Chemicals

About

Chemical companies, investors, financial institutions and other organizations in the chemicals sector need their advisers to have a deep understanding of the business and legal environment in which they operate. We have the expertise, experience and coverage to help clients with their challenges and opportunities in the sector, in both established and emerging markets.

White & Case advises on multijurisdictional M&A, joint venture and financing transactions, technology transfer and licensing arrangements, disputes, and regulatory inquiries. We have worked with industry leaders on developing and financing their innovative, major projects.

Our integrated global chemicals group includes lawyers across jurisdictions, practice areas and countries, with experience spanning the range of regulatory, financing, construction, intellectual property and operational issues that can possibly affect the chemical sector. Our capabilities on transactions and projects, our global resources, and our pragmatic and commercial approach to tackling the issues make our chemicals team ideally placed to help clients achieve their objectives and manage risks.

We are the only law firm ranked in Band 1 by Chambers Global 2019 in all three practices core to advising in the chemicals sector: Arbitration (International), Construction, and Projects & Energy. Moreover, our elite world class M&A team has the expertise to manage the cross-border, complex matters unique to the chemicals sector.

Full-service offering

  • Completion of strategic acquisitions and divestitures
  • Structuring joint ventures across the value chain
  • Intellectual property and technology-related agreements, including technology transfer, licensing, engineering and technical services, and protection of intellectual property
  • Analysis of the impact of regulatory developments around the globe on all aspects of the industry, including global antitrust reviews, energy regulatory and environmental compliance
  • Negotiation of the full range of agreements with contractors and third parties, including EPC and other construction agreements
  • Feedstock supply arrangements and product marketing and sales
  • Dispute resolution in every forum, including litigation and arbitration
  • Accessing global debt and equity markets
  • Development and implementation of tax-efficient structures
  • Acquisition and development of real estate assets, including greenfield and brownfield facilities
  • Handling anti-corruption and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) issues

 

Read more information on our work with Energy, Energy Transition and Power

View all lawyers in Chemicals

 

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Band 1 for Projects & Energy: Global-wide, Middle East-wide, Latin America-wide
Band 1 for Projects & Energy: Oil & Gas: Africa-wide
Chambers Global 2022

"The White & Case team is outstanding. Their key strengths are knowledge, tenacity and enthusiasm."
Chambers Global: Projects & Energy

Band 1: International Arbitration
Chambers Global 2022

"They stand out for having the greatest experience in international arbitration matters, and take a global approach to the client's problems."
Chambers Global: International Arbitration

"White & Case has extensive legal expertise worldwide and very outstanding lawyers with the relevant calibre and experience anyone may expect in an international law firm."
Chambers Global: Construction

Tier 1: Oil & Gas
"White & Case has been simply outstanding in oil and gas related work for us. They delivered first class advice. They dive into the very deep end and proffer very innovative/bespoke solutions to resolve knotty issues. They anticipate the issues well in advance, almost as if they are in your shoes."
The Legal 500 UK 2022

#1 legal adviser for global petrochemical projects
IJGlobal 2013 – 2022

#1 International Arbitration Practice globally
Global Arbitration Review 2021

Legal Services Provider of the Year 2020
Petroleum Economist Awards

#1 Law Firm for Energy
#1 Law Firm for Power
#1 Law Firm for M&A
Infralogic League Tables 2021

 

DEALS OF THE YEAR

MENA Petrochemicals Deal of the Year: Sadara Restructuring
IJGlobal Awards 2021

Latin America Petrochemicals Deal of the Year: Braskem Idesa Refinancing
IJGlobal Awards 2021, 2020

North America Petrochemicals Deal of the Year: Alberta Propane Dehydrogenation/Polypropylene Project
IJGlobal Awards 2020

Asia Pacific Petrochemicals Deal of the Year: RAPID
IJGlobal Awards 2019

Asia Pacific Petrochemicals Deal of the Year: RAPID
Project Finance International Awards 2019

African Petrochemical Deal of the Year: Eleme
Project Finance International Awards 2018

Latin America Downstream Oil & Gas Deal of the Year: Talara bond offering
IJGlobal Awards 2018

Petrochemical Deal of the Year / Middle East and Africa: Liwa
Project Finance International Awards 2016

MENA Petrochemical Deal of the Year: Liwa
IJGlobal Awards 2016

Experience

Creating one of the world's largest integrated chemical companies
Advised Saudi Aramco in its US$69.1 billion acquisition of a 70% stake in Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.

Kazakhstan Petrochemical
We represent the project company established by United Chemicals Company and Borealis Chemicals on the proposed development and financing of an US$8 billion petrochemicals facility in Kazakhstan.

Eleme Line 2
We represented International Finance Corp. and a syndicate of around 20 development financial institutions and commercial lenders on the financing of the US$1 billion expansion of a world-scale urea fertilizer production facility near Port Harcourt, Nigeria. This new financing will enable Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemical Nigeria Ltd. to double the capacity of the existing facility from 1.4 million tons per year to 2.8 million tons, moving production further into the international export market and making it the world's largest single train urea fertilizer plant. This deal was recently recognised as "African Petrochemical Deal of the Year" by Project Finance International 2018.

Baltic Gas Chemical Company on construction of Russia methanol plant
We represented Baltic Gas Chemical Company (BGCC) on a methanol plant project in Ust-Luga, an industrial port in Russia's Leningrad region. The project consists of the construction of a world-scale methanol plant from natural gas with a capacity of 1.7 million tonnes per annum, and a sea export terminal in Ust-Luga.

Financing for acquisition of largest chemical plant in Romania
We represented the lenders on the successful extension of the financing for Romanian chemical producer Chimcomplex SA, arranged by Frankfurt-based VTB Bank (Europe) SE together with Special Investments Group of Credit Suisse AG, for the acquisition of certain assets and of the business of state-owned Oltchim S.A. Chimcomplex is now one of the most important chemical manufacturers in Romania

Liwa Plastics Industries Complex
We represented six export credit agencies—Atradius DSB, Euler Hermes, K-Exim, K-Sure, SACE and UKEF—and a syndication of 19 international and regional banks in connection with the development and financing for the US$6.4 billion Liwa Plastics Industries Complex being developed by Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries (ORPIC). The Liwa Plastics Industries Complex is located at the Sohar Industrial Port Area, next to the Sohar refinery and petrochemicals plant in Oman. It will produce one million tonnes per year of plastics and increase ORPIC's polypropylene and polyethylene production to 1.4 million tpy. This deal was recently recognized as "Middle East & Africa Petrochemical Deal of the Year" by Project Finance International 2016 and "MENA Petrochemicals Deal of the Year" by IJGlobal 2016.

PetroRabigh Phase II Expansion
We represented the sponsor, Saudi Aramco, in the development, financing, and technology aspects for the US$8 billion expansion of an existing world-scale petroleum refining and petrochemicals complex in Rabigh, Saudi Arabia. Once the expansion project is complete, the US$18 billion combined (conventional, Islamic and export credit agency) facilities will form one of the largest refining and petrochemical complexes ever built. White & Case advised Saudi Aramco on all aspects of this landmark transaction: project development, due diligence, technology licensing, commercial launch, negotiation and drafting of finance documents, signing and financial close. This expansion project follows our 2006 representation of Saudi Aramco in the initial US$9.9 billion financing and joint venture with Sumitomo Chemicals for the Rabigh refinery and petrochemical complex, which was the first project financing undertaken by Saudi Aramco. This project was awarded "Middle East and Africa Petrochemical Deal of the Year" by Project Finance International 2015. The 2006 transaction was awarded "Middle East Project Finance Deal of the Year" by International Financial Law Review.

US$20 billion Sadara Chemical project
We advised Saudi Aramco on the development, financing (including the raising of US$12.5 billion from multiple financing sources) and technology aspects of the US$20 billion Sadara Chemical Project, a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and The Dow Chemical Company to build and operate a world-scale integrated chemical complex in Jubail Industrial City. This multi-sourced transaction is the largest-ever chemical project built in one phase, and is the largest project financing in the global chemicals sector to date. It was selected as "2013 Global Finance Deal of the Year: Project Finance (Middle East)" by The American Lawyer, as "2013 Project Finance Deal of the Year (Middle East)" by International Financial Law Review and as "2013 Middle East Petrochemical Deal of the Year" by Project Finance International.

Etileno XXI petrochemicals project in Mexico
We represented Braskem Idesa SAPI in the development, procurement, construction, project financing and technology aspects of its US$4.5 billion Etileno XXI integrated petrochemicals project in Veracruz, Mexico. Seven governmental agencies and 10 commercial banks participated in the financing, the largest private sector investment in a single project ever in Mexico, and the largest project financing ever in the petrochemical industry in the Americas. This deal was selected as "2012 Overall Latin American Deal of the Year" and "2012 Latin American Petrochemicals Deal of the Year" by Project Finance magazine, "2012 Americas Petrochemical Deal of the Year" by Project Finance International magazine, as "2012 Project Finance Deal of the Year" by Latin Lawyer magazine, and as one of the "2012 Deals of the Year" by Trade Finance magazine.

Clariant
We advised Clariant, a Swiss specialty chemical group, on the €2 billion acquisition of more than 95 percent of the shares in Munich-based Süd-Chemie AG from its majority stockholder One Equity Partners and numerous family shareholders in a bidding process. In addition to the negotiations of the purchase agreements, we advised on takeover, tax and antitrust law aspects of the transaction. Our offices in Germany, China, France, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Türkiye and the US were involved, and we also coordinated partner firms in a number of other countries, including Brazil, India, Indonesia and Malaysia. We also advised Clariant on its sale of Textile Chemicals, Paper Specialties and Emulsions businesses to US-based private investment firm SK Capital; and on the sale of its Leather Services business to Stahl, a Netherlands-based chemicals group.

Univar
We represented Univar, a portfolio company of private equity firms CVC Capital Partners and Clayton Dubilier & Rice and a leading global distributor of industrial and specialty chemicals in more than 100 countries, in its acquisition of Magnablend Holdings, Inc., a custom chemical blending, manufacturing and packaging company; and in its acquisition of Basic Chemical Solutions LLC, a leading global distributor and trader of commodity chemicals.

Wilmar Europe Holdings
We advised Wilmar Europe Holdings B.V., an edible oils manufacturer and subsidiary of Singapore-based leading agribusiness group Wilmar International Limited, on the acquisition by Wilmar Europe Holdings B.V., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Wilmar, of a 50 percent equity interest in Erca Poland sp. z.o.o (JVC Poland) and Erca Home & Personal Care S.r.l (JVC Italy) from Società Chimica Lombarda S.p.A.

E.I. DuPont de Nemours
We advised E.I. du Pont de Nemours on the EU and worldwide merger control filings in its successful US$6.3 billion public tender offer for Danisco A/S. The transaction combined DuPont’s activities focused on chemicals and biotechnology with Danisco’s expertise in food ingredients and industrial enzymes. We coordinated merger control clearances around the world with our offices in China, South Africa, Mexico and Japan, among others.

Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc.
We represented Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. in the global due diligence and merger control issues in connection with the acquisition of all of the capital stock of privately held Arizona Chemical Holdings Corporation for a cash purchase price of US$1.37 billion. The seller was AZC Holding Company LLC, which is principally owned by investment funds managed by American Securities LLC. Arizona Chemical is a leading global producer of high-value performance products and specialty chemicals derived from non-hydrocarbon, renewable raw materials, and its end-use market exposure is highly complementary with that of Kraton.

Latin American chemicals company
We represented a Latin American chemicals company in an ICC arbitration arising out of the sale of a business pursuant to a New York law-governed share purchase agreement concerning representations, warranties and indemnities.

Large chemical manufacturer
We represented a large chemicals manufacturer in various litigation matters arising out of the acquisition of the US and European businesses of an Indian industrial group, including acting as co-counsel in two arbitrations sited in Delhi.

Global chemicals manufacturer
We represented a leading global manufacturer of various chemicals in compliance with the REACH Regulation, as well as other chemicals regulations around the world. Our work on this matter requires experience in other legal practices such as trade, antitrust, IP and national contract laws and our advice includes assistance with the development of internal, strategies to ensure compliance with REACH, drafting of cooperation agreements and contractual arrangements with clients, suppliers or other SIEF participants, and assistance on various issues related to the participation in a SIEF (data-sharing and cost-sharing issues, competition law issues and protection of CBI).