Overview
Justin is a partner in Linklaters' Paris energy & infrastructure team and heads the firm's Africa group. Justin’s practice spans all areas of transactional activity in the (renewable) energy, infrastructure and natural resources sectors.
Technically proficient, versatile and solution-oriented, he has significant experience providing seamless advice to industrial and financial sponsors, commercial lenders, multilateral institutions, contractors and host governments on the structuring, financing and development of major projects in France and across Africa as well as regularly supporting the firm’s premium clients on corporate transactions in the energy, infrastructure and natural resources sectors.
According to Chambers France 2025 and 2026 Projects & Energy: “Justin Faye is an excellent professional in all aspects. He is the most reliable lawyer I have worked with” and “His commitment to understanding both the commercial and legal dimensions of our objectives has been invaluable, making him an indispensable figure in this collaboration”
Experience
Justin has taken the lead on large number of high-profile transactions. These include advising:
- Lobito corridor: Advising Africa Finance Corporation (“AFC”) in relation to the development and contemplated limited recourse financing of the Zambia-Lobito Rail Project. The first concession agreements were signed on 24 September 2024, in a ceremonial signing held on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly
- Project Zone: Advising Vision International Investment Company (Vision Invest) on its investment in ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP), a pan-African developer and operator of integrated industrial zones including in Rwanda
- Raxio Data centres: Advising EAAIF and Proparco as senior lenders on the initial structuring and financing on the accession by IFC as senior lender and subordinated lender to the portfolio financing of up to US$ 210 million to Raxio Finance BV for the construction and expansion of Tier III certified data centres in seven Sub-Saharan African countries, including Côte d'Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Burundi Hydro: Advising Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB) in connection with the development, financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of two grid-connected hydropower plants in south-central Burundi. The plants are located on the Upper Ruvyironza River (1.65 MW) and the Upper Mulembwe River (9.0 MW)
- Verkor gigafactory: advising the EIB, BPI and the commercial lenders on all aspects of the construction, development and multi-source debt financing (including a GPS covered facility) of a gigafactory complex in Dunkirk, France
- Envision gigafactory: advising EIB, BPI and lenders on all aspects of the construction, and multi-source financing (including a GPS covered facility and a SINOSURE covered facility) for Envision AESC gigafactory in Douai, France
- Biovea biomass: advising PROPARCO and EAIF as senior lenders and grant providers in relation to the €178m financing of a 46MW biomass power plant in Côte d'Ivoire fuelled by residues of palm leaves
- Chad Prepay: advising Glencore Energy UK Ltd on the IMF driven restructuring and rescheduling of its US$1.4bn crude oil backed prepayment facility to Société des Hydrocarbures du Tchad (SHT) and the related limited recourse financing provided by a syndicate of 10+ banks
- Belinga: Advising Fortescue Metals Group Ltd and the Africa Transformation and Industrialization Funds (ATIF) as JV Partners on the negotiations of a mining exploitation convention for the Belinga project in Gabon, one of the largest undeveloped iron ore deposit in the world
- Cap des Biches 300MW Power Plant: advising Africa Finance Corporation and the lenders on the financing of the development, construction and operation of a 300 MW combined cycle tri-fuel power plant in Cap des Biches, Senegal
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