Terblanche, Villiers

Villiers Terblanche

Partner

villiers.terblanche@lw.com
    Terblanche, Villiers

    Villiers Terblanche

    Partner

    villiers.terblanche@lw.com
    "Regularly sought out for advice on renewables, infrastructure and conventional energy projects across the region."

    Chambers Global 2024

    "Regularly called upon by sponsors and investors for complex, multi-faceted financings and other market-leading ventures."

    The Legal 500 EMEA 2024

    Leading Individual – Infrastructure & Projects

    The Legal 500 EMEA 2024

    "He is a statesman and a quality player. A very high-class lawyer, in terms of quality he is hard to beat."

    Chambers Global 2023

    "For any project in the Middle East, the first attorney we call is Villiers Terblanche."

    The Legal 500 EMEA 2022

    "He has tremendous transactional experience. He is very knowledgeable in the region and can translate that to really practical, valuable advice."

    Chambers Global 2022

    "He and his team were outstanding and I'd recommend them to anybody."

    Chambers Global 2020

    Profile

    Villiers Terblanche specializes in complex infrastructure transactions, and for more than 25 years has been involved in the structuring, negotiation, and financing of a wide variety of high-profile energy, infrastructure, transportation and digital projects, joint ventures, acquisitions, and strategic investments in more than 60 countries in the Middle East, the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

    He routinely represents project developers, lenders, investors, and host governments on multi-sourced financings. He has advised on dozens of privatizations, has led regulatory reform projects in anticipation of privatization or public-private partnerships, and has deep experience of special economic zone projects.

    Villiers was based in New York before relocating to the Middle East.

    Experience

    Villiers' representative experience includes advising:

    • On multiple independent power projects, including renewables, gas, clean coal, nuclear, and hydro
    • On the concessions and financing of airports, seaports, toll roads, long distance rail, and metrorail projects, with associated logistics and transport oriented development
    • On the development and financing of standalone reverse osmosis projects for potable and industrial water, as well as several wastewater projects
    • On the development and financing of district cooling projects and the development of the district cooling regulatory framework in three countries
    • The sponsors of one of the world’s largest greenfield integrated petrochemical projects and associated utilities and logistics
    • A US publicly traded industrial company on its US$10 billion investment into and financing of a Middle East industrial complex
    • A sovereign wealth fund on its investment of more than US$9 billion to become the largest shareholder in one of the world’s leading banks
    • A sovereign wealth enterprise on a US$15 billion industrial mergers of predominantly project financed assets
    • The sponsors of fixed-line, wireless, undersea cable, telecom towers, terrestrial fiber network projects, and the privatization of several state-owned telecommunications companies  
    • A public-private-partnership (PPP) unit of a Middle East sovereign in connection with rail, road, affordable housing, district cooling, urban regeneration, tourism, healthcare, agribusiness, and civil aviation projects
    • The sponsors of special economic zones focusing on digital and technology matters, biotech, healthcare, education, autonomous mobility, financial services, logistics, tourism, heritage, and cultural matters
    • The sponsors of several high profile hospital, university and other education projects as well as the sponsors of digital platforms supporting distance education, and telemedicine
    • On multiple arbitrations and other disputes related to large scale infrastructure projects, including before the ICC, ICSID, and LCIA
    • Regulatory reform projects resulting in new regulatory frameworks and legislation for most infrastructure, utility, communications, and financial service sectors

    Qualifications

    Bar Qualification

    • New York

    Education

    • LLD, University of Pretoria, South Africa
    • LL.M., University of Virginia
    • LL.B., University of Pretoria, South Africa

    Practices

    Industries

    News & Insights