Ayesha K. Waheed

Ayesha focuses her practice on project finance, infrastructure, and natural resources. She has extensive experience representing developers and lenders in complex oil and gas, power generation, and infrastructure projects worldwide. Ayesha also has experience in the structuring, negotiating, and drafting of finance and commercial documents related to international project financings and privatizations. She counsels companies involved in the development and deployment of new energy resources, including renewable energy.

Ayesha is a recognized practitioner by Chambers UK, and is recognized as a leading lawyer for Project Development and Banking and Finance by IFLR1000, as well as a thought leader and a global leader by Who's Who Legal. Legal 500 has commended Ayesha’s “commercial and pragmatic” approach, noting that she is “strong on large multi-source project financings.”

Oil, Gas and LNG

• Advised commercial banks in connection with a $2.55 billion syndicated facility for the refinancing of an LNG project in Australia.
• Advised purchasers in connection with a $1.4 billion US private placement for the refinancing of an LNG project in Australia.
• Advised lenders in connection with a bank and bond financing for the $42 billion expansion to the Tengizchevroil Project in Kazakhstan.
• Advised the export credit agencies and a syndicate of commercial banks in connection with the US$14 billion financing of the PNG LNG project in Papua New Guinea.
• Advised the export credit agencies, and a syndicate of 15 commercial lenders on an US$8.5 billion project financing of the Australia Pacific LNG coal seam gas to liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.

Mining and Minerals

• Advised a mining conglomerate in connection with a $286 million financing of the development of a soda ash production facility in Kazakhstan.
• Advised a mining conglomerate in connection with a $150 million borrowing base facility for its ferroalloy business.
• Advised a mining conglomerate in connection with the $260 million acquisition and capex facilities for a chrome ore mine in Kazakhstan.
• Advised a mining conglomerate in connection with the $100 million acquisition financing of the Tikhvin ferroalloy plant in Russia.

Power

• Advised the lenders in the export financing for the development of three large wind farms. The transaction was structured to meet the Green Loan Principles and benefits from political risk cover from Germany’s export credit agency.
• Advised the lenders in the export financing for the development of a 56 MW wind power plant and a 35 MW solar hybrid power plant. The transaction was structured to meet the Green Loan Principles and benefits from political risk cover from Germany’s export credit agency, using a novel structure under Germany’s ERP Export Financing Programme, which is administered by KfW IPEX-Bank.
• Advised institutional investors in connection with the US private place refinancing of a portfolio of wind farms in the Nordic region.
• Advised a Turkish power producer in connection with the restructuring of facilities provided by multilateral institutions and commercial banks for the construction and development of hydro power plants in Türkiye.
• Advised a multi-lateral financial institution as the lender in connection with Turkish Lira-denominated facilities totalling $225 million provided to a leading Turkish utility company, for the purpose of upgrading its electricity distribution infrastructure.
• Advised a Turkish power producer in connection with project financing for the development, construction, operation, and maintenance of a portfolio of solar power plants in Türkiye financed by a multi-lateral financial institution and Turkish commercial banks.
• Advised a Turkish power producer in connection with project financing for the development, construction, operation, and maintenance of four greenfield wind farm projects in Türkiye financed by a multi-lateral financial institution and commercial banks with export credit agency cover.
• Advised a potential investor in the financing of a South African solar project.

Infrastructure

• Advised institutional investors in connection with a US private placement refinancing for a portfolio of ports in Canada.
• Advised institutional investors in connection with a US private placement financing for the construction and development of a cruise port in the Bahamas.
• Advised institutional investors in connection with a US private placement financing for the construction and development of a cruise port in the United States.
• Advised a major port operator in connection with an ECA covered loan for its port in Ecuador.
• Advised a major port operator in connection with the acquisition and capex financing provided by a multi-lateral financial institution and commercial banks for its portfolio of ports in Portugal.
• Advised the lenders in connection with the financing provided to an SPV set up to develop, operate and maintain Izmir Airport
• Advised the lead arranger in connection with the financing provided to an SPV set up to develop, operate and maintain Bodrum Airport.

• Recognized as a Leader in Projects, UK-wide, Chambers UK, 2017-2024
• Named as “Highly Regarded” in Financial and Corporate, IFLR1000 Women Leaders, 2023
• Recommended for Industry Focus: Emerging Markets, Legal 500 UK, 2021-2024
• Recommended for Projects, Energy and Natural Resources: Oil and Gas, Legal 500 UK, 2021-2024
• Recognized in IFLR1000 Women Leaders, 2021-2022
• Recommended for Banking and Finance: Lender or Arranger Side, Russia, Legal 500 EMEA, 2021
• Named as “Highly Regarded” in Financial and Corporate, IFLR1000, 2020-2023
• Recognized as a “Global Elite Thought Leader” in Project Finance, Who’s Who Legal, 2019-2020
• Recognized in Best Project Finance Award, Euromoney LMG, 2019
• Recognized in Project Finance, Who’s Who Legal, 2017-2019
• Named as “Highly Regarded” in Banking, Project Development, and Project Finance, IFLR1000, 2015-2019

• Member, Mayor of London’s Infrastructure Advisory Panel, 2020-2022