Muşat & Asociaţii received the “ Law Firm of the year in the energy sector ” award, during the second edition of the “Energy Awards” Gala, where Excellence Awards were handed out for the Energy Sector in Romania. This award reflects the involvement of Muşat & Asociaţii in some of the highest-profiles projects developed in the energy sector, with impact on the overall evolution of industry. This is the second distinction received by Muşat & Asociaţii in 2013, after having won the “Law Firm of the Year in Romania” award, granted by the International Financial Law Review (IFLR), in April this year.
“Romania’s energy potential is an outstanding one, having attracted, in the past years, a significant volume of investments, in particular in the renewable energy sector, but also in upstream projects in the oil and natural gas industry. Due to a most favorable combination of resources, international players have allocated substantial amounts to finance purchases or develop projects in this area, Muşat & Asociaţii assisting, as legal advisor, a significant number of important projects developed throughout last year. Thus, in 2012, energy and natural resources was one of our most dynamic practices, the portfolio of new clients and mandates witnessing an increase by almost 50%”, said Miruna Suciu, Partner Muşat & Asociaţii and head of the Energy & Natural Resources and Capital Markets areas of practice.
During the “Romanian Energy Awards 2013” gala organized by “The Diplomat” English magazine, 16 awards were handed out to the most remarkable companies and individuals in the Romanian energy sector. The jury was made up of Alexandru Săndulescu, General Manager of the Energy Division in the Ministry of Economy, Zoltan Nagy-Bege , Member of the Regulatory Board in the Romanian National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE), Ştefan Gheorghe, CEO of Transelectrica, Silvia Vlăsceanu, Executive Officer of the Association of Energy Utility Companies, Valentin Mircea, Vice-President of the Competition Council, and Alexandru Valeriu Binig, Financial Manager Advisory Services/ Energy & Resources/ Corporate Finance, Deloitte.
Landmark projects assisted in 2012 by Muşat & Asociaţii and considered by the Romanian Energy Awards jury, include, inter alia : the legal advice provided to Sterling Resources during the negotiation of the transfer agreements for holdings in various oil areas in the Black Sea, advising GDF Suez in structuring and negotiating agreements for the purchase of wind turbines from the provider in view of building a wind farm, but also Enel Green Power in relation to the acquisition of five photovoltaic farms with an installed capacity of over 30 MW. In addition, our team of lawyers specializing in the energy field provided extensive advice to Eldorado Gold Corporation in the cross-border transaction (transaction value: USD 2.5 billion) taking over the business of European Goldfields Limited in the field of gold mining in Romania, but also OZ Mineral Limited , a top Australian mining company, concerning the offer amounting to EUR 200,000,000 for the acquisition of Cuprumin S.A. Last year, Muşat & Asociaţii has also assisted the Office for State Ownership and Privatization in Industry ( OPSPI ) in relation to the secondary public offering for the 15% stock of shares in Transelectrica , successfully concluded in March 2012 (transaction value: EUR 37.7 million), and successfully represented the Romanian State in respect of the public secondary offer for the sale of 15% shares in Transgaz Mediaş (transaction value of more than EUR 70 million).
Muşat & Asociaţii holds significant expertise in the preparation of privatizations in the energy field, by means of capital markets, being involved in most projects conducted by the Romanian Government through the Bucharest Stock Exchange, among which the sale of 10% of the share capital in Nuclearelectrica or the IPO for the sale of a 10% stock in Hidroelectrica.
Muşat & Asociaţii’s expertise in Energy and Natural Resources, as well as Capital Markets, is acknowledged at international level by the renowned legal guides – IFLR 1000, Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners – which rank our firm and our attorneys among the elite of these areas of law practice.