Sidley Austin LLP announced today that it has added Ayaz Shaikh as a partner in the firm’s project finance practice in Washington, D.C. Mr. Shaikh has a broad U.S. and international practice involving the representation of project sponsors, developers, investors, lenders, government ministries, contractors and other participants in the development, construction, financing, acquisition or sale of energy and infrastructure projects. His experience includes projects in the oil & gas, power (conventional and renewable), petrochemical, mining, road, rail, steel, paper, telecom, satellite, sports arena, hotel and real estate sectors. He will work closely with the firm’s offices in Asia, Australia and Europe.
“Ayaz will be a great addition to our growing project finance practice,” said Carter G. Phillips, managing partner of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office and a member of the firm’s Management Committee. “His experience and professional contacts will allow us to provide enhanced assistance to clients interested in investing in major infrastructure projects in the U.S. and the Asia Pacific region, as well as Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.”
Mr. Shaikh’s experience spans the globe, covering projects in over 25 countries on five continents, including substantial on-the-ground experience in several parts of Asia, the Middle East, North America and South America. His clients have included U.S. and international energy companies, Japanese trading companies, international commercial banks, multilateral agencies and government ministries. His recent projects include the development of a 2,000 km rail infrastructure project in Mongolia estimated to be in the range of US$5 billion.
“Expanding our project finance capability is key to our strategic plans globally, particularly in Asia,” said Thomas W. Albrecht, managing partner of Sidley’s Asia Pacific offices, member of the firm’s Management and Executive Committees and co-head of the firm’s global finance practice. “Ayaz’s cross-border experience will enable us to pursue additional infrastructure opportunities in both the U.S., as well as non-U.S. markets. He brings broad industry experience with leading projects players and has a strong reputation in Asia which experts predict will be the fastest growing infrastructure region during the next twenty years.”
“Sidley has a record of experience and success in global finance that will give me the deep resources and global platform I need to support and expand my practice,” said Mr. Shaikh. “With coordinated efforts across the firm’s U.S. and substantial international offices, the firm’s experience in capital markets, regulatory and public policy practices and its marquee global reputation, Sidley is well-positioned to service project finance clients in the U.S., Asia and across the globe.”
Mr. Shaikh graduated with high honors from Yale College and Georgetown University Law Center, where he served as Notes Editor on the Georgetown Law Journal. He is qualified to practice law in Washington, D.C. and New York. Following graduation from law school, he clerked for Judge William Conner in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Shaikh is a native speaker of three Indian and South Asian languages – Hindi, Urdu and Gujarati. He is listed in several publications of leading project finance and energy lawyers.
