Chris Skordas | Counsel | White & Case LLP

Counsel, Melbourne

Biography

Overview

Chris advises investors and their key commercial partners, including financiers, on the development and financing of large-scale energy and infrastructure projects.

He specializes in project finance and has extensive experience advising on transactions in Australia, the Middle East and Asia.

Chris is highly regarded for his pragmatic, solutions-focused advice, and for his ability to guide negotiations, documentation, and actions for complex energy, industrial, and infrastructure projects.

Bars and Courts

Victoria

Education

LLB (Hons)

Deakin University

BComm

Deakin University

Languages

English

Experience

Karratha Urea Project
Advised the financiers (comprising 12 commercial banks, Export Finance Australia and the Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility) on the financing of Perdaman’s $6 billion Karratha Urea Project in Western Australia. Winner of the PFR Asia-Pacific Industrial Deal of the Year 2023.*

200MW/400MWh Rangebank BESS
Advised Green Investment Group and Shell Energy on the financing of the 200MW/400MWh Rangebank BESS in Victoria. This represented Shell Energy’s first direct investment into a utility-scale battery storage project globally.*

250MW/500MWh Bungama BESS
Advised Amp Energy on the financing of the 250MW/500MWh Bungama BESS in South Australia, one of the first project financings of a fully merchant BESS in Australia.*

Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport
Advised the Plenary-led consortium on the financing for the Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport Stations, Systems, Trains, Operations and Maintenance project. The project represented at the time the largest rail PPP closed in Australia and the largest PPP closed in New South Wales. Winner of the Best Transport Project (2023 Partnership Awards) and the Financial Excellence Award (2023 National Infrastructure Awards).*

2.4GW Fujairah 3 gas-fired IPP
Advised Marubeni Corporation on the financing of the 2.4GW Fujairah 3 gas-fired IPP in the UAE. Winner of the Middle East Power Deal of the Year at the 2020 PFI Awards and one of the largest independent thermal plants in the UAE.*

Ichthys LNG Project
Advised the financiers (comprising 7 export credit agencies and 20+ commercial banks) on the $40 billion Ichthys LNG Project in Australia, one of the largest ever project financings transactions.*

Toowoomba Second Range Crossing PPP
Advised Nexus Infrastructure on the refinancing of the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing PPP in Queensland.*

*Experience prior to joining White & Case.