Michael Wachtel

Full Profile

Michael advises on all types of oil & gas production agreements and transactions in all major hydrocarbon producing areas in the world, including throughout Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Latin America. He advises oil & gas clients on the full range of corporate and commercial transactions including mergers and acquisitions, projects, international upstream agreements, shareholders and subscription agreements, joint ventures, capital intensive offshore and onshore development and infrastructure projects, project financings and IPO work.

Michael is retained by a number of clients as Chief Compliance Officer and frequently advises on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the UK Bribery Act 2010 and the design and implementation of anti-corruption compliance policies and procedures. Michael regularly provides anti-corruption training to clients in a number of international jurisdictions.

Experience

• Advising the Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company on a USD 500 million deal with EnQuest PLC, the largest independent oil producer in the North Sea
• Advising a privately owned Africa-focused company on its several fund raisings totalling over USD 650 million
• Advising various clients on complex cross border corporate and asset acquisitions and disposals and related acquisition financing
• Advising one of the sponsors of a major LNG project in Latin America in relation to LNG gas sales agreements and assignments, shareholders agreement, joint venture agreement, project financing documents and operational agreements
• Advising one of the founding shareholders of a USD 1 billion upstream exploration and production company with assets in Africa in relation to shareholder agreements, subscription agreements and the founders agreement
• Advising a joint venture company on the negotiation of a tertiary oil recovery production sharing agreement and on the acquisition of rights relating to a gas project in Egypt and the related financing arrangements
• Advising Encana Corporation on the USD 200 million sale of holding company and its producing interests in Chad
• Advising a North American company on its USD 1.5 billion enhanced oil recovery project in North Africa, including re-negotiation of the terms of the concession agreement, joint venture arrangements and conversion of the concession into a production sharing agreement, project structuring, joint venture arrangements with the National Oil Company, operational and commercial agreements and project financing arrangements
• Advising a Middle Eastern conglomerate on the private equity structure, investment and shareholder agreement and all related corporate issues and documentation for the establishment of an upstream exploration and production company
• Advising Kerr McGee on their USD 3.5 billion sale of its UK operated and non-operated North Sea exploration and production business
• Advising Veba Oil & Gas on the USD 2.1 billion sale of its international operated and non-operated business having business operations in 12 countries including an integrated project financed LNG project in Latin America