Brigette Baillie

Partner

Johannesburg Africa Group

Brigette is a partner in the project development and finance sector.

Based in Johannesburg, Brigette focuses on project development and financing aspects of projects across Africa, having worked in jurisdictions such as Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Lesotho.

Brigette also works with clients on transactions across the infrastructure, energy and mining sectors.

Brigette is a highly regarded lawyer; according to Chambers Global she is “one of the most well-known names in the projects and energy field” and is regarded as the “doyenne of project finance” in Africa. She has consistently been ranked as a Star Individual for Projects and Energy in South Africa since 2009.

Accolades

Ranked as one of the leading female transactional lawyers in South Africa
IFLR 1000: Leading Women
Ranked as a Star Individual for Projects & Energy - South Africa
Chambers Global 2009-2020
Ranked as a Leading Lawyer for Project Finance – Africa-wide
Chambers Global 2020
Ranked as a Leading Lawyer for Projects & Energy – Africa-wide
Chambers Global 2009 - 2020
Ranked as leading lawyer for Banking and Finance, Corporate Law, Project Finance and Development Practice, and Regulatory Practice
Best Lawyers – South Africa 2020
Ranked as leading lawyer for Projects and Infrastructure

Legal 500 – South Africa 2017 - 2020

Background

Brigette holds BA and LLB degrees from the University of Cape Town, an LLM (Corporate and Commercial Law) from Kings College, London University and an LLM (Tax) from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Experience & expertise

Selected matters

Bombela (the preferred bidder and now concessionaire) on all legal aspects of the bid preparation for the Gautrain Rapid Light Rail PPP (the first light rail PPP in Southern Africa); then on the negotiations as preferred bidder, including all finance and project documents, as well as drafting and reviewing those documents
Absa Bank Limited, Nedbank Limited, FirstRand Bank Limited, and The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited (the lenders), as well as any suitable development financing institution that may become a lender in due course, on the expansion, upgrading and improvement of the Beitbridge border post in Zimbabwe
The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited (Standard Bank) on the limited recourse financing of a glass bottles manufacturing plant development project (on a brownfield basis)
Government of Malawi in relation to the development and financing through a PPP model of the proposed 450MW Mpatamanga Hydropower Project (ongoing)
FirstRand Bank Limited (acting through its Rand Merchant Bank division) in respect on the limited recourse financing of the planning, design, financing, construction and operations of a new liquid bulk handling and storage facility at the Port of Ngqura under a Concession Agreement as well as reviewing the project documents
Kore Potash on the development of a significant potash project in the Republic of Congo, including joint venture arrangements with the Government shareholder, intra-group structuring, EPC-related matters and marketing arrangements