Paul Harrison is a highly regarded and increasingly prominent project financing expert who is active on several major LNG projects. Paul has been a real blessing for us, enthuses one client who adds that he’s very knowledgeable in project finance.
Biography
Paul Harrison is a partner in White & Case's Project Development and Finance practice based in Tokyo. He advises sponsors, lenders and corporate clients on complex, multibillion-dollar project and bank finance transactions, with particular experience in oil and gas, LNG, power, renewable energy and energy-transition projects. Paul regularly advises investors on cross-border investments in the energy sector. He helps clients develop financing arrangements tailored to their commercial objectives and guides them through each complex stage of a transaction with a focus on outcomes that deliver both immediate and long-term value. His experience also includes the development and financing of data center projects in Japan.
Paul is recognized as a Band 1 Leading Lawyer for Projects & Energy (Japan) by Chambers where clients describe him as "fantastic," and he draws praise from clients for his "industry knowledge and bargaining power." He is also recognized as a Leading Lawyer for Japan Projects and Energy by Legal 500 Asia Pacific.
Paul is a Registered Foreign Lawyer in Japan (Gaikokuho Jimu Bengoshi) (Jurisdiction of Primary Qualification: [England and Wales]) and a member of the Daini Tokyo Bar Association.
Experience
Amiral Project
Representation of Saudi Aramco on the development and US$8.5 billion project financing of an expansion to the existing SATORP refinery and chemicals complex located in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.
STACK Infrastructure Data Center Financing
Representation of Société Générale and Natixis CIB as lenders in connection with the JPY39.7 billion green financing for the design, engineering and construction of an 18MW data centre. This is the first phase of STACK Infrastructure’s TKY01 campus located in Inzai City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
CODELCO
Representation of Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) in connection with its loan to Corporacion Nacional Del Cobre De Chile (CODELCO).
Pioneiro de Libra FPSO
Representation of Goldman Sachs and EIG—acting as structuring agents, lead bookrunners and lenders—on a US$420 million refinancing of an external turret, extended well test floating production, storage and offloading unit (FPSO) stationed off the coast of Brazil.
Hai Long Offshore Wind Project
Representation of Mitsui & Co., Ltd. in its capacity as a sponsor on the financing and development of the Hai Long Offshore Wind Power Project in Taiwan, the largest limited-recourse offshore wind financing in Asia to date.
RAPID Project
Representation of Saudi Aramco on the development and financing of the US$15.3 billion Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (RAPID) joint venture with Petronas in Malaysia. The financing parties include six export credit agencies, JBIC, NEXI, KEXIM, K-Sure, CESCE and SACE, and 23 commercial banks. This deal received several recognitions including "Asia Pacific Petrochemical Deal of the Year 2019" by PFI Awards, "Asia Pacific Petrochemicals Deal of the Year 2019" by IJGlobal Awards, "Asia-Pacific ECA-backed Deal of the Year 2019" by TXF Awards and "Project Finance Deal of the Year 2020" by IFLR Asia-Pacific Awards.
Mozambique LNG
Representation of the financiers (including 7 ECAS), in connection with the landmark US$20 billion project financing of Mozambique’s first onshore LNG development, Mozambique LNG, the largest foreign direct investment in Africa. This deal was awarded "Global Multilateral Deal of the Year 2020" by PFI Awards 2020.
Qatargas 2, 3 and 4 LNG projects
Representation of the sponsors, as project finance counsel, to the Qatargas 2 (Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil), Qatargas 3 (Qatar Petroleum and ConocoPhillips) and Qatargas 4 (Qatar Petroleum and ConocoPhillips) in relation to the acquisition, and financing and construction of a fleet of LNG tankers in each project to carry the LNG from the Middle East to certain markets in both Europe and the USA. The Qatargas 2 project was awarded EMEA Gas Deal of the Year for Europe and the Middle East and Africa by Project Finance International and Middle East Gas Deal of the Year by Project Finance Magazine.
Afghanistan Gas-Fired Power Project
Representation of Ghazanfar Group, as sponsor, on the development and financing of a 58.6 MW gas-fired power plant in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, which is the first privately funded gas-to-power IPP in Afghanistan.
JBIC and commercial lenders – Canadian projects
Representation of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the commercial lenders in connection with the debt financing of a portfolio of two solar generation projects and three wind generation projects in Canada.
Yamaguchi Solar Power
Representation of Canadian Solar Inc. in connection with the senior and subordinate non-recourse term loan facilities to finance the construction and operation of a 55 MWp solar power plant in the Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan.
Nacala Corridor Project
Representation of Vale S.A. and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. on the development and US$2.73 billion financing of the landmark Nacala Corridor Railway and Port Project, an integrated and transformative infrastructure project supporting growth along a regional corridor shared by two countries, Mozambique and Malawi. This deal awarded "Logistics Deal of the Year" at 2017 PFI Awards and "2017 IJGlobal Africa Transport Deal of the Year".
Diamond LNG Vessels
Representation of JBIC in the financing of two LNG vessels for Diamond LNG Shipping 1 and Diamond LNG Shipping 2 – which are jointly owned by Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha. The LNG vessels will be used to transport LNG produced by the Cameron LNG project in the US.
MV24 FPSO
Representation of Citigroup Global Markets Inc., as global coordinator, and Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., as joint bookrunners, in a Rule 144A/Regulation S offering of US$1.1 billion senior secured notes by MV24 Capital B.V., a Dutch special-purpose entity owned by Mitsui & Co., Ltd, MODEC, Inc., Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. and Marubeni Corporation. This deal was awarded "Bond of the Year" by LatinFinance Project & Infrastructure Finance Awards in 2020.
Chambers-ranked since 2017
Band 1: Projects & Energy: International – Japan, Chambers Global and Chambers Asia-Pacific 2026
Legal 500-recognized since 2022
Leading partners: Gaiben: Projects and Energy: International firms and joint ventures – Japan, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2026
Co-author, "LNG in transition: Navigating an evolving market" (PRATT's Energy Law Report Volume 20-5, LexisNexis, May 2020)