Watson Farley & Williams

Partner Dr. Dirk Janssen and Associate Julian Kasper discuss in Börsen-Zeitung the opportunities infrastructure presents for private equity investors – and how private capital can play a key role in accelerating its expansion. Three key takeaways: • the capital required for infrastructure is immense – the German government's planned special fund is a step in the right direction but will not be sufficient on its own;  • infrastructure offers attractive conditions for private equity: stable cash flows, long-term visibility and a growing market volume; and • public-private partnerships (PPP) remain essential to combine public and private financing efficiently – but clear legal structures and reliable regulatory frameworks are needed. Read the full German-language article here: https://lnkd.in/eMD3iV_v #WFW #PrivateEquity #Infrastructure #Investments

🏆 We are extremely pleased that the Simandou project, the world’s largest mining and related rail and port infrastructure project, has been named Impact Deal of the Year at the IFLR Africa Awards 2025!   Last night, Dubai Projects Partner Alhassane Briegel Barry and Mining Lead Jan Mellmann picked up the award at the IFLR Africa Awards in Cape Town.   The Impact Deal of the Year is selected by IFLR’s research and editorial panel for its importance to the global infrastructure sector.    Twenty-four lawyers from across our international network, including Dubai, London, New York and Paris, advised on a wide range of legal matters key to the project, leveraging our wealth of expertise across the mining, energy, infrastructure and transport spaces in emerging markets.   Congratulations to Alhassane, Jan and the whole team!   Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/eV_rScUr #ILFRAwards #ILFR #Simandou #WFW

Ahead of early next week, we wish all of our colleagues and clients a blessed Eid. #WFW #EidMubarak

The Admiralty Court has clarified the meaning of an “Affected Area” under the BIMCO Infectious or Contagious Diseases Clause for Time Charter Parties 2015.   In a recent article authored by London Partner Nikki Chu and Associate Elli M., the court's clarification that a port is not an "Affected Area" simply because a vessel arrives with infected crew members is discussed. This guidance impacts how vessel owners and charterers manage risks related to infectious diseases.   Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/eWfWn2q6   #WFW #BIMCO #Ports #Maritime #DisputeResolution

🚀 We were delighted to take part in Time to Change 2025, two days of debates and networking with over 500 key players in the energy transition and sustainable finance industry. Laurence Martinez-Bellet joined a panel discussion about the financing of decarbonisation across sectors with Jeanne Lemoine (Groupe Lemoine and Club ETI Normandie), Arnaud SUSPLUGAS (Kyotherm) and Aurélie Picart (Nouveaux Systèmes Energétiques, Comité Stratégique de Filière). Laurent Battoue spoke at a roundtable about the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuels alongside Emmanuel Legrand (Banque des Territoires) and Benoit Decourt (Elyse Energy). Romain Girtanner and Thomas Rabain also attended this event. It has been a fantastic opportunity to discuss more broadly the energy mix for 2035/2040, decarbonisation tools, financing the energy transition, greening infrastructure, innovation, agrivoltaism, the circular economy, the impact of ESG strategies and new business models. Thank you to the organisers GreenUnivers and Option Finance. #WFW #TimeToChange25 #EnergyTransition #SustainableFinance

We are pleased to be sponsoring the New York Capital Link International Shipping Forum on 31 March.    New York Partner Will Vogel will be moderating the panel “New Listings – Expanding Investor Choices in Maritime”, which will discuss novel paths to a public market listing. He will be joined by Dr. Anastasios Aslidis (CFO, Euroseas Ltd. and EuroDry Ltd.), Pankaj Khanna (CEO, Heidmar Inc.) and George Syllantavos (co-CEO & CFO, Stellar V Capital Corp.). Irena Radman, Head of Listings Business, East Coast of Nasdaq, will be opening the panel with some remarks.   #WFW #CapitalLink #Shipping #Maritime

Next week, Head of Italy Eugenio Tranchino will be participating in a roundtable discussion, as well as moderating a roundtable, at RENMAD Storage Italia 2025. The first roundtable is called “How to unlock financing: key factors for making accumulation projects bankable in Italy”, and will look at the how banks assess the financial feasibility of energy storage projects, financial institutions analyse commercial and technological risks, and explore investment and financing approaches. He will be joined by Andrea Ferrato (ATA Renewables) as moderator, Anne Walter (BNP Paribas), Claudia Pala (ING), Mauro Colantonio (UniCredit) and Raffaele Ciotta (Foresight Group). Eugenio will be moderating the roundtable “Protect and maximise project ROI with a solid asset management plan: insurance and guarantees”, which will focus on monitoring key indicators, improving security KPIs and effectively managing warranty claims and repairs. The speakers will be: Alessandro Steffanoni (Intesa Sanpaolo), Federico Moia (Marsh Italy), Francis Ravano (Futura Group ) and Maurizio Frigerio (Enfinity Global). Find out more on the RENMAD - Energy Events website here: https://lnkd.in/gftRc8WR #RENMADStorageItalia2025 #EnergyStorage #ProjectFinance #RenewableEnergy #WFW

Italy's offshore wind market is poised for significant growth but faces challenges related to regulatory frameworks, grid connections and supply chain development. In a recent article authored by Rome Partner Tiziana Manenti, London Partners Martin Lucas, Emmanuel Ninos and Senior Associate James Ballantyne, in collaboration with Ivan Savitsky, Megan Smith and Luísa Amorim of The Carbon Trust, these issues are explored in detail. The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the market's potential, government targets and key considerations for investors, such as stakeholder engagement. It focusses on the potential development and regulatory framework of the Italian offshore wind market. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/eSuH4eJ7 #WFW #OffshoreWind #RenewableEnergy

🥳 The Legal 500 EMEA 2025 rankings are out! We are delighted to announce that we have maintained our Tier 1 rankings in France - Shipping Finance, Germany - Industry Focus - Energy – Transactions, Germany - Transport - Maritime and Shipping - Ship Financing, Greece - Shipping Finance, Italy – Shipping and Spain - Projects and Energy. We also have new rankings in France – Employment, Germany - Real Estate and Construction - Construction - Project Development, Greece - Shipping Litigation, Italy - Administrative and Public Law and United Arab Emirates - Infrastructure and Projects (including Project Finance) and improved rankings in France – Insurance, Germany - Real Estate and Construction - Construction (including Construction Litigation), Spain – Environment and United Arab Emirates – Shipping. The firm also continues to be recognised in a further 31 practice areas, as well as maintaining 24 individual rankings. Congratulations to Mhairi Main Garcia (United Arab Emirates - Infrastructure and Projects (including Project Finance)) who joins Virginia Murray in the Hall of Fame and to newly ranked Hugues E. Hounkpati (France - Aviation Finance), Michele Autuori (Italy – Shipping), Giuseppe Salsarulo (Italy - Dispute Resolution), Alfredo Cabellos Ballenilla (Spain - Transport: Shipping) and Natalie Jensen (United Arab Emirates – Shipping). Well done to everyone involved in these superb results! #WFW #Legal500EMEA2025 #Legal500 #LegalRankings

Earlier this month, our Head of Italian Offices, Eugenio Tranchino, had the pleasure of participating in LetExpo, Italy's premier exhibition on sustainable logistics, transport, integrated services and sustainability, organised by ALIS - Associazione Logistica dell'Intermodalità Sostenibile. During the roundtable discussion, Eugenio explored the current and future scenarios for Italian companies within an increasingly international and complex landscape. He emphasised the legal challenges faced in Italy and Europe and underscored the pivotal role of international lawyers in providing proactive, integrated and tailored solutions. The panel also saw the participation of leading institutional representatives and key operators in the sector. 📷 Check out some photos from the event. #WFW #Logistics #Sustainability