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Richard Oliver

Special Counsel

London +44 20 7067 2064

  • About
  • Representative Matters
  • Credentials
  • About

    Richard Oliver’s practice focuses on international energy and infrastructure projects. He advises on the development, and financing of such projects throughout the world with a focus on renewables and power and water.

    Richard has advised purchasers, vendors, lenders, developers, and equity investors on many complex projects, several of which have been named “Deal of the Year” by leading industry journals.

    Richard has also advised on complex, high value proceedings, both arbitrations, mediations and before the English courts including the Court of Appeal and House of Lords (now the Supreme Court).

    Areas of Expertise

  • Practices and Industries
  • Representative Matters
    • Represented a leading Saudi developer and operator of power generation and desalinated water plants in connection with its U.S. $820 million bond issue.
    • Represented the lenders on the Qurayyat independent water project in Oman.
    • Represented the project company on various financing and operational matters relating to the Rabigh independent water, steam and power project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
    • Represented the winning bidder on the development and financing of a 200 MW solar wind park in the Emirate of Dubai.
    • Represented the winning bidder on the development and financing of a coal-fired power plant in the Emirate of Dubai.

    • Represented the lenders on the €1.23 billion privatization of 14 regionals airports in Greece.
    • Represented the lenders to a 117MW wind farm in Tafila, Jordan.
    • Represented the lenders to two 50MW wind farms in Pakistan.
    • Represented an ACWA Power-led consortium on the development and financing of a CSP solar plant in the Republic of South Africa.
    • Represented Westinghouse (alone or with consortium members) on the development of nuclear power plants in a number of jurisdictions around the world.
    • Represented the lenders to the project company (owned by ACWA Power and Vale) on the financing of the proposed Moatize independent power and coal project in Mozambique to supply electricity to the Moatize mine and to Electricidade de Moçambique, E.P.
    • Represented the project company on the proposed development of a 1,320 MW coal fired power plant in Kazakhstan.
    • Represented a sponsor consortium on its winning bid for the financing and development of a 1,600 MW capacity power plant and 52.5 MIGD reverse-osmosis desalination plant in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
    • Represented GDF SUEZ on the development and U.S. $1 billion financing of two gas-fired peaking power projects in the Republic of South Africa, the largest IPP financing in sub-Saharan Africa. This deal was named “African Power Deal of the Year 2013” by Project Finance magazine.
    • Represented a sponsor consortium on its successful bid for the development of the combined cycle gas-fired 1,700 MW Rabigh II IPP in Saudi Arabia.
    • Represented GDF SUEZ SA and other sponsors on financing and development of the Barka 3 and Sohar 2 independent power projects in the Sultanate of Oman.
    • Represented the borrower (owned by TAV Holdings) in the development and financing of airports in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
    • Represented the lenders (Islamic, ECA, multilateral and commercial) in connection with on various operation and financing matters relating to an IPP in Jordan.
    • Represented Gulf Total Tractebel Power Company and its shareholders on various operation and financing matters relating to the Taweelah A1 IWPP.
    • Represented the sponsors on various operation and financing matters relating to the U.S. $475 million Baymina BOO 700-MW IPP project in Ankara, Turkey. Elected “EMEA Power Deal of the Year” 2003 by Project Finance International magazine.
    • UNCITRAL and ISCID arbitration. Advising on two potential investment treaty arbitrations against several Balkan states on behalf of a Southern European petrochemical company. Involves consideration of bilateral investment treaties and the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT).
    • LCIA arbitration. Dispute concerning a West African country and the operator of a power plant. Advising on jurisdictional challenges, procedure and enforcement under the Arbitration Act of 1996 including obtaining an injunction against the state.
    • ICC arbitration concerning use of confidential information. Claim in the aviation industry concerning the use of confidential information to release a competing product.
    • ICC arbitration concerning a petrochemical plant. Dispute arising out of the design and construction of a petrochemical plant in Northern England under an EPC contract. The project was affected by design changes, delays, unforeseen conditions and cost overruns.
    • Domestic arbitration concerning defective foundation design. CIMAR arbitration concerning defective foundation design and valuation of the necessary remedial work.
    • PFI dispute relating to the London underground network. Substantial dispute arising under PFI contracts concerning redevelopment of a major London tube line - involving both arbitration and proceedings in the Technology and Construction Court.
    • Litigation concerning waste water treatment plant. Work on a £100m+ multi-party claim in the High Court arising out of defects in design and construction of a water treatment plant.
    • Patent dispute concerning consumer electronics. Patent dispute between two household names producing a wide range of consumer electronics.
    • House of Lords decision on patent validity. Successful defence of a patent revocation claim relating to escitalopram, the then most widely prescribed antidepressant worldwide (Generics (UK) Limited and Others v. H. Lundbeck A/S [2009] UKHL 12).
    • Court of Appeal decision on patent validity. Successful defence of a patent revocation claim relating to Olanzapine (Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (UK) Ltd v Eli Lilly & Company Ltd [2009] EWCA Civ 1362).
    • Court of Appeal decision on patent validity. Successful defence of an appeal against a High Court decision to invalidate a patent for Neutrokine-a (Eli Lilly & Company v Human Genome Sciences Inc [2010] EWCA Civ 33).
    • High Court decision on patent validity and infringement. Successfully invalidating a patent relating to diagnosis of porcine circovirus infection and defending infringement proceedings relating to a vaccine for porcine circovirus (Intervet UK Ltd v Merial R.'s University of Belfast, the University of Saskatchewan [2010] EWHC 294 (Pat)).

    Areas of Expertise

  • Credentials
    Education
    • Nottingham Law School, L.P.C., 2001
    • Nottingham University, LL.B., 2000
    Bar Admissions
    • Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales
    Languages
    • English

    Areas of Expertise

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