of the firm’s operations in Colombia, following a five-year tenure as the head of Macleod Dixon’s Russia practice. His “first-rate” experience extends to corporate transactions, anti-corruption and business ethics, clean technology, infrastructure development and matters related to financial institutions. At the same office, Jorge Neher is a “leader” in energy infrastructure work, while in Caracas, Elisabeth Eljuri is hailed as “one of the world’s leading natural resources lawyers” and earns further prominent listings in the oil and gas and arbitration chapters. James Coleman QC and Crae Garrett both represent the firm’s Calgary office in this discipline and both are hailed as “thought leaders” for their transactional work alongside Toronto’s Marvin Singer. Three lawyers rank highly in the Moscow office, including “superb” joint office head Anatoly Andriash, who specialises in large-scale project developments in the natural resources sector and counts Gazprom among his clients. Across the border in Kazakhstan, Almaty managing partner Yerzhan Kumarov’s financing and restructuring work is held in “very high regard” by peers. Two listings apiece for the London and Johannesburg offices, alongside the inclusion of Shaun McRobert in Hong Kong, add further international reach to the “world-beating” department.

The firm has a large and “highly experienced” aviation team that deals with all types of advisory and regulatory matters. In Johannesburg, Pierre Naude is a senior litigation director who specialises in product liability relating to aircrafts as well as aviation financing, and is “very well known for his insurance practice in this area”. Heather Wilmot specialises in aviation and air service law, assisting operators and aircraft financiers on insurance, liability, personal injury and material damage matters. Jeremy Gibb is an asset finance lawyer based in Tokyo with experience arranging asset financing. He acts for a range of companies including shipping, aircraft, rail and offshore vessels, as does Emma Giddings, an asset finance specialist based in the UAE who is “excellent to work with”. Head of Asia aviation finance, Leigh Borrello in Singapore focuses on commercial financing for international airlines, increasingly for China-based clients. Head of the global aviation group in London, Neil Poland is primarily a finance lawyer with an emphasis on banking and capital-raising for aviation and rail companies, as is Owen Mulholland, who advises airlines, aircraft lessors, banks and financial institutions on European and UK aviation law. Patrick Farrell is also “knowledgeable” in the European aviation regulatory area and is a “first-rate” dispute resolution lawyer who works with aviation parties to resolve conflicts. Philip Vallance acts for providers, arrangers and consumers of finance concerning aviation and transport assets. Duncan Batchelor counsels clients on aircraft finance, ship finance, cross-border leasing and structured finance transactions. He is “very quick and offers creative solutions to any difficult situation”. Jeremy Edwards is highly regarded for his work in this area. Head of the Paris practice, George Paterson works on the finance side of transactions and represents banks, export credit agencies and airlines. Alongside him at that office is Marc Hamilton who focuses on aviation finance, leasing transactions, French leverage leases and corporate financings for airlines and aircraft carriers. In Munich, Ralf Springer has experience in asset finance, leasing, aviation finance and media finance transactions.

In the project finance section, six lawyers feature in our chapter, most notably Jeffery Barratt, the head of the global projects group. Based in London, he advises on financial structures, transport financing and energy infrastructure projects. Dividing her time between Paris and Casablanca, Anne Lapierre is a leading project finance lawyer in the energy field and specialises in working on offshore and onshore wind ventures and renewables, where she is “well recognised in the market”. The firm has a very strong presence in the Asian legal market place, and boasts inclusions such as, Nick Merritt in Singapore who heads the infrastructure, mining and commodities group, and advises clients on the development, funding, negotiating and acquisition of energy, groundwork and mining contracts. Head of the South East Asia practice team, Jeff Smith is renowned for his work on redevelopment of utility and energy ventures in Singapore, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, among other regional clients. He is also experienced in counselling on Islamic financing, particularly in petrochemicals, power plants and commercial real estate. In China, Nigel Ward’s practice focuses on emerging markets, especially Asia, where he assists clients on funding for shipping, and more generally transport infrastructure.

Mélanie Thill-Tayara features in the life sciences and competition sections as the head of the French and European competition law department. She advises in disputes related to consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and luxury goods. Similarly, IP expert Judith Robinson ranks highly in the life sciences and patents chapters for her experience in IP litigation and leadership of the firm’s Quebec IP practice - as does head of pharmaceutical and life sciences in Ontario Patrick Kierans. Brian Gray is a “big name” in life sciences, patents and trademarks and regularly appears before all levels of the Canadian judiciary. Pierre Bienvenu represents the firm in the arbitration and litigation chapters as a seasoned dispute resolution lawyer.

Experts in the public procurement section include Mark Jones in London who advises on competition law matters, regulation and public procurement contracts in Europe and the UK. Of counsel and “key figure” Totis Kotsonis has expertise in public procurement law, EU state aid rules, and sector and utility regulation and advises public bodies, contractors and utilities companies. Johannesburg-based director Gavin Noeth is a “highly rated” financing lawyer with particular experience in project finance, PPPs, lending, syndicated lending and many other forms of capital-raising. In Ottawa Richard Wagner is an expert on Canadian federal administrative and regulatory law, centred on financing and procurement.

Norton Rose’s ability to provide clients with international expertise is demonstrated by its further listings in the banking, capital markets, environment, insolvency, insurance, real estate and many more sections.