Jones Day leads for EDF, Freshfields for Fluxys, Norton Rose for Total

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Jones Day and Norton Rose have advised on a €1bn (£882m) project to develop one of the largest liquid natural gas (LNG) terminals in Europe.

Jones Day advised EDF on the deal, which saw the energy group sell minority shares in Dunkerque LNG to international oil and gas company Total Group and Belgian gas network operator Fluxys.

The deal closed on 27 June, with Fluxys and Total gaining shares of 25% and 10% respectively in the EDF subsidiary that will oversee the construction and operation of the plant due to be operational in 2015.

Jones Day, which was instructed in 2007, fielded a team led by Paris corporate partner Alexandre de Verdun and including Frankfurt M&A partner My Linh Vu-Gregoire, Paris environmental partner Francoise Labrousse and European competition head and partner-in-charge of the Brussels office Bernard Amory.

Freshfields Brussels corporate partner Vincent Macq advised Fluxys, and Total was advised by Norton Rose London energy partner Nick Prowse.

De Verdun commented: "It was a strategic deal because this new activity for EDF will increase France's import of natural gas by 20%. As a result, governance discussions were complex and interesting, since EDF had to discuss with strong partners the mapping-out and allocation of the long-term risks pertaining to this project."

He added: "Because finance for the deal will be provided by shareholders with no bank debt involved, it will require additional duties to the shareholders. We hope 
to remain involved as the project develops."

With an output of 13 billion cubic metres of gas, the Dunkerque LNG plant will employ around 1,200 people and will be able to host around 80 LNG tankers. The terminal will be directly connected to both the 
French and Belgian gas distribution networks.