Charlotte Hawkins is an associate in the London office of Latham & Watkins and is a member of the Project Development & Finance Practice.

Ms. Hawkins’ practice focuses on the representation of sponsors, borrowers, and lenders (including export credit agencies, development finance institutions, and commercial banks) in connection with project finance transactions in the energy sector.

Prior to joining Latham in March 2018, Ms. Hawkins trained and practiced at a leading international law firm where she gained a range of experience in the firm’s London and Abu Dhabi offices.

Ms. Hawkins’ recent experience includes advising:

  • The lenders (including export credit agencies, commercial banks, and multilateral banks) in respect of a US$1.6 billion financing package for Sweden’s Northvolt, a European sustainable battery developer and manufacturer specialising in lithium-ion technology for electric vehicles. The debt raise will support the creation of Europe’s first home-grown gigafactory for lithium-ion batteries. This deal won "Europe Industrial Deal of the Year" by Project Finance International (2020)
  • GM Holdings in the US$980 million concurrent bank and bond project finance transaction for a portfolio of existing and new-build conventional and renewable electricity generation assets in Chile (2021)
  • The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the OPEC Fund for International Development, the African Development Bank, and Arab Bank on a US$114 million financing package, which also involved financing from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), for the construction of the ACWA Power Kom Ombo solar power plant, the largest private solar plant in Egypt's Aswan Province (2021). This transaction was named African Energy Transition Deal of the Year by IJGlobal Awards 2023
  • The sponsors in connection with the refinancing of their Islamic financing arrangements relating to five existing vessels (2022)
  • The sponsors, being Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd, and IINO Kaiun Kaisha, Ltd in connection with the refinancing of eight existing vessel acquisition facilities for the J5 companies (2020)
  • The sponsors, being Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd, and IINO Kaiun Kaisha, Ltd in connection with the refinancing of an existing vessel acquisition facility for PLNG4 (2019)
  • Export Credit Agencies (K-EXIM, UKEF and CESCE) and the commercial lenders in relation to the ECA-covered and uncovered conventional and Islamic financing tranches for the US$7 billion Duqm refinery project in Oman (2018)
  • Trafigura in connection with the US$375 million and €125 million SACE-covered facility for general corporate purposes (2022)
  • Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily) in connection with its Islamic financing arrangements (such arrangements supported by Exportkreditnämnden and Finnvera plc) (2021)
  • The borrowers in respect of refinancings of combined cycle gas turbine power plants in England
  • Lenders (including development finance institutions and commercial banks) on the development and financing of the Zarqa CCGT Power Project at the Hussein site in Jordan*
  • Lenders on the Sweihan solar PV IPP in Abu Dhabi*
  • A development finance institution on the financing of the construction and operation of a greenfield solar photovoltaic power plant under the second round of the Egypt Feed-In Tariff programme*

*Matter completed prior to joining Latham & Watkins

Bar Qualification

  • England and Wales (Solicitor)

Education

  • Legal Practice Course, Kaplan Law School, 2013
  • LL.B, University of Exeter, 2012

Languages Spoken

  • English