Suzanne Perry

Partner, Washington, DC

Biography

“Suzanne Perry has twenty years of experience in cross-border transactions, with a focus on emerging markets energy and infrastructure finance. She is known for her practicality, creativity and skill in handling transactions across the capital spectrum.”

Overview

Suzanne Perry is a partner in the Energy, Infrastructure, Project and Asset Finance Practice based in the Washington office. She has more than twenty years of experience spanning cross-border project finance, corporate finance and securities transactions, with a particular focus on energy and infrastructure finance.  She regularly represents export credit agencies, bilateral and multilateral development finance institutions in major transactions.

Suzanne joined White & Case from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, now known as the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), where she was responsible for legal services in connection with a portfolio of loans in excess of US$2 billion. 

Earlier in her career, she advised on investments across Latin America, as Chief Counsel for Darby Overseas Investment Limited, a private funds manager that was part of the Franklin Templeton group.  Prior to joining Darby, she handled prominent transactions at leading international law firms and completed a clerkship at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

Bars and Courts
New York State Bar
District of Columbia Bar
Education
Juris Doctor
Yale Law School
Bachelor of Arts
Cornell University
Master of Laws
European University Institute
Latin American Private Equity Executive Program, Wharton/LAVCA Executive Education
Languages
English
Spanish
Italian
French

Experience

Mozambique LNG (2020 -Present)
Represent the financiers (with particular attention to documentation from the Export Import Bank of the United States on its $4.7 billion direct lending facility) on the US$20 billion project financing Mozambique LNG. The project is the largest-ever foreign direct investment into Africa and was awarded "Global Multilateral Deal of the Year" by PFI 2020.

Paraguay Pulp Mill (2020 -Present)
Represent the financiers on the proposed US$3 billion multi-sourced financing (including ECA-supported project bonds and development finance loans) of an integrated greenfield pulp mill and renewable eucalyptus plantation in Paraguay.

PSN VI Satellite Project (2020-2021)
Represented Export Development Canada on restructuring negotiations in connection with its US$230 million limited recourse financing for the PSN VI Satellite Project in Indonesia.

Aspen Finance (2021)
Advised the International Finance Corporation (IFC), French Development Agency subsidiary Proparco, DEG, the German Development Finance Institution, and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) on an aggregate of €600 million in loans to be advanced to Aspen Finance Proprietary Limited, a member of the global pharmaceutical group, Aspen Pharmacare for the refinancing of the development of the sterile injectables at Gqeberha (formerly known as Port Elizabeth) in South Africa and the acquisition of Aspen Pharmacare's anesthetics emerging markets portfolio.

China Fisheries Group (2021)
Advise the Ad Hoc Committee of creditors to the China Fisheries Group, a leading fisheries company in Peru, in connection with debt facilities supporting a plan for emergence from Chapter 11 proceedings.

Union Bank of Nigeria (2019-Present)
Represent DFC in connection with a loan of up to US$200 million for Union Bank of Nigeria PLC, part of the Atlas Mara Limited financial group (LSE:ATMA), with loan proceeds used to improve digital banking services and expand medium term lending to small and medium enterprises.

Chola Investment and Finance (2020)
Represented DFC and Citibank in connection with a US$200 million receivables-backed loan for Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Limited to expand its services in underbanked regions across India.

IDB Invest – Blended Finance (2021)
Represented IDB Invest in connection with a $10 million blended finance loan for the SEAF Caribbean SME Growth Fund to implement climate resilience/adaptation, climate mitigation, and post-disaster recovery projects.

Disi Water (2019-Present)
Represent DFC, Proparco and EIB in connection with the US$1 billion Disi Water Project in the Kingdom of Jordan.

Interagua (2020)
Represented IDB Invest in connection with a $70 million loan to Interagua to improve public water and sanitation services in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Gilcrease Expressway West Project (2019)
Represented US DOT on the US$120 million secured loan for the development and construction of the Gilcrease Expressway West Project in Oklahoma.

Platanares Geothermal (2018-2019)
Represented DFC in connection with a $135 million loan to Geotérmica Platanares S.A. de C.V.. This project is the first utility scale geothermal power plant in Honduras and was developed by Ormat Technologies Inc.

Kipeto Wind (2016-2019)
Represented DFC in connection with a $232 million loan supporting Kipeto Energy Limited's 100 MW wind farm in Kenya. This project was developed by GE, the IFC, African Infrastructure Investment Managers and Craftskills Wind Energy and is majority owned by Actis energy funds.

Açu Port (2017 to 2019)
Represented DFC in connection with a $350 million loan to Açu Petróleo S.A. At the time of closing, this was the agency's second-largest commitment in Latin America and supports the construction and operation of the first private oil transshipment terminal in Brazil.

El Salvador Solar (2019)
Represented DFC in connection with a US$50 million portfolio financing for multiple solar (PV) projects across El Salvador.*

Banco Regional of Paraguay (2018-2019)
Represented DFC in connection with a $138 million loan facility for Banco Regional S.A.E.C.A. The facility supports the expansion of medium-term loans for small and medium enterprises and women-led firms in Paraguay.

DFC Investment Fund Transactions (2015-2019)
Represented DFC in connection with loans to private equity and infrastructure funds investing in diverse strategies across Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Speaking Engagements

Resilience in Infrastructure, 2019, IDB Invest Sustainability Week

 

Publications

US Finance Agencies in Africa, 2021, Client Alert