Mining & Metals overview

The mining & metals sector is fundamental to global strategic interests. Trade realignments, critical minerals security policies and global competition are reshaping how businesses operate and exposing them to heightened scrutiny. We help clients across the mining & metals value chain manage risk and pursue growth in this ever-changing landscape. Drawing on decades of sector experience, we deliver clear, commercial advice on high-stakes transactions, disputes and regulatory matters. Our advice helps clients translate complexity into practical action on matters that determine essential business outcomes.

Our offering

Legal support across the value chain

We advise clients on the full life cycle of mining & metals projects in all jurisdictions, asset classes and commodity types. At each stage, whether working on corporate, M&A, finance, trade, disputes/arbitration, sanctions, government negotiations, responsible business or compliance matters, our lawyers are guided by the commercial realities of the asset, jurisdiction, the regulatory environment and the client's broader strategic objectives. We support clients on:

Exploration and development: Mineral rights, permitting, land access, joint ventures, funding, earn-ins and community arrangements
Financing and investment: Project finance, strategic investments, capital markets, streaming, royalty arrangements and other funding structures
Extraction and operations: Mine development, construction, procurement, operational contracts, infrastructure, regulatory compliance and disputes
Responsible mining and sustainability: Environmental permitting, community and indigenous engagement, human rights, responsible sourcing, tailings management, mine closure and rehabilitation
Processing and industrial facilities: Beneficiation, smelting, refining, downstream integration, technology licensing, regulatory approvals and infrastructure access
Offtake, marketing and trading: Offtake and long-term supply contracts, marketing arrangements, logistics, warehousing, commodities trading, sanctions, customs, export controls and trade remedies
Recycling and circular supply chains: Battery recycling, secondary materials, product stewardship and circular economy requirements

This end-to-end perspective helps us provide contextual advice at each stage of the value chain.

Coordinated global advice

With offices across all continents and key geographies where mining prevails, our multidisciplinary teams work as one, drawing on deep industry experience and technical capabilities in emerging and established markets. This integrated view helps clients manage risks that arise at the intersection of project development, supply security, market access, government intervention and regulatory change.

Complex and consequential matters

Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto secured a US$1.175 billion multi-agency project financing for a lithium brine development project in Argentina's Salta province. We advised Rio Tinto on the financing.

Serra Verde Group

For the Serra Verde Group, we advised on the closing of a US$565 million financing provided by the US International Development Finance Corporation. Serra Verde is a large-scale producer of rare earth elements and the only producer, outside of Asia, of all four critical magnetic rare earth elements.

Vulcan Energy Resources

Vulcan Energy Resources, a leading developer of sustainable lithium and renewable energy projects in Europe, completed a fully integrated project and capital solution for Phase One of the Lionheart lithium and renewable energy project in Germany's Upper Rhine Valley. Our team advised Vulcan on the transaction, which combined an approximately €800 million equity investment with a €1.4 billion multi-source project financing package. Awarded Project Finance Deal of the Year by IFLR Europe Awards 2026, PFI's European Transition Deal of the Year, Proximo's European Emerging Energy Deal of the Year and Fastmarkets VOLTAS Deal of the Year Award 2026.

Vale

Vale is defending a contribution claim brought by its joint venture partner BHP relating to compensation payable after the collapse of a dam in Brazil. We represent Vale in the matter, which is the largest-ever claim against a mining company to-date.

Konkola Copper Mines

Konkola Copper Mines PLC (KCM), considered one of the largest mining operations in Zambia, and its minority shareholder ZCCM Investment Holdings PLC (ZCCM-IH) (i.e., the mining investment company of the Zambian government), in the negotiations for the withdrawal of KCM from provisional liquidation and ultimately the return of the majority shareholder, Vedanta Resources Holdings Limited (VRHL), as controlling shareholder. The transaction includes: the provision of long-term development funding for the operations of the mine (US$1 billion) by KCM; the settlement of extensive litigation between the shareholders and KCM; and a debt restructure of historical creditor debt of KCM.

Alba

Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), the world's largest aluminum smelter on one site, entered into an exclusive agreement to acquire 100 percent of Aluminium Dunkerque, Europe’s largest primary aluminum smelter, from American Industrial Partners. We advised Alba on the transaction.

Ivanhoe Electric

Ivanhoe Electric formed a joint venture with Saudi miner Ma'aden that included exploration rights over 48,500 square kilometers of highly prospective land on a royalty-free license. We advised Ivanhoe Electric on the transaction, which also included Ma'aden’s US$126.4 million strategic investment for a 9.9 percent equity stake and a five-year standstill limiting any increase above 19.9 percent without board approval. Ivanhoe Electric sought the deal as an opportunity to deploy its groundbreaking exploration technology, Typhoon.

Newmont Mining Corp.

Newmont Mining Corp. relied on us for advice on two major acquisitions: its US$10 billion acquisition of Goldcorp and its US$16.8 billion acquisition of Newcrest.

Islamic Republic of Pakistan

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan resolved a US$11 billion ICSID arbitration with Barrick Gold concerning the unlawful denial of a mining license for the Reko Diq copper-gold project in Balochistan. We represented Pakistan in the arbitration, which ended with a negotiated reconstitution of the project, avoiding a large settlement and enabling a new JV structure to develop the project in the future.

Vale Ventures

Vale Ventures, Vale's corporate venture capital initiative, invested in Mantel Capture, Inc., a Boston-based carbon capture startup. We advised Vale Ventures on its Series A investment in the company, whose technology has the potential to support decarbonization in heavy industry, including the mining and steel sectors.