White & Case LLP - Lawyers - Christopher Utting

Practice Experience

Chris Utting is a partner in the energy, infrastructure, project and asset finance group. He has advised sponsors, governments and lenders on a wide range of complex international financings in industries such as telecommunications, energy and infrastructure.

Examples of representations in Telecommunications:

PMCL – Advised the borrower on an approximately EUR200 million ECA backed financing for equipment purchases;
Telecom Operator -- Advised an operator on a proposed fully Islamic 2 to 3 billion dollar medium term refinancing of its GSM and 3G network operations;
Tunisiana – Advised the borrower on the senior debt financing for the payment of the second instalment of the licence fee payment and the roll out of its GSM network in Tunisia; and
Orascom – Advised Orascom Telecom on (i) the US$365 million financing for the acquisition of the first private Algerian telecom licence; (ii) the approximately EUR 400 million senior debt financing for the roll out of its GSM network in Algeria; and (iii) the equity investment agreements (including convertible note purchase agreements and other arrangements) in connection with Orascom Telecom Algeria (as well as subsequent restructurings and refinancings).

Financing Experience in, among other sectors, Energy and Infrastructure

ABC Bank and Banque Belgolaise – Advised the lenders on an upstream borrowing base oil and gas facility in connection with a Tunisian oilfield;
AES – Advised the borrower on the USD$436 million financing of the Barka power and water desalination plant in Oman;
AES – Advised the borrower on the USD$570 million financing of the Ras Laffan power and water desalination plant in Qatar;
InterGen – Advised the borrower on the approx. USD$1.5 billion in financing for the Adapazari, Gebze and Izmir power projects in Turkey, including negotiating with US Exim and OPIC;
Edison Mission Energy – Advised the borrower on the €950 million refinancing of ISAB Energy power plant in Italy;
UBS – Advised the lender on a USD 90 million multi-currency acquisition finance facility for the Duferco group of companies;
EBRD – Advised the lender on grain receivables financings in Kazakhstan with Bank TuranAlem and KazKommertsbank;
Lusoponte – Advised the borrower on the refinancing of the 25th of April and Vasco da Gama bridges in Portugal;
The European Investment Fund – Advised the lender on a €550 million securitisation of European rolling stock; and
Macquarie - Advised the borrower on a £302 million acquisition financing for Bristol International Airport.

Bars and Courts
New York State Bar, 1997
England and Wales, 1999

Education
LLB/BCL, McGill University Faculty of Law, Montreal, 1996
BA, University of Toronto, 1992

Languages
English
French
German

Citizenship
Canada