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Thomas is an energy finance partner with particular expertise in upstream oil and gas financings.

Thomas is one of the most experienced lawyers in the English law upstream oil and gas financing market. Over nearly 20 years he has worked on a very large number of financings and refinancings in the sector, across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and North and South America. His experience also extends to complex project financings and restructurings in the energy sector. 
 
Thomas' experience includes advising on the lender-side of deals involving all the major oil and gas banks in the market. He also regularly acts for borrowers, giving him a balanced understanding of the expectations of all parties. His approach is commercial and pragmatic, with a focus on finding solutions to structuring issues and points of negotiation to allow deals to proceed to closing efficiently. 
 
Thomas has recently worked on a number of acquisitions in the upstream sector, for banks and private equity funds, and on a number of deals involving non-bank lenders.
 
Early in his career Thomas undertook a secondment to the commercial team of a leading oil and gas bank, giving him valuable commercial insight which he has carried forward and developed through his career. As a senior associate he was seconded to the firm's Middle East practice, working on a variety of project financings, Islamic financings and restructurings.

Background

Thomas holds an M.A. in law from the University of Cambridge and is listed as a ‘Leading Individual’  in Legal 500 UK, recommended for Trade Finance, Bank Lending and Acquisition Finance.

Experience & expertise

Selected matters

  • Trident Energy on financings for its acquisition and development of oil and gas assets in Brazil and Equatorial Guinea
  • the lenders on a reserve-based financing for BW Energy relating to its upstream assets in Gabon
  • the lenders on facilities for Neo Energy to finance the acquisition of various interests in North Sea oil and gas assets 
  • the lenders to Noreco on the financing of upstream oil and gas assets in Denmark
  • Black Sea Oil and Gas on the financing of the development of gas fields offshore Romania
  • the lenders on a c.$2.6 billion financing to the Neptune Energy group.