Kaz Patafta

Kaz is a Director of MPA Lawyers, Honorary Legal Advisor to the British Embassy in Laos, Former Board Member of AustCham Laos and a barrister and solicitor admitted to the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia. Kaz advises in relation to energy and infrastructure projects, mergers and acquisitions, project finance, capital market transactions and corporate law. Kaz has spent many years in Laos and has been an adviser to the Government of Lao PDR and acted for a number of international and domestic clients across various industries.

His most recent experience includes acting for a Chinese State-Owner Enterprise on their joint venture with the Government of Lao PDR, advising the Ministry of Finance Lao PDR on a sovereign financing facility, advising a large scale Thai public listed group on the acquisition of multiple hydropower assets and acting for international lenders with respect to a prepayment facility for the Sepon Gold and Copper mine in Lao PDR.

Kaz leads our Singapore and Vientiane offices specialising in energy, infrastructure, banking, projects and disputes practice areas. His experience includes advising sponsors, banks and borrowers in connection with bilateral and syndicated and secured and unsecured financings in Lao PDR with particular experience in project finance. His recent experience includes acting for:

• China Development Bank on financing and Lao PDR security arrangements for the Nam Ou 1, 2, 5 & 6 Hydropower Projects in Laos (USD 2 billion).
• China Exim Bank on the financing of USD150 million clinker cement production facility project in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR.
• China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation (Sinosure) in relation to the financing and insurance of the Latsavong Square Project in Lao PDR implemented by the Ministry of Defence.
• China Southern Power Grid Yunnan International Co., Ltd. during the MOU phase of the EDL-T joint venture with Electricite du Laos.
• BCPG Public Company Limited on the financing of the acquisition of Nam San 3A and Nam San 3B hydropower projects in Lao PDR including Lao law security documents.
• CGS-CIMB Securities in relation to a proposed EUR80 million loan facility for the Ministry of Finance Lao PDR.
• Electricite du Laos in relation to the sale of shares in the Nam Ngum 3 Hydropwer Project in Lao PDR.

• Gulf Energy Development Public Company Limited in relation to its acquisition of hydropower assets in Lao PDR (USD2.5 billion).
• Norfund and Finnfund as lenders of the Nam Sim hydropower project in Laos.
• Rabobank and OCBC in the refinance of a prepayment facility for the Sepon Gold and Copper mine in Lao PDR owned by Chifeng Jilong Gold Mining.