Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance wins Infrastructure award third year running

International law firm Clifford Chance has been crowned European Infrastructure Law Firm of the Year for the third year in a row, in PEI Infrastructure Investor's 2012 Annual Awards for Excellence. These awards are voted for by readers of PEI Infrastructure Investor.

Brendan Moylan, partner and head of infrastructure M&A at Clifford Chance, says: "This award is testament to the fantastic quality and breadth of the infrastructure practice we have built across Europe. Our clients are at the heart of what we do, which is why we are delighted to have been recognised in this way by the infrastructure community."

Select infrastructure deals in 2012 across Europe include advising:

• International Power plc (IPR) on its reverse takeover by GDF Suez. Clifford Chance also advised IPR on the 2011 combination of IPR and GDF Suez.
• The lenders to the consortium of Infracapital and Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners on its £1.236 billion acquisition of Veolia Water UK's regulated businesses (now branded Affinity Water). Clifford Chance also advised a second consortium bidding for the asset.
• EQT Infrastructure on the purchase of 51% of E.ON Energy from Waste (EEW).
• The lenders to Macquarie on its €3.2 billion acquisition of Open Grid Europe from E.ON.
• A consortium of 3i Infrastructure, Infracapital and USS on its bid to acquire Edinburgh Airport from BAA.
• Santander Private Equity on the sale of its stake in Thames Water to the China Investment Corporation.

For more information on Clifford Chance's infrastructure practice, please see http://www.cliffordchance.com/sectors/private_equity/infrastructure_funds_transactions.html