Leigh is an experienced international lawyer. Having spent many years as a leader and partner in leading international law firms, including as regional head of the Middle East offices, as well as in-house, his client portfolio comprises governments, companies and high-net- worth individuals on matters involving international development and project finance, production supply ventures, and commercial and compliance issues. In addition to counselling companies and governments in the development and financing of large-scale projects involving infrastructure, power, oil and gas, and petrochemicals, he acts for a wide range of businesses in building relationships with foreign governments and quasi-governmental entities, with a focus on the Middle East, Africa and China regions and the trade and business relationships between such regions. He also advises companies and professions on roll-outs (and, where appropriate, retractions) in the Middle East and Africa.

• Energy and Infrastructure
• Government relations, privatisations and regulatory compliance International project finance
• Mergers and acquisitions (M&As), JVs, partnerships and alliances
  
• General corporate and commercial
• Risk assessment and mitigation

Representative Experience

• Conducted detailed legal analysis of the risks, potential and obligations of assets of major E&P company entailing exploration, development and production licences and production-sharing agreements throughout Africa.
  
• Negotiated the profitable sale, farm-out, (in some cases) forfeiture, and retention of client's assets and interests throughout Africa (including Mauritania, Niger, Morocco, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Tanzania, Tunisia and Djibouti) on renegotiated terms with a variety of African, Asian and European entities. Accomplished the client’s objective of profitable and timely asset sale and restructuring such that the company is now effectively a holding company with remaining assets held on free carry with a view to sale in due course.
  
• Advised sponsors, developers, state utilities and international financial institutions on independent power projects totalling over 6GW in over 15 countries including throughout the Gulf on, inter alia, BO, BOT and PPP bases. Project fuels included solar, wind, biomass and other renewables together with gas, coal and hydro. Experience covered the full life cycle from planning, drafting and administering tendering process; parallel negotiations with shortlisted consortia (where acting for state); drafting/negotiating all bid, transactional and financial close documentation on behalf of state, sponsors or financiers (as the case may be) including concession, offtake, EPC, PCOA and state and sponsor support; together with ongoing contract administration to include variations and dispute resolution.
  
• Advised state entities and private-sector sponsors in relation to the development and financing of major infrastructure projects including rail, telecommunications, hotels, hospitals, schools, ports, electricity transmission/distribution networks and agricultural transactions (in particular, sugar refineries and water) together with privatisations in relation to the same.
  
• Advised pharmaceutical company on its manufacturing, supply and distribution programme throughout the Gulf, Africa and Asia.
  
• Acted for major regional airline in the purchase of over 60 aircraft funded by $9 billion asset finance programme and consisting of Islamic and conventional financing structures.
  
• Acted for governments, financial institutions and corporations in relation to certain capital market and listing programs, including acting for regional State Ministry in various of its sovereign bond issues and regional telecoms entity on its successful $1 billion IPO and listing.
  
• Advised various high-profile sporting institutions including acting for regional State in its successful bid for the FIFA 2022 Football World Cup and for regional Olympic Committee in its bid for the 2020 Olympic Games, together with advising the owners of major regional International Boat Show.
  
• Worked for high-end international media organisation with offices in over 70 countries (confidential client) on a wide range of commercial agreements and media, public policy (lobbying) and litigation issues worldwide.
  
• Counselled government and private-sector institutions on resolving cross-border disputes in international forums including ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC and LCIA.