Partner, New York Phone +1-212-558-4625 Fax +1-212-558-3588 Add to Address Book

Christopher L. Mann has over 19 years of experience in a wide variety of corporate and financing matters, including project development and finance, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, capital markets, infrastructure, strategic finance and restructuring matters. He has acted frequently for sponsor and lending clients, private equity funds and hedge funds in equity and debt investments in oil and gas, mining, infrastructure, power, telecommunications, financial and other sectors in the United States, Latin America, southern Africa and elsewhere.

Selected Transactions and Representations

Project Development and Finance

• Minera Esperanza (Chile) – development and financing by JBIC and other lenders of the $2.344 billion greenfield copper, gold and silver project in the Atacama desert. Largest mining project in Latin America to date and was awarded the 2009 Americas Mining Deal of the Year by Project Finance International 
• Sincor/PetroCedeño (Venezuela) – landmark $4.6 billion Sincor extra heavy oil project, the largest oil project financing completed to date in Latin America, and subsequent debt restructuring in connection with acquisition by the Venezuelan government of a majority stake. Ranked by Latin Lawyer 250 as Latin America Restructuring Deal of the Year
• Camisea Gas Project (Peru) – $837 million project financing of gas pipeline project. Ranked by Project Finance Magazine as Latin America Oil & Gas Deal of the Year
• LLX Minas-Rio (Brazil) – pending port facility project financing
• Anglo Ferrous Minas-Rio (Brazil) – pending iron ore mine financing
• Collahuasi (Chile) – $2.4 billion project financing and refinancing of copper project
• Loma de Niquel (Venezuela) – $450 million project financing of nickel project and debt restructuring
• Cerro Vanguardia (Argentina) – $270 million project financing of gold and silver project
• Port Arthur Coker (U.S.) – $1 billion project financing of coker project. Ranked by Project Finance International as Americas Industrial Deal of the Year
• Kutubu Petroleum Project (Papua New Guinea) – $1 billion project financing of oil field and pipeline project 

Private Equity

• Liberty Roads Consortium, consisting of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, GS Infrastructure Partners, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board and Transurban Group, on its $12.1 billion runner-up bid for a concession of the Pennsylvania Turnpike
• GS Infrastructure Partners in its significant equity investment in Carrix, Inc. (parent company of SSA Marine, the largest U.S.-owned, privately held marine terminal operator in the world)
• Rhône LLC acquisition financings of Rexair Incorporated and Arizona Chemical business and related refinancings
• Advice regarding implications of U.S. Bank Holding Company Act for activities of private equity affiliates of bank holding companies

Mergers and Acquisitions

• Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc. in its acquisition of Steel Technologies Inc., a NASDAQ-listed company
• Anglo American plc in its $5.5 billion acquisition of IronX (renamed Anglo Ferrous Brazil S.A.), demerged from MMX Mineração e Metálicos S.A. through an initial acquisition of a 63.5% stake from controlling shareholders and a following tagalong offer to remaining shareholders
• Andalex Hungary Management Limited Liability Company in its sale of Andalex Resources, Inc., which owns coal properties in the United States
• Anglo American plc in its sale of Tarmac America, Inc.
• Outokumpu Copper Resources in its sale of Zaldivar Chile Inc. to Placer B-C Ltd.

Capital Markets

• Debut and numerous subsequent offerings by Republic of Italy and Republic of South Africa, as well as sovereign offerings by Republic of Panama and Kingdom of Sweden and advice to Kingdom of Norway
• Privatization of INA, ENI and ENEL, the former Italian state-owned insurance, oil and gas and electricity companies; YPF, the former Argentine state-owned oil and gas company; and Telefónica de Argentina
• Project bond offering by Port Arthur Coker to project finance and high-yield investors
• Secondary offerings or placements by Anglo American plc of shares in Terra Industries and Engelhard Corporation and total disposition by Anglo American plc of its equity interest in AngloGold Ashanti through several secondary offerings or placements 

 Acquisition Finance

• Fiat S.p.A. and Chrysler Group LLC in the $7 billion U.S. Treasury secured loan to the newly created Chrysler Group LLC to purchase the Chrysler assets out of bankruptcy and for working capital purposes
• Rhône LLC in its acquisition financings to acquire Rexair Incorporated and Arizona Chemical Company and related refinancings

Debt Restructuring and Bankruptcy

• Fiat S.p.A. and Chrysler Group LLC in the $7 billion U.S. Treasury secured loan to the newly created Chrysler Group LLC to purchase the Chrysler assets out of bankruptcy and for working capital purposes; and Chrysler Canada Inc. in its coordinated and simultaneous $1 billion equivalent secured loan from Export Development Canada outside bankruptcy
• Sincor/Petrocedeño (Venezuela) – debt restructuring in connection with acquisition by the Venezuelan government of a majority stake in the extra heavy oil project. Ranked by Latin Lawyer 250 as Latin America Restructuring Deal of the Year
• Port Arthur Coker (U.S.) – debt restructuring and project bond consent solicitation

Oil and Gas

• Sincor/Petrocedeño (Venezuela) – landmark $4.6 billion Sincor extra heavy oil project, the largest oil project financing completed to date in Latin America, and subsequent debt restructuring in connection with acquisition by the Venezuelan government of a majority stake. Ranked by Latin Lawyer 250 as Latin America Restructuring Deal of the Year 
• Camisea Gas Project (Peru) – $837 million project financing of gas pipeline project. Ranked by Project Finance Magazine as Latin America Oil & Gas Deal of the Year
• Port Arthur Coker (U.S.) – $1 billion project financing of coker project. Ranked by Project Finance International as Americas Industrial Deal of the Year
• Kutubu Petroleum Project (Papua New Guinea) – $1 billion project financing of oil field and pipeline project
• Standard Bank (Latin America) – Borrowing base financing of Petrolera El Trebol’s acquisition of concession rights in certain oil producing assets in the Republic of Argentina; and of Petrolifera Petroleum’s acquisition of oil and gas rights in Argentina, Peru and Colombia

Metals and Mining

• Anglo Ferrous Minas-Rio (Brazil) – pending iron ore mine financing
• Steel Complex (Trinidad) – Essar’s pending large-scale project financing of an iron and steel complex
• Collahuasi (Chile) – $2.4 billion project financing and refinancing of copper project
• Loma de Niquel (Venezuela) – $450 million project financing of nickel project and debt restructuring
• Cerro Vanguardia (Argentina) – $270 million project financing of gold and silver project
• Minera Escondida Limitada (Chile) – Numerous financings for operator of world’s largest copper mine
• Disposition by Anglo American plc of its equity interest in AngloGold Ashanti
• Acquisition by Mvelaphanda Resources Limited of an equity interest in Gold Fields Limited

Infrastructure

• Liberty Roads Consortium, consisting of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, GS Infrastructure Partners, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board and Transurban Group, in its US$ 12.1 billion runner-up bid for a concession for the Pennsylvania Turnpike
• GS Infrastructure Partners in its significant equity investment in Carrix, Inc. (parent company of SSA Marine, the largest U.S.-owned, privately held marine terminal operator in the world)
• LLX Minas-Rio and subsequently Anglo American plc in the pending Minas-Rio port facility project financing in Brazil
• Transurban Limited in structuring an infrastructure fund for North American investments
• Advice regarding implications of U.S. Bank Holding Company Act for activities of private equity affiliates of bank holding companies
• GS Infrastructure Partners in its participation in a potential bid with Hochtief and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec for the Chicago Midway International Airport concession
• a potential bidder for the Chicago Downtown Public Parking System concession
• a potential bidder on the PPP project to develop a portion of State Highway 121 in Texas
• a potential bidder for the I-595 Corridor Roadway Improvements Project being concessioned by the State of Florida Department of Transportation
• a bidder for a potential greenfield container terminal in Brazil
• a potential bid for one or more toll road concessions in Brazil

Other

• Structured finance transactions for international financial institutions
• Diageo in negotiating international distribution rights for José Cuervo tequila
• Advice regarding U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Alien Tort Claims Act, Committee on Foreign Investment in U.S. matters, other U.S. regulatory advice

Professional and Community Involvement

Mr. Mann is the former chair of the Committee on Project Finance of the Association of the Bar of the City New York. He currently serves as chairman of the board of trustees of New York Downtown Hospital, a trustee of The Brearley School, a director and member of the Audit Committee of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and a member of the Audit Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. Mr. Mann is also a member of S&C's Diversity Committee.

Rankings and Recognitions

• Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for  Business (2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004)
• Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2009, 2005, 2004)
• Chambers Latin America: Latin America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2010, 2009)
• The Best Lawyers in America (2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006)
• The International Who’s Who of Project Finance Lawyers (2009, 2007, 2005, 2004)
• The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers (2009, 2007, 2006, 2005)
• PLC Cross-border Finance Handbook: Secured Lending (2007/08, 2006/07)
• PLC, Which Lawyer? Yearbook (2009, 2008, 2007, 2006)
• New York Super Lawyers (2009, 2008, 2006)
• Euromoney's Guide to the World’s Leading Project Finance Lawyers (2008, 2007, 2006, 2004)