Senior Project Finance Associate

Job Description

The Role

The Work

Our work spans the whole of the MENA region and beyond.  The team advise on the full range of banking and project finance transactions including limited recourse project finance, Islamic finance, secured and unsecured bilateral and syndicated loans, leveraged and acquisition finance, rescheduling and restructuring, loan transfers, derivatives and other financial products.

The team offers specialist advice in the following legal areas:

• Bank Lending:  Advising on the full range of banking transactions including secured and unsecured bilateral and syndicated loans, leveraged and acquisition finance, rescheduling and restructuring, loan transfers, participations and acquisitions and disposals.
• Projects: Clients include arrangers, lenders, debt and equity financiers, borrowers, project sponsors, export-credit agencies and international financial organisations.
• Islamic finance – we devise and deliver financing solutions that are specific to the needs of our clients.

• The team devises and delivers financing solutions that are specific to the needs of our clients. As a leader in the growing Islamic finance field, in the past year Clifford Chance has closed more than US$25 billion worth of transactions – groundbreaking deals that have provided innovative Shari'a compliant structures for clients in markets across the Middle East and beyond.

Key Attractions

You will work on leading deals for top tier clients. The range, calibre and international scope of the deal flow is unique.

Recent deal highlights include advising:

You will work on leading deals for top tier clients. The range, calibre and international scope of the deal flow is unique.

Recent deal highlights include advising:

• The lenders to Saudi Aramco on a USD10 Billion Term Loan Financing;
• The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund  on a number of high-profile mandates both in Saudi Arabia and internationally including a USD10 Billion Term Loan Financing;
• Several Government ministries on privatisation mandates, implementing one of the key objectives of the Saudi “Vision 2030”;
• The merger of SABB and Al-Alawwal, two of the leading banks in Saudi Arabia;
• The acquisition of souq.com (the Middle East’s leading online retailer) by Amazon;
• Crédit Agricole on the disposal of a 16.2% stake in Banque Saudi Fransi to Kingdom Holding Company;
• the financiers on the US$10 billion revolving credit facility financing for Saudi Aramco. The financing combined a US$3 billion Islamic Murabaha facility, and a US$7 billion conventional facility, provided by over 30 banks; and
• General Electric on the Saudi aspects of its US$17bn acquisition of Alstom’s global power transmission business.

The sophisticated internal training programme offered is unmatched in the region and includes local monthly courses run by The Academy with the opportunity to attend training programmes across the Clifford Chance network of offices.

The team is proud of their reputation for being a very informal, supportive, and meritocratic group.

You will feel part of a well organised and structured team which forms a supportive environment in which you can learn and flourish.

Key Responsibilities

• You will be given the opportunity to handle a variety of work, including general banking and finance, Islamic finance and, project finance transactions.

Qualifications

Your Experience

Skills & Experience

• Proven track record of acting on a variety of finance transactions.
• All candidates should be fluent in English and will have previous experience working in a "Magic Circle" or top tier international law firm. Fluency in Arabic language would be valued but it is not a prerequisite.
• In all cases, candidates should have first class legal ability coupled with a practical commercial approach; excellent drafting, analytical and communication skills; and enjoy being part of a friendly outgoing team. You must also have exceptional results throughout your academic history. All candidates should be fluent in English. 
• Experience in, or exposure to, advising on Saudi Law aspects of international cross-border transactions would be advantageous.
• You should also have a genuine and demonstrable interest in, or affinity for, the Middle East.