Linklaters

The world’s major mining companies and their financiers have relied on Linklaters’ expertise in structuring and executing many of the highest profile mining deals of recent times. Our clients benefit from our comprehensive mining sector expertise across the fields of projects, finance, corporate, competition, tax and environmental law. Linklaters’ pre-eminence across the sector has allowed the firm to act on a market leading sequence of mining transactions, including takeovers, acquisitions and disposals, project developments and financings, corporate financings and listings on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges.

Deals often take place in countries with developing legal regimes which are seeing significant political change. Clients benefit from our extensive emerging markets practice, our experience of risk mitigation strategies and a proven ability to navigate through previously untested legal regimes. We have a long standing track record in all the world’s major metals and mining regions, including Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia and Central and Eastern Europe – dealing with both local and international legal issues.

The economic downturn has ended the current super-cycle in commodity prices and cut the availability of much needed credit. Linklaters is now helping its mining clients with distressed situations, refinancing of debt and rights issues, as well as the joint ventures and alliances that are likely to accompany the ongoing consolidation in the sector.

Contact us

To discuss legal issues with Linklaters’ global mining team, please contact sector leaders Charles Jacobs, Andrew Jones or Chris Kelly.

Find out more about Linklaters’ mining capabilities from mining sector manager Julia Meye on (1) 212 830 9643.

Recent mining transactions include advising:

• Rio Tinto on a series of strategic projects: on its US$38.1 billion recommended cash offer for Alcan Inc; on its defence against the US$147 billion hostile takeover bid by BHP Billiton; on the intended strategic US$19.5 billion investment in Rio Tinto by Chinalco; and most recently on its joint venture with BHP Billiton for the entirety of their iron ore operations in Western Australia, the US$15.2 billion rights issue, the sale of its Composites Business (part of Rio Tinto Alcan Inc.'s Engineered Products operations) to Swiss listed company Schweiter Technologies, as well as the sale of interests in its Alcan Cable business to US private equity firm Platinum Equity.
• UK listed copper producer Kazakhmys Plc on the £ 7 billion defence of an unwelcome approach by metals and mining company Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation Plc
• Aquarius Platinum Limited on its placing, rights issue, convertible bond issue and pre-conditional offer for Ridge Mining plc
• Industrias Penoles S.A.B. de C.V. on the demerger and subsequent London listing of its precious metals assets (Fresnillo plc) creating the world's largest primary silver producer
• Kumba Iron Ore Limited on the establishment of a joint venture with two Guinean project companies holding iron ore exploration permits in the Republic of Guinea. This was Kumba’s first investment in the country
  
• Glencore International AG on its US$7.465 billion debt financing with Glencore International AG as Original Borrower and Glencore AG as Original Guarantor. Both incorporated in Switzerland.
• Aricom plc on its acquisition of Peter Hambro Mining plc, the UK listed gold miner
• JPMorgan Cazenove Ltd and Deutsche Bank on rights issues for Xstrata
• Eldorado Gold Corporation on its US$1.9 billion acquisition of Sino Gold Mining Limited