George J. Degenhardt specializes in banking and cross-border finance, as well under English law as under German law, with a focus on international project finance transactions.

In addition, Mr. Degenhardt advises banks and other creditor groups on restructuring or recovering problem loans and on new lending and acts for companies in financial difficulties.

Furthermore, Mr. Degenhardt advises insolvency administrators, in particular in respect of banks and other creditor groups asserting rights under finance documents.

He has also experience in relation to distressed debt investments.

Mr. Degenhardt's recent experience includes advice with regard to a $2.6 billion project financing of an aluminum smelter in Qatar comprising a $2.25 billion commercial bank term loan facility raised from a syndicate of 30 banks and Export Development Canada as well as an additional $350 million Export Credit Agency facility with GIEK of Norway.

Prior to joining the Düsseldorf office of White & Case in 2000, where he has been made a Local Partner in 2004, George was a lecturer for business French at the University of Duisburg (1991-1993), taught private law as a visiting lecturer at the Universities of Cologne, Bonn and Düsseldorf (1996-1999) and at the Academy for Administration and Economics at Düsseldorf (1999). He was a research fellow at the Law Centre for European and International Cooperation (department for international business contracts) at the University of Cologne (1996-1997) and at the Chair of Civil and Commercial Law of the University of Düsseldorf (1998-1999).

Mr. Degenhardt has worked in the Paris office of the French-German business law firm Cabinet Storp & Associés (for two months in 1993 and three months in 1995).

From February to September 2006, George was seconded to the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg and was responsible for complex international project financings including (PPP-infrastructure), including a EUR 1.2 billion monoline wrapped A model road project financing in Austria (Vienna Ring Road) and two A model road project financings in Germany.

From January to December 2007, Mr. Degenhardt worked in the London office of White & Case LLP.

Since January 2008, Mr. Degenhardt is based in the Düsseldorf and Frankfurt offices of White & Case LLP.

References

• Acting for Spanish Egyptian Gas Company ("SEGAS") in connection with the $1.02 billion refinancing, on a non-recourse project financing basis, of the Damietta LNG LNG project in Egypt, consisting of a term-loan facility and a guarantee facility provided by over twenty international banks, together with a syndicated working capital facility.
• Acting for Qatar Petroleum and Hydro Aluminium AS in connection with the $2.6 billion project financing of an aluminium smelter in Qatar, comprising a $2.25 billion commercial bank term loan facility raised from a syndicate of 30 banks and Export Development Canada and an additional $350 million Export Credit Agency facility with GIEK of Norway.
• Advice to European Investment Bank, Luxembourg, (as Con-sultant seconded by White & Case LLP)  with respect to a variety of transactions, in particular complex international project financings (PPP-infrastructure), including a EUR 1.2 billion monoline wrapped A model road project financing in Austria (Vienna Ring Road) and two A model road project financings in Germany.
• Advice to DEG – Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH in respect of the financing of the expansion of a chip manufacturer in Thailand, in particular with respect to the English law governed finance documents.
• Advice to DEG - Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH in respect of the English law issues in connection with a project financing in Turkey.
• Advice to a German  bank with regard to an English law governed letter of credit confirmation master agreement.
• Drafting for DEG – Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH its standard unfunded risk participation agreement (English law).
• Advising the buyer in an acquisition financing with respect to all English law finance issues.
• Advice to a German bank with regard to a distressed debt portfolio investment in the Philippines, comprising senior and mezzanine loans and a risk participation agreement (all English law governed).
• Advising Mark-E AG regarding the project financing of a 400MW GuD power plant in Herdecke, Germany. The project has been financed by a bank syndicate consisting of KfW, Helaba and LBBW.
• Advice to the insolvency administrators of the Schieder Group with regard to all issues in connection with the rights asserted by the lenders and agents under the partly English, partly German law governed Super Priority, Senior, Second Lien and Subordinated facilities granted to the Schieder Group and the security packages granted for these facilities.
• Advising a major German bank on the German law aspects of a Russian export financing.
• Advice to a steel manufacturer regarding the off balance sheet project financing of a coking plant.
• Advice to Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen Girozentrale regarding the negotiation, structuring and documentation of the project financing of a recycling plant.