Michael Bassett

Michael represents banks, insurance companies, funds, Export Credit Agencies (ECAs), development banks, equity sponsors, companies and investors on complex financing transactions involving acquisitions, securitisations, project development and trade-related and general corporate financings.

Michael has particular expertise in energy-related infrastructure project financings, including advising sponsors, operators and U.S. investors on a wide range of transactions involving offshore oil and gas exploration and production facilities (including ultra-deep water drilling vessels, semi-submersibles, floating production storage and offloading units (FPSOs), floating storage and offloading units (FSOs), gas processing facilities, liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, shuttle tankers and other offshore assets).

Michael is a core member of the team leading the expansion of the firm’s business in Latin America. He frequently travels to many countries in Latin America and is often based in the firm’s São Paulo office.

Michael has led on many major financing deals. Recent highlights include advising:

• Victoria International Container Terminal Limited: advising this issuer on the A$400m private placement of senior secured notes for the refinancing of its existing bank debt and financing of the first phase of an expansion for its facility at the Port of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia.
• ENGIE Energía Perú: advising in connection with a $300m loan facility granted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and IDB Invest, for the development of a wind farm project
• Valley Holdings Inc: advising Bank of America, N.A., as joint lead arranger and administrative agent, in connection with a US$100m refinancing transaction.
• RBS on the monetisation and sale of a portfolio of tax equity investments in U.S. wind farms
• Metropolitan Life Insurance Company on a number of financings for agricultural and timber producers in Latin America
• Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, as arranger, on the financing for the acquisition of Opera TV and on a trade receivables securitisation for Skillsoft Corporation
• Keystone Foods and Marfrig Global Foods on trade receivables securitisations
• Ecopetrol and Refinería de Cartagena on the restructuring of the project debt of Refinería de Cartagena
• Gas Sayago on the project development of its LNG receiving terminal in Montevideo, Uruguay
• Korea Development Bank, as the letter of credit issuer, in connection with the municipal bond financing for Kumho Tire’s new manufacturing facility in Georgia
• Ecopetrol on its U.S.-Exim Bank guaranteed loan facilities
• Bawag Bank, as senior lender, on the financing for the acquisition of a portfolio of commercial properties in the U.S.
• CSL on its U.S. private placement of guaranteed senior notes

Michael is a member of the American College of Investment Counsel, a trade organisation for the U.S. investment private placement community. 

Michael regularly speaks at conferences, including at the Bonds, Loans & Derivatives conference, organised by GFC Media Group, Mexico City, September 2016 (on financing options), at the Americas Forum conference, organised by the American Bar Association (ABA), in Bogotá, Colombia, November 2016 (on bond financing alternatives for project financing in Latin America) and the Issuers and Investors Forum, organized by Latin Finance, Sao Paolo, Brazil, May 2017 (on agri-business financing).

Michael studied European history at Middlebury College, Vermont and holds a Juris Doctor from Columbia University.

Michael is a member of the New York State Bar, U.S.