White & Case Wins Proximo’s Latin America Law Firm of the Year Award & Seven Deal of the Year Awards

Proximo, an energy and infrastructure news and analysis service, has named global law firm White & Case LLP "Latin America Law Firm of the Year" for 2022. Carlos Viana, head of the Latin America practice group stated, "We are honored that Proximo has chosen to recognize the achievements of so many of our team members who worked tirelessly on these landmark transactions in the region. This is a true testament to our decades of commitment to working in Latin America." 

The Firm was also honored for its hard work advising on the following transactions that won Latin America Deal of the Year in their respective categories: 

• PPP: São Paulo Metro Line 6 PPP

  White & Case advised the senior lenders, comprised of Brazil’s National Bank for Economic and Social Development and a syndicate of ten commercial banks and development banks, on the non-recourse financing for the US$3 billion (R$17 billion) São Paulo Metro Line 6 project in Brazil. This is the largest PPP project currently under construction in Latin America, and the first international limited recourse financing for a PPP project in Brazil.

• Roads: Rumichaca-Pasto 4G Refinancing

  White & Case advised IDB Invest, as anchor investor, in the US$262 million equivalent social bonds issued by the concessionaire of the Rumichaca-Pasto 4G project, an 83 km highway located in the Department of Nariño near the border between Colombia and Ecuador.

• Ports: Salaverry Port 

  White & Case advised Salaverry Terminal Internacional on the refinancing of existing project financing for the expansion, maintenance and operation of the Salaverry Multipurpose Port located in the department of La Libertad in the Republic of Peru. 

• Emerging Energy: Fontibón Electric Bus Fleet

  White & Case advised AMP Capital Investors Limited, as sponsor, in the financing of the purchase of a fleet of 172 electric buses, replacement batteries for the fleet, and the provision, design and construction of related support infrastructure for use with services related to the public transportation of passengers in Bogotá, Colombia. The financing was extended by IDB Invest and BNP Paribas.

• LNG: EIG/Fluxys GNL Quintero Acquisition

  White & Case advised EIG on its joint acquisition with Fluxys of an 80 percent equity stake in GNL Quintero S.A., the largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminal in Chile, from Enagás Chile S.p.A and OMERS Infrastructure affiliates. The team also advised EIG in connection with the US$700 million financing to partially fund the acquisition. This involved advising EIG from the bid stage until closing of the acquisition.

• Digital Infrastructure: Phoenix Tower WOM Acquisition

  White & Case advised the lenders on the amendment and restatement of Phoenix Tower International's senior credit facilities, consolidating and expanding them into a single US$2 billion senior secured multi-facility transaction to fund the acquisition of the Chilean portfolio of wireless tower assets from WOM S.A.

• Uxolo Social Investment: MIGA Findeter Guarantee

  White & Case advised JP Morgan N.A. on a COP-denominated financing of up to US$300 million to Colombian state-owned enterprise, Financiera de Desarrollo Territorial S.A. (Findeter), under MIGA's Non-Honoring of Financial Obligations of Sovereign Owned Enterprises guarantee. The financing involved a unique COP-USD swap that benefited from the MIGA guarantee. Findeter will use the loan proceeds to finance climate projects that will contribute to Colombia’s objectives of diversifying its energy mix and fostering a green economic recovery.