Templars has established itself as a go-to firm for financing and oil & gas. It is very well versed in international deals, with a number of its lawyers having trained in global firms....
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Templars has established itself as a go-to firm for financing and oil & gas. It is very well versed in international deals, with a number of its lawyers having trained in global firms. It recently recruited senior M&A associate Sola Opeola from Shearman & Sterling New York.
Clients prefer the firm for "straight finance issues, project finance or straight bank finance" while one M&A client found the firm "a very efficient machine" and recommends Olumide Akpata. "Templars has a very on the ball finance department," says one client, adding: "I think the world of [partner Dayo] Okusami and when I have a finance question I turn to him, lots of international finance expertise, really gets it, an excellent general energy lawyer."
In banking, Chike Obianwu led a large team to advise the Africa Finance Corporation and Access Bank on $150 million and $585 million financings to Neconde Energy SPV for a 45% acquisition of Oil Mining Lease 42 (OML 42) from Shell, Total and Agip.
Olamide Oladosu and Okusami helped Clifford Chance advise Bank of China on a $300 million financing of Blacksands Pacific's abandoned 30% acquisition in OML 110, while in project finance the firm assisted Stanbic IBTC Bank on the $43 million refinancing for the Polo Park Shopping Mall.
In capital markets, Obianwu acted with Latham & Watkins for Afren as issuer of $450 million 11.5% senior notes due in 2016 and listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange while Inam Wilson advised Barclays Capital on a $200 million convertible guaranteed bond issuance due in 2015 on the SGX-ST.
The firm also advised Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) in its divestment of non-core assets worth $10 billion while Wilson was engaged by Harris Corporation on the $398 million acquisition of the global connectivity services unit of Schlumberger.
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