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

Vanessa advises sponsors, developers, investors, and other participants in major energy and infrastructure projects across a broad range of industry sectors, with a particular focus on oil and gas, petrochemicals, and renewables. She has substantial experience advising on all aspects of the project development process, from initial project agreement preparation and negotiation through to construction arrangements and operations.

Vanessa's engineering background coupled with extensive market knowledge enables her to develop pragmatic and commercial solutions for her clients.

Vanessa's experience includes advising:

  • The lenders, including Euler Hermes and SACE, on the refinancing and expansion financing of an ammonia facility in Egypt
  • An energy company on the development and financing of a biofuels project in the Middle East
  • Saudi Aramco on the construction arrangements relating to its CCS project in Saudi Arabia
  • The lenders on the proposed project financing of a gas-fired CCGT power plant in the UK
  • Paracel S.A., an afforestation and pulp mill project in Paraguay, in a strategic equity investment agreement with Austrian pulp and paper company, Heinzel Holding GmbH, in which Heinzel will hold 25% of Paracel’s shares at project completion 
  • The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) and its Renewable and Sustainable Energy Fund, through its affiliate Acadia Renewable Energy, in the acquisition of a portfolio of eight solar projects in Maine from BNRG representing over US$130 million of capital investment, including the related construction and permanent debt financing with HSBC Bank USA, as Lead Arranger, to develop, construct, and operate the portfolio*
  • Uzbekistan GTL on the construction, development, and financing of a US$3.6 billion gas to liquids project in the Kashkadarya Region, close to Karshi, in the Republic of Uzbekistan. This project is financed by or under the cover of several export credit agencies, development banks, and commercial banks, including China Development Bank, KEXIM, KSure, EXIAR, and Gazprombank*
  • STAR Rafineri A.Ş. a subsidiary of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and its sponsors on the development and financing of a US$6 billion greenfield oil refinery in Turkey on the Aegean Sea. This is the largest project financing in Turkey and involves the largest and most diverse group of ECAs for any multi-source financing in Turkey to date. The STAR project sets new benchmarks for project financings in Turkey in terms of amount and tenor of facilities. The Project won 10 awards including Infrastructure Journal’s European Oil and Gas Deal of the Year 2014*
  • A joint venture between SOCAR Turkey Enerji A. Ş. and a subsidiary of BP plc on the proposed development and financing of a US$1.8 billion petrochemical industrial complex in Turkey on the Aegean Sea*
  • SOCAR Polymer on the approximately US$800 million development and financing of facilities for the production of polypropylene and high-density polyethylene in the Republic of Azerbaijan*
  • A multinational oil and gas company in respect of its proposed financing arrangements in connection with a potential equity investment in a greenfield LNG liquefaction project*
  • Eurochem on the construction and financing of an approximately US$1 billion ammonia complex to be located within the existing Phosphorit industrial complex at Kingisepp in the Russian Federation*
  • The Goldman Sachs Group on its approximately US$300 million equity investment in McDermott International, a multinational provider of EPCI solutions to the oil and gas industry*

*Matter handled prior to joining Latham

Bar Qualification

  • England and Wales (Solicitor)

Education

  • Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Queensland College of Law, 2015
  • Bachelor of Laws (Hons), Queensland University of Technology, 2014
  • Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering), University of Queensland, 2010
    (Hons)