Infrastructure

Our award-winning highly experienced team is known for delivering practical and innovative solutions to clients across the infrastructure market.

The depth of our experience and detailed understanding of the infrastructure sector and the competitive landscape means we are extremely well placed to advise on all aspects of transactions.

We provide full service capabilities at every stage of the infrastructure value chain from fund formation to the structuring and financing of projects through to disputes and litigation and mergers and acquisitions.

We offer clients a dedicated team of lawyers with the right balance of specific geographical experience, industry knowledge and legal skills to deliver a world class service to our clients.

Explore our services across different asset classes

We advise across all infrastructure asset classes, including:

1

Digital and Smart Infrastructure

We have experience across all key asset classes in digital infrastructure, including smart meters, data centres, mobile towers, fibre broadband and mobile networks, and have worked with clients on some of the most significant transactions across the globe. We draw upon specialist knowledge from our network to stay on top of the important developments happening in key markets, and the wider global consequences for the industry.

2

Energy Transition and related Infrastructure

We have a global team of highly experienced lawyers who are committed to helping clients keep pace with market and regulatory developments in the energy transition sector, including renewables, district heating, energy storage, energy networks, direct air capture and hydrogen.

3

Transport Infrastructure

We have an outstanding reputation for assisting a diverse range of clients seeking to invest, develop, enhance and maintain infrastructure in the transport sector. We advise on all aspects of ground-breaking, headline projects relating to airports, marine ports, roads, tunnels, bridges and railways (including rolling stock) around the world. We are also advising clients in relation to advancements in mobility, such as EV charging infrastructure.

4

Water and Waste Infrastructure

We have extensive experience advising on water and waste related transactions and are familiar with the issues that arise in transactions involving these assets. Our experience includes advising financial investors, sponsors, banks and utilities operators on the structuring and financing of projects through to mergers and acquisitions, antitrust, disputes and litigation. We also have extensive experience advising on transactions deploying the most innovative financing and governance structures, including the regulated asset base (RAB) and direct procurement for customers (DPC).

5

Social and Defence Infrastructure

We have an unrivalled track record of advising clients on a wide range of ground-breaking social infrastructure transactions and some of the largest and most innovative projects developed across the globe, including healthcare (hospitals), education (schools and universities) and public facilities (community housing and prisons). We also have a strong track record of advising on major aerospace and defence transactions.

Recent client highlights

£4.9 billion CityFibre financing. Advised the funders to CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent Full Fibre platform, on its up to £4.9 billion financing. Read more.
Kenya Annuity Road Programme. Advised the commercial bank lenders on the financing of road Lots 15 and 18 of the Kenya Annuity Road Programme. Read more.

Award-winning acquisition of Caruna Advised KKR and OTPP on the acquisition and financing of an 80% interest in Caruna Oy, the largest electricity distribution network in Finland (European Energy Deal of the Year, Infrastructure Investor Awards 2021). Read more.
Colombian 4G toll road financing. Advised the lenders and hedge providers on the multi-tranche financing for the construction of the Project Autopista Rio Magdalena 2 project in Colombia (Americas Transport Deal of the Year, PFI Awards 2021). Read more.

US$5 billion sale of UAE port/logistic assets. Advised DP World on the sale of a minority stake in its strategic UAE assets to CDPQ for US$5 billion. Read more.
Establishment of a Telecoms Infrastructure Platform. Advised Partners Group on the joint establishment of a telecommunications infrastructure platform, Unity Digital Infrastructure, in partnership with Aboitiz InfraCapital. Read more.

Our Insights

The UK's National Security and Investment Regime – Latest market guidance

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has published a suite of new market guidance as well as an Annual Report, providing increased clarity on the UK's national security and investment regime and insights into how it is working in practice.

Find out more

Alternative Funding Models for Future Infrastructure Projects

The economic upheaval resulting from the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic adds additional complexity to the longstanding challenge of funding essential infrastructure. In this article, Clifford Chance experts explore how approaches taken on urban transportation projects shed light on potential paths forward.

Find out more about Alternative Funding Models for Future Infrastructure Projects