Mining & Metals

Today, global mining and metals companies, mining financiers and industry suppliers increasingly need to engage in cross border projects, acquisitions, financings and procurement transactions to secure a competitive advantage. High caliber cross jurisdictional legal advice is essential to organizations that want to make the most of these opportunities and meet the challenges arising in the global mining marketplace.

How We Can Help
We have been providing specialized legal services to international mining and metals companies operating in five continents through several industry cycles over the past 50 years. We advise on:

• New projects/joint ventures
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Project finance
• Product sales and marketing
• Capital raising
• Due diligence
• Environment, regulation and climate change
• Tax
• Dispute resolution

Our Industry Knowledge
We understand the needs of exploration teams and participants in large scale resources development projects, financings, acquisitions and disposals. Our goal is to provide all-round, in-depth commercial solutions and cross border industry experience from start to finish. Our comprehensive local knowledge, global reach and world class in-depth industry experience ensure that wherever our clients do business, we have the right people, with the right skills, in the right place, for any natural resources transaction. Our industry knowledge includes:

• Minerals exploration and development, including thermal and coking coal, iron ore, bauxite, alumina, aluminum, nickel, uranium, gold, copper, zinc, manganese and mineral sands
• Raw materials and fuel procurement for metals manufacturers and power generators
• Processing, refining and smelting projects
• Resources infrastructure projects, including road, rail and ports

Recent Projects
Some examples of recent projects in which we have been involved include:

• EME Awards 2007 "Mining Deal of the Year", Project Finance International (PFI)
  Acting for KORES on the acquisition of a 27.5% interest in the Ambatovy nickel project in Madagascar. The US$3.6 billion project involved the construction and development of the Ambatovy nickel project, one of the largest nickel mines ever developed. In addition to the mine itself the project involves improvement of port facilities and creation of a power plant, slurry pipeline and processing facilities.
• Acting for a leading Brazilian based mining company in relation to its acquisition of AMCI Holdings Pty Ltd, a holder of a portfolio of Australian coal exploration and production assets.
• Acting for a State owned Korean resources company in relation to a US$3 billion investment and offtake arrangement in Madagascar.
• Acting for a leading global steel producer in relation to the acquisition through a privatization tender of a 93.02 percent US$4.8 billion stake in “Kryvorizhstal,” the largest vertically integrated steel mill in Ukraine and one of the few remaining in Europe. This was the largest ever privatization project in Ukraine.
• Acting for a leading Japanese trading company in relation to its due diligence review and negotiations regarding the acquisition of an interest in a company, holding coal mining assets in China.
• Acting for a leading Japanese trading company in relation to project financing and acquisitions of various coal and copper mines in Australia, Chile, China and Indonesia.
• Acting for a number of foreign investors in relation to acquiring interests in various exploration coal, precious mineral and industrial metals concessions in Indonesia.
• Acting for several projects in Saudi Arabia, including for a Saudi Arabian state owned company on its investment in and offtake arrangements from a large new iron ore mine in Mauritania; for the owner on a phosphates mine and relevant process plants project; for the owner on a bauxite mine, aluminium refinery and smelter project, and for the owner on a magnesite mine and related process plants project in Saudi Arabia.
• Acting for the world's largest producer of aluminum and alumina in relation to the US$ 1.5 billion development of a bauxite mine and associated rail and port infrastructure in Vietnam.
• Acting for the Ukraine's largest iron ore exporter in relation to its initial public offering of shares valued at US$1.67 billion on the London Stock Exchange. This landmark transaction is the first of its kind in Ukraine. The company involved is only the second CIS company to achieve a full listing on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.