Energy & Natural Resources: Asia-Pacific Region

THE FIRM Allens continues to be one of the region's leading players for energy and natural resources work, with an especially dominant practice in Australia and South-East Asia. Vietnam, for instance, is a hotspot for the firm when it comes to upstream oil and gas work, as demonstrated by its recent advice to Chevron on the development of its Vietnam block B project. The firm continues to impress with its work for Rio Tinto, with the Melbourne, Beijing and Shanghai offices recently working together to advise it on its joint venture exploration with Chinalco. In 2012 the strategic alliance with Linklaters strengthened the firm's ability to offer clients coverage right across Asia. The opening of a new office in the fast-developing Mongolia market is another notable highlight.

KEY INDIVIDUALS David Holme is based at associated Indonesian firm Widyawan & Partners, in Jakarta. His practice covers a range of transactional work in the energy, infrastructure and resources sectors.

THE FIRM Following the 2012 merger, this newly expanded firm combines cutting-edge energy experience with wide geographic coverage. The firm's main hubs for energy work are the China, Singapore, Japan and Australia offices, as well as its associated Indonesian office, from where it handles work across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Its client portfolio features some of the world's largest energy and oil and gas companies, such as Sinopec, CNOOC, BP and Chevron, for which it has worked on a diverse selection of matters. In one highlight it advised CNOOC on sale and purchase agreements to acquire Tullow's one-third interest in several exploration areas in Uganda. Also of special note is its activity in the LNG sector, where it has advised energy companies on significant new projects.

Sources say: "We enjoy working with them; they have a good knowledge of the energy sector."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Well-known energy partner Anna Howell currently divides her time between the London and Hong Kong offices, and is noted for her experience in the LNG, oil and gas, mining and power sectors. She recently advised Sinopec on its USD1.1 billion acquisition of additional shares in the Australia Pacific LNG project in Queensland.

Partner David Dawborn is seconded to the firm's Indonesian associated firm, Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung, where he leads the energy practice. He continues to earn excellent feedback from clients and contemporaries, who praise his long-standing expertise in the field. He has recently advised on a number of significant M&A transactions in the oil and gas sector.

Tokyo-based partner Rebecca Major advises on oil, gas, renewables and power. Her recent highlights include advising a Japanese trading company on its divestment of an interest in the Senoro-Toili gas field in Indonesia.

THE FIRM This well-known firm continues to excel in the oil and gas space, handling Asia-run work from its offices in China and Japan. It acts for a number of big-name Asian and international clients on energy work both in the region and elsewhere in the world. In one highly publicised matter, the firm advised Reliance on the sale of 30% of its assets in various contracts to BP for USD7.2 billion. The firm is also active on LNG-related work, recently advising Apache as project sponsor in the development of the Wheatstone LNG project in Western Australia.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Paul Deemer is based in Beijing. He has an excellent track record in the oil and gas field, where he has advised on major investments in Asia and the Middle East.

James Atkin is managing partner of the Tokyo office and is known amongst clients as a key LNG contact. He was part of the multi-office team that advised Apache on the development of the Kitimat LNG project in Canada.

THE FIRM Following the 2012 merger between Ashurst and Blake Dawson, this firm has an enlarged footprint in the region, combining a strong presence in the Australian market with coverage across China, Japan, Singapore and the rest of Asia. The firm is an active player in the LNG market, with the Japan and Australian offices demonstrating significant activity in this respect. For example, the firm advised new client Arrow Energy (a joint venture between PetroChina and Shell) on its LNG Project, involving coal seam gas fields in the Surat and Bowen Basin. Other LNG clients include Gladstone and Woodside. The firm also advises on a wide range of other oil and gas and mining work. In one highlight, the Singapore team advised Concord Energy on the sale of part of its equity stake in Fujairah Oil Terminal to Sinomart KTS Development.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Key contacts include Matthias Schemuth and Robert Ogilvy Watson in Hong Kong, and Martin Kudnig in Melbourne.

THE FIRM This international oil and gas specialist brings considerable sector expertise to bear in the Asia-Pacific region, where it is instructed by big names such as Sinopec and Senoko Energy. Work is run out of the Hong Kong and Beijing offices, from where it covers a range of deals both within the region and also for Asian companies undertaking projects in the rest of the world. In the past year this has included a significant amount of outbound investment into the USA, with highlights including advising Sinopec on its USD2.5 billion acquisition of 1.2 million acres of oil and gas properties across the USA from an affiliate of Devon Energy. The firm is also instructed by clients in the LNG projects space.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Jeffrey Blount is the partner in charge of the Hong Kong office. He handles a range of transactional work in the energy sector and draws upon many years spent working in the China market.

THE FIRM Baker & McKenzie benefits from a wide spread of offices across the Asia-Pacific region, many of which have notable energy capabilities. The practice handles work in the mining, oil and gas and energy sectors. The firm is active on deals in South-East Asian jurisdictions such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines, where it has been involved in numerous mining and oil and gas matters. In one highlight, the firm advised interested party SembCorp Utilities on a multiparty negotiated natural gas swap arrangement between gas suppliers, producers, offtakers and regulators in Indonesia. The firm's experience in handling gas work in the Japanese market is also especially impressive.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Respected partner Anne Hung is the head of the project and energy department in Tokyo, and is noted for her work in the LNG sector. Highlights include advising a Japanese trading company on its acquisition of an equity interest in an offshore gas project.

Paul Davis is a senior counsel in the firm. His main focus is on advising Japanese clients on overseas investments in the energy, power and mining sectors.

THE FIRM Baker Botts handles energy work across the Asia-Pacific region from its offices in Beijing and Hong Kong. It has a particular focus on the LNG sector and in the past year has acted as project counsel for a number of the new floating LNG terminals currently being developed in Asia. For example, it advised Höegh LNG on its development of the Perusahaan Gas Negara LNG floating storing facility, which will be only the second floating LNG receiving terminal in South-East Asia. The firm also handles other energy and natural resources work; in a recent petrochemical deal it advised Qatar Petroleum on its joint venture with Vietnam National Chemical Corp, Petrovietnam, SCG Chemicals and Thai Plastics and Chemicals, to develop a petrochemicals complex in Long Son Island, Vietnam.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Russell Wilkinson in Hong Kong has a strong focus on transactions in South-East Asia having handled a range of deals across Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. He recently led on the aforementioned work for Höegh LNG. 

THE FIRM This firm's highly respected transactional practice handles financing and corporate work for energy clients across the region. The team is spread across Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo and Singapore, and the firm is especially noted for its activity across South-East Asia. In one highlight the Tokyo team acted for Itochu as part of an investor group on its USD7.2 billion acquisition of US exploration and production company Samson. In the mining sector the Singapore office advised the lenders on the financing of a USD600 million revolving credit facility to Newmont Nusa Tenggara, a copper and gold mine in Indonesia. 

KEY INDIVIDUALS James Murray is a key contact for projects and energy work in Singapore.

THE FIRM This firm demonstrates a good breadth of coverage, with respected teams in China, Japan, Singapore and Australia. The practice handles a range of energy work, with a particular focus on the mining, natural gas, metal and power sectors. Highlights include advising Sinopec Kantons on the acquisition of a controlling stake in the Fujiairah Oil Terminal in UAE, and advising China Daye Non-Ferrous Metals Mining on its acquisition of Prosper Well Group, which is a holding company for four copper mines in China. The firm is also singled out for its experience in handling deals in emerging markets such as Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Perth-based partner Alex Cull leads the firm's oil and gas team in Australia. He has a focus on oil and gas exploration, particularly in the areas of coal seam gas and shale gas.

Experienced practitioner Ashley Wright in Singapore is singled out for praise. He continues to handle a range of energy and mining work, including advising Petronas on its acquisition of a participating interest in a coal bed methane project in Indonesia.

THE FIRM This practice is broad in terms of both geographic and sector coverage, and acts for a range of lenders, corporates, investors, sponsors and contractors. The firm maintains strength in the areas of oil and gas and LNG in particular, while the arrival of partner John Tivey from Freehills has brought additional mining expertise to the group. In a notable deal, the firm advised major client Saudi Aramco on its proposed formation of a joint venture company with PetroChina and Yunnan Yuntianhua. The Tokyo office is the driving force behind much of the firm's LNG work in the region; in the past year it has advised several leading Japanese LNG buyers on the negotiation and completion of long-term portfolio LNG sale and purchase agreements.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Hendrik Gordenker is best known for his considerable experience in the LNG sector. He advised on the aforementioned work for Japanese LNG buyers.

THE FIRM This firm combines strong project financing expertise with solid capabilities in the area of energy and natural resources. The firm's strong network of offices across Asia-Pacific is a selling point for clients, with particularly active teams located in Greater China, Singapore and Australia. Recent work includes advising clients in the oil and gas and mining sectors. From Singapore, the team advised the Gas Authority of India on a series of matters, including its purchase of LNG from Cheniere's Sabine Pass liquefaction facility in the Gulf of Mexico. In another highlight the Beijing team acted for a consortium of investors on their USD151 million investment in ChongHou Energy, the holding company of Qipanjing Mining, which owns and operates coal mines in Mongolia.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Jon Carson in Perth is a highly regarded partner in the energy and resources arena. He advised electricity producer Verve Energy on contractual arrangements for its expanded gas storage capacity at APA Group's Mondarra gas storage facility.

THE FIRM Since opening an office in Singapore in 2010, this firm has quickly built up a regional client base in the oil and gas sector. Recent instructions have come from a range of well-known names, including Reliance India, Pacific LNG, BP Berau and Petronet LNG. The firm has a worldwide reputation for handling LNG work, and notably advised Pacific LNG on its ground-breaking LNG production facility project in Papua New Guinea. Another notable highlight was its work for Reliance India on agreements relating to a major Indian gas storage facility.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Philip Weems in Singapore is the head of the firm's global projects department.

THE FIRM This firm has increased its regional coverage following the 2012 merger, offering strong energy capabilities in the Chinese and Australian markets. Its transactional credentials were amply demonstrated when the firm acted as lead Australian counsel for mining company Glencore and commodities trader Xstrata, on their proposed merger. In another highlight, the Hong Kong team advised a state-owned developer on downstream construction arrangements and regulatory matters relating to the construction of a gas pipeline in Asia.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Contacts include Louis Chiam in Melbourne and Brad Galvin in Hong Kong.

THE FIRM This US-headquartered firm has offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo and Singapore. It is especially well known for its work in the areas of mining and clean technology, where it handles a range of capital markets, corporate M&A and regulatory work. Highlights include advising China Resources Power on its USD669 million acquisition of a 56% stake in Daning coal mine in Shanxi Province, China from Banpu Public Company.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Contacts include Michael Graffagna in Tokyo and Paul McKenzie in Beijing.