João Villa
Biography
Overview
João is an associate in the Energy, Infrastructure, Project and Asset Finance Practice. He has extensive experience on various cross-border transactions in Brazil and Latin America, including project, bank and acquisition finance, restructuring and capital markets transactions. He has significant experience representing international investors, private equity companies, financial institutions, and Brazilian companies in cross-border equity investments, acquisitions and related financings, project financings, Rule 144A and Regulation S project bond offerings, large syndicated loans, the structuring and restructuring of export prepayment facilities and other financing transactions and debt restructurings, as well as debt capital market transactions.
João has advised and represented clients in deals spanning some of Brazil's most important sectors, including power, infrastructure and sugar and ethanol.
Experience
São Paulo Metro Line 6 Project Financing
Representation of the senior lenders, including multilateral lenders, development finance institutions and a syndicate of commercial banks, BNDES (Brazil's national development bank) in the project financing of the approximately US$3 billion São Paulo Metro Line 6 in Brazil. This is the first-ever limited recourse financing of an infrastructure PPP project in Brazil by BNDES and is currently the largest PPP project under construction in Latin America.
Natura &Co Revolving Facility
Representation of a syndicate of several different international banks in connection with a three-year, US$625 million revolving credit facility provided to Natura &Co Luxembourg Holdings.
Petrobras Revolving Facility
Representation of Petrobras in the execution of a revolving credit facility in the amount of US$ 5 billion with a syndicate of several different international banks.
Raízen Revolving Facility
Representation of a syndicate of banks comprised of SMBC, HSBC, CITI, Scotiabank, BNP Paribas and MUFG in connection with a new senior revolving credit facility provided to Raízen Fuels Finance (Luxembourg), which is guaranteed by Raízen Energia (Brazil) and Raízen (Brazil).
BP Bunge Bioenergia Export Prepayment Facility
Representation of BP Bunge Bioenergia in connection with a US$1.3 billion syndicated export prepayment facility arranged by Rabobank and SMBC.
Tereos Restructuring
Representation of Tereos Açúcar e Energia Brasil S.A. in the restructuring of its existing indebtedness with some banks and financing of new debt with a syndicate of seven different international banks with the purpose of exporting Brazilian raw and/or white sugar, Brazilian hydrous ethanol and/or anhydrous ethanol and/or other sugarcane-based products.
JBS Syndicate Financing
Representation of JBS S.A., JBS Investments Luxembourg S.à r.l., Seara Meats B.V. and Seara Alimentos Ltda. in the financing of US$450 million with a syndicate of five international banks.
Vale Senior Revolving Credit Facility
Representation of Vale International, Vale S.A. and Vale Canada, the leading global mining companies, as borrowers, in connection with a US$2 billion senior revolving credit facility.
