Natalia Nikitina
Biography
Overview
Natalia is a banking and finance partner, currently based in the Middle East. She is a versatile Russian-speaking legal expert and a seasoned finance professional with in-depth understanding of cross-border-finance, syndicated lending, secured and unsecured facilities, insolvency and work-outs. With White & Case since 1999, Natalia has worked on many major finance transactions in the CIS and EMEA regions.
She has extensive experience representing clients in project finance transactions, asset-based financings, trade finance, acquisition finance and pre-export finance. Clients benefit from her commitment to finding made-to-measure fixes, and she seeks innovative ways to secure her clients' interests. Clients praise her commercial, solution-driven approach to handling complex finance transactions and appreciate her willingness to share the experience of market practice.
Natalia is also experienced in a wide range of corporate matters, including privatizations, M&A, joint ventures and disposals, as well as regulatory and licensing issues, real estate, intellectual property and general commercial law in EMEA and the CIS.
Experience
Project Development and Finance:
Representation of sponsors in connection with the hybrid financing (involving major European ECAs) of construction of the Amur Gas Chemical Complex, one of the world's largest and most advanced polymer production facilities.
Representation of a syndicate of lenders in connection with US$603.2 million syndicated financing for the completion of the first start-up complex of the Taishet aluminium smelter, owned by Russian aluminium producer RUSAL. This deal won the Europe Mining Deal of the Year award by IJ Global Awards in 2021.
Representation of the lenders (SACE, UniCredit and ING) on the project financing of the Urea Plant in Togliatti, Russia.
Representation of Navoi Mining and Metallurgy Combinat, the leading state-owned gold and uranium producer in Uzbekistan, in connection with a financing transaction with a major financial institution.
Representation of the lenders on a new US$820 million unsecured financing of EuroChem Group AG, a leading global fertilizer company.
Representation of RusVinyl and the transaction sponsors (SIBUR Holding and SolVin GmbH & Co. KG) with the €750 million project financing of a 330,000-ton-per-annum polyvinyl chloride plant in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
Asset Finance:
Representation of leading global financial institutions in connection with the export credit financing and parallel financing for deliveries of Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft to a Mexican airline.
Representation of Avia Capital Services in connection with the acquisition, export credit finance and leasing of 50 new Boeing 737 aircraft to certain airlines.
Representation of ILFC, ACG, BBAM, MC Aviation Partners and Jackson Square Aviation with respect to the leasing of aircraft to certain airlines, including regulatory issues, customs matters, tax advice and litigation matters.
Representation of leading global financial institutions in connection with the export credit financing (COFACE and SACE) and parallel financing by VEB for nine Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft to Interjet, a Mexican airline.
Representation of a major Russian airline in connection with pre-purchase due diligence of a large Russian airline, including review of all operational (e.g. groundhandling arrangements, code sharing agreements, etc) and regulatory matters, leasing and financing arrangements.
Banking Law: Ways to Improve Syndicated Loans Legislation, The Banking Law Journal, February 2020 (co-author)
Lending & Secured Finance 2014: A practical cross-border insight into lending and secured finance, The International Comparative Legal Guide, Chapter 53 – Russia, April 2014, (co-author)
Mentioned in Banking & Finance in Russia: Chambers Global, 2020 and Legal 500, 2020 (acting for borrowers and lenders)
Natalia Nikitina "has an ability to see the overall picture, she is very responsive and committed. She is a good negotiator and pleasant to deal with." Chambers Global, 2020
Natalia Nikitina "always has good control over the matters, an excellent understanding of the market and helps navigating through complex matters." Chambers Global, 2019
Leading Individual in Transport sector in Russia: Legal 500, 2020
Appointed Executive Committee Member of the Legal Advisory Panel of Aviation Working Group (AWG), January 2019
