Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP

Sebastian Lawson

Sebastian Lawson
senior associate,
English-qualified solicitor

Tel.:+ 44 20 7785 5506
E-mail: sebastian.lawson@freshfields.com

Sebastian is a senior associate and English-qualified solicitor. He has been based in Eastern Europe for almost 10 years. His experience includes advising on the aspects of a wide range of major cross-border corporate transactions and some of central and eastern Europe’s leading equity offerings and privatisations. His recent transactions include advising:

  • AES Corporation in the sale of its interest in the AES Ekibastuz power plant and Maikuben West coal mine in Kazakhstan to Kazakhmys PLC, one of the largest copper producers in the world for US$1.1bn with additional earn out consideration;
  • INA, the Croatian oil and gas company, on its IPO and privatisation, involving listing GDRs on the LSE and a listing on the Zagreb Stock Exchange (Zagrebačka burza);
  • an international investor participating in the Turkish electricity distribution programme;
  • the underwriters on a private placement by Kazmunaygas E&P, the exploration and production unit of the Kazakh oil and gas company;
  • the power companies of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in developing a privately financed nuclear power station to replace the Ignalina station in Lithuania;
  • EnBW in respect of the privatizations of the Bucharest electricity distribution company, the electricity distribution company of Macedonia, and the ongoing privatization of the Turkish electricity distributors;
  • the Romanian government on the privatisations of Petrom, the Romanian state oil company and Distrigaz Nord and Distrigaz Sud;
  • MOL in relation to various proposed overseas acquisitions;
  • the sponsors (OMV, MOL, Bulgargaz, Transgaz and Botas) of the Nabucco pipeline from Turkey, through Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria;
  • EVN on various Bulgarian energy projects;
  • Gazprom Neft regarding its proposed acquisition of a stake in Rompetrol;
  • Raiffeisen (as the investment bank adviser of the Privatisation Agency / Government of Montenegro): assisting the Privatisation Agency on the sale of a thermal power plant and a coal mine in Montenegro; and
  • an international investor bidding to acquire Electrica Muntenia Sud, a Romanian regional electricity distribution company.