Andrew Blacoe

Andrew has extensive experience in advising clients on complex international cross-border transactions in the energy, power, metals and minerals, oil and gas, and LNG sectors.

Now head of the firm's North Asia corporate practice, he has practised in London, Sydney and Tokyo, delivering strong commercial outcomes for Japanese trading houses, oil and gas companies and public utilities on world-scale projects in many jurisdictions.

Andrew has advised Japanese corporations for over 11 years on M&A, project development and finance transactions globally. He has close relationships with many of the firm's key Japanese clients, spending two years on secondment to a major Japanese trading corporation in Tokyo advising on global power and mining transactions.

His legal experience includes working with sponsors and financiers on mergers and acquisitions, international joint ventures and project financings around the world, including in Africa, the Middle East, Australia and Southeast Asia. He helps clients to manage risks and navigate commercial challenges on major projects and strategic transactions.

Andrew has been ranked by Asia Pacific Legal 500 as a Leading Individual for Projects and Energy in Japan since 2016. He receives praise from clients as 'one of best lawyers [I] have ever worked with', and 'has a talent to be able to really understand what clients want, even if they are struggling to explain themselves' (Asia Pacific Legal 500, 2022). Andrew was named Foreign Lawyer of the Year by ALB Japan Law Awards in 2019.

He is licensed to advise in Japan as a Gaikokuho Jimu Bengoshi, and is admitted as a solicitor in England & Wales and of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Australia.

Andrew's recent experience includes advising:

• Marubeni Corporation on a joint venture with energy major bp to develop selected offshore wind opportunities in Japan
• Mitsui & Co., Ltd. on its agreement with Aker Horizons ASA to acquire a 27.5% equity stake in Aker's subsidiary Mainstream Renewable Power for €575 million
• Mitsubishi Corporation on its investment in a 600MW onshore wind power project in Laos, the country's first wind power project and the largest in Southeast Asia
• Marubeni Corporation on its participation in a consortium with SSE Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners to bid for option to lease agreements being offered by Crown Estate Scotland over seabed sites as part of its “ScotWind Leasing” programme
• Sumitomo Metals Mining on its divestment of a minority interest in PT Vale Indonesia Tbk, one of Indonesia’s largest nickel mining companies with integrated nickel processing facility, to MIND-ID (the Indonesian state-owned mining company)
• MM Capital Partners (a Marubeni-backed fund) on its acquisition of Marguerite's 29.06% interest in JSC Conexus Baltic Grid, the operator of the monopoly regulated gas transmission and storage system in Latvia from the Marguerite Fund