FRESHFIELDS BRUCKHAUS DERINGER LLP

Willibald Plesser is a partner resident in the firm's Vienna office. As a member of the corporate practice group his specialist focus includes energy law, M&A, PPP projects, and investments in CEE/CIS including Turkey. Presently, he serves as head of the energy group in the Vienna office and co-head for the firm's CEE/CIS practice. Recent projects in the energy sector, include advising:

• EnBW, one of the three large German energy groups:
• on the privatisation of electricity distributor EMS in Romania; on the privatisation of three Turkish electricity distribution companies; in connection with several Turkish mining and energy production projects; on a proposed joint venture with a major Turkish energy group, Ciner; on the acquisition of several hydro power projects in Turkey from Tasyapi and Kalemci (ongoing);
• RAG with respect to a major gas storage project in Austria;
• EVN on the privatisation of the Albanian Devoll hydro power concession; further on various other energy projects in Bulgaria and Bosnia;
• Gazprom Neft regarding its proposed acquisition of stakes in major CEE oil and gas groups;
• OMV regarding its participation in Petrol Ofisi, Turkey;
• Verbund, the largest Austrian energy producer and transmission systems operator, on the privatization of several Turkish electricity distribution companies including Baskent and Ayedas (ongoing);