Global, sector-focused law firm HFW has underlined its position as a market leader for commodity finance with roles on two of TXF’s ‘Perfect 10’ deals of the year.
HFW advised a syndicate of banks, led by MUFG as facility agent and documentation bank, on a US$250 million two-step limited recourse prepayment loan to Trafigura for the purchase of copper cathodes produced by Norilsk Nickel, which won Commodity Trader Finance Deal of the Year; and also advised Sucafina on its first-of-its-kind US$70 million borrowing base with Rabobank, ING and BNP Paribas to finance green coffee stocks in Brazil, which won Soft Commodities Finance Deal of the Year.
TXF says the awards recognise “the most innovative, market-influencing transactions” in commodity finance.
HFW is one of only five law firms to have acted on two of the 10 award-winning transactions, according to TXF’s reporting, alongside Allen & Overy, Linklaters, Herbert Smith Freehills and Norton Rose Fulbright.
Olivier Bazin, Commodities Partner, HFW:
“We are proud to have helped our clients structure and close these important facilities within tight deadlines. These were truly collaborative matters and it’s great to see the hard work of the deal teams at MUFG, Sucafina and HFW recognised by TXF. With finance teams in all major commodity centres including Geneva, São Paulo and Singapore, HFW is well placed to support banks and traders with complex cross-border financings of this nature.”
Commodities is one of HFW’s six global industry groups. The firm has a market-leading team of more than 90 specialist lawyers across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, advising clients on all areas of the commodities industry including physical supply, transportation, OTC and exchange-traded derivatives, finance, digital trade, insurance, operations, compliance, sanctions and regulation.
