Martin Menski
Biography
Chambers USA 2023
“Regularly sought out for his expert representation of agency lenders in project financings across the energy and infrastructure sectors. He has particular strength in African and Latin American markets.”
Chambers USA 2022
“Martin is an outstanding lawyer with a great business acumen and excellent problem solving skills.”
Chambers USA 2022
Overview
Martin is a Partner in the Energy, Infrastructure, Project and Asset Finance Practice based in the Washington D.C. office and leads the firm's agency practice for the Americas.
Martin has advised on the development and financing of several market-leading, award-winning projects, covering the power, mining, LNG, oil & gas and infrastructure sectors in emerging markets in Latin America, Africa, Indo-Pacific, Central Europe and the United States.
Martin has extensive experience in advising multilaterals, development banks, export credit agencies and international commercial banks, as well as sponsors, developers, funds, governments, on both project and financing documents. He has developed financing solutions for multilateral institutional clients such as the "B- Bond" of IDB Invest (formerly the Inter-American Development Bank), a product that enables the mobilization of funding from bond investors under IDB's protective umbrella for projects in the Latin American and Caribbean markets.
Experience
Representative experience includes advising:
Infrastructure
The senior lenders comprising, BNDES, CAF and the commercial banks with the nonrecourse senior secured financing for the US$3 billion São Paulo Metro Line 6 project in Brazil, the largest PPP project currently under construction in Latin America. The financing involves a 20-year limited recourse BNDES facility that is supported during the construction period by non-recourse bank guarantees totaling more than US$627 million. This transaction was awarded "Americas Transport Deal of the Year" by PFI 2022, "Latin America Transport Deal of the Year" by IJGlobal 2023 and "PPP deal of the Year" by Proximo 2023.
Development finance institutions, multilaterals and ECAs on a US$3 billion project financing for an integrated pulp mill project in Paraguay.
International Finance Corporation (IFC) on financing the development, construction, and operation of a submarine fiber optic cable connecting the island of the Seychelles to the 2 Africa cable system on the Eastern cost of Africa.
DFC, Proparco and EIB in connection with the project financing of the US$1 billion Disi Water Project in the Kingdom of Jordan.
IDB Invest on an up to MX$1.3 billion limited recourse financing for Konfio, a fintech company based in Mexico, involving a secured revolving credit facility with borrowing base and warehouse features to facilitate future securitisations.
Power
EnfraGen, LLC in a US$240 million non-recourse financing for a portfolio of greenfield solar projects in Chile.
Multilaterals and development finance institutions on a non-recourse project financing for a solar project in Jordan.
Lenders on a non-recourse project financing of a portfolio of greenfield wind projects totalling 600 MW in Brazil.
IDB Invest on the $200 million financing to ENEL Green Power Mexico for a portfolio of wind and solar projects in Mexico comprising a 244MW wind farm in the municipality of China, Nuevo León, a 149 MW wind farm in the municipality of Acuña, Coahuila, and a 220 MW photovoltaic plant in the municipalities of Tlaxco and Hueyotlipan, Tlaxcala.
Hydrogen, LNG, Hydrocarbons
US EXIM and other ECAs and lenders in connection with financing Mozambique LNG's US$20 billion onshore LNG facility. This transaction was awarded "Global Multilateral Deal of the Year" by PFI 2021, "Africa Oil & Gas Deal of the Year" by IJGlobal 2022 and "Structured Loan Deal of the Year" by Bonds & Loans Africa 2022.
Sponsor on its project development and project financing of several green hydrogen /ammonia projects with a combined estimated capital investment of up to US$1 billion, including a series of projects in Paraguay: an up to 60MW hydropower sourced project, a 250 MW hydropower sourced project and a fuel cell-based bus transportation system; as well as an up to 100 MW geothermal-based green hydrogen and ammonia project in an European country to supply and export green ammonia.
IFC on its equity investment as a joint venture partner (with Sasol Petroleum Temane Limitada and Companhia Mocambicana de Hidrocarbonetos SARL) in the development of oil and gas operations relating to the Pande and Temane Field Reservoirs (offshore Mozambique) and associated tolling and processing and sales arrangements.
Sponsor on the development and financing of a US$600 million mini liquefaction plant in Nigeria and related gas to power projects in Nigeria, Burkina Faso and the surrounding ECOWAS region.*
COVID-19 Related Projects
Lenders on a €334 million commercial bank term loan to Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank with a guarantee from the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), for COVID-related financing purposes. This is a pioneering new product by MIGA that provides commercial banks protection against the risk of Non-Honoring of Financial Obligations by a Regional Development Bank, the first major deployment of this product in the African market. This deal was awarded "Loans Deal of the Year"by IFLR Africa Awards 2021 and "Best Deal 2020" by Global Trade Finance.
Citibank as arranger on a US$250 million loan to Caja de Ahorros with a guarantee from the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), a member of the World Bank Group. The Caja de Ahorros loan was funded through a unique repack structure.
International Finance Corporation (IFC), French Development Agency subsidiary Proparco, DEG, the German Development Finance Institution, and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) on an aggregate of €600 million in loans to be advanced to Aspen Finance Proprietary Limited, a member of the global pharmaceutical group, Aspen Pharmacare. The ongoing transaction will be the largest healthcare investment and mobilization IFC has led globally to date.
*Matters prior to White & Case.
