Christopher Smeall is of counsel based in Debevoise’s New York office. He is qualified in New York. Mr. Smeall has a broad multinational transactional practice. He has structured and negotiated cross border and domestic acquisitions, project financings, joint ventures and numerous other kinds of transactions and commercial arrangements.
Mr. Smeall formerly served as the firm’s Deputy Presiding Partner and was for nine years on the firm’s Management Committee. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Mr. Smeall joined Debevoise as an associate in 1980 and became a partner in 1988. He received his B.A. from University of Michigan in 1973 and his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1979. Prior to joining Debevoise, Mr. Smeall served as a law clerk to the Hon. J. Joseph Smith, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Experience:
- Oil & Gas, Energy and Related Infrastructure
- Sakhalin 2 Project (Russian Federation)
- Long-term LNG supply agreements with Sonatrach (Algeria)
- Cabiunas, EVM, Malhas Pipeline and REVAP Refinery Modernization projects involving Petrobras (Brazil)
- Brazos wind energy joint venture (United States)
- Su Tu Den FPSO financing (Vietnam)
- Acquisition by a Japanese utility company of an interest in a multi-national wind power business.
- Investment in the Brazilian gas distribution sector.
- Financing involving PDVSA with related hydrocarbon offtake (Venezuela)
- Acquisition of an interest in the Marcellus shale in the United States
- Acquisition of an interest in a Brazilian hydroelectric project.
- Mining
- Goro nickel mine (New Caledonia)
- Collahuasi copper project (Chile)
- Financings to Southern Peru Copper secured by copper exports (Peru)
- Various niobium supply and offtake arrangements (Brazil)
- Joint exploration arrangement in Colombia
- Chemicals, including Petrochemicals
- Showa Denko in the U.S. aspects of its acquisition of SGL GE Holding.
- Tuban petrochemical project (Indonesia)
- Representation of a leading U.S. specialty chemical producer in its facilities expansions and supply agreements
- Cape Horn methanol project (Chile)
- Media/Telecommunications/IT
- Representation of France Telecom in the privatization of Telmex (Mexico)
- Joint venture to provide internet services in Japan
- Merger of ALC Communications and Frontier (United States)
- Food/Agriculture
- Creation of AgReliant Genetics, a leading North American seed company
- Representation of a leading seed producer in the commercialization of Roundup-Ready® sugar beets in the United States
- U.S. aspects of the reorganization of Ito-Yokado/Seven Eleven to create Seven & I Holdings
- Transportation
- Financing of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor Acela high-speed train project (United States)
- Representation of a Japanese bank as lender in the leveraged acquisition of a U.S. car parts company (United States)
- Various transactions involving Penske Automotive Group (United States)
- The creation of Data Systems & Solutions, a joint venture providing engineering and technical support services to the aerospace and other sectors (United States)
Education:
- Yale Law School, 1979, J.D.
- University of California at Berkeley, 1975, M.A.
- University of Michigan, 1973, B.A.
Bar Admissions:
- New York
Cost
Rate : $$$