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Linklaters

Mining

Linklaters’ global Mining group has acted for many of the world's major international mining and metals companies on the most significant transactions in the sector
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Having operated in the mining sector for decades, our experienced team understands the complex commercial drivers impacting the industry from elevated geopolitical risk, access to resources and shareholder activism to the shift away from traditional resources towards minerals that feed into the battery supply chain and support a transition to a low carbon economy. This enables us to guide clients through all market conditions to develop innovative, forward-thinking legal solutions to support your business objectives.

Our corporate and finance teams are supported by specialists in environmental, social and governance matters, antitrust, tax, intellectual property, litigation, arbitration and compliance. Together, they provide clients with legal advice at each stage of the mining life cycle through exploration, investment, development, production and closure.

We recognise that you will often operate in remote areas of the world and seek growth opportunities in countries whose legal regimes are still under development and facing periods of significant political change. Our global footprint is reflective of this. A uniquely positioned emerging market team, bring deep sector experience and includes fluent Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, French, Spanish and Portuguese speakers, enabling us to service our clients’ transactional needs all over the world. We also have exceptionally strong relationships with local law firms, and in doing so, are able to unite global and local understanding with successful project management.

How can we help?

Our leading industry experts advise on all aspects of mining sector deals, including:

  • acquisitions and disposals
  • complex carve-outs
  • complex takeovers
  • the establishment of joint ventures
  • listings and equity offerings
  • project development and financing;

 

 

  • farm-in / offtake arrangements;
  • a variety of financing structures, including corporate finance, pre-export finance, borrowing base financings, ECA-backed financings and other structured financings;
  • environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues; and
  • corporate governance including: employment, health and safety, anti-bribery and corruption.acquisitions and disposal

Award winning

Star magenta

Sixteen years at the top
Ranked in the top tier of legal advisors
for mining for the last sixteen years
Chambers and Legal 500

star icon grey

UK Firm of the year
Projects, Energy and Natural Resources
(Mining and minerals)
The Legal 500

Star magenta

“Linklaters shows strong industry experience underpinned by deep relationships with key industry players.”
“The team at Linklaters is known for its consistent work quality and engagement on all levels, as well as its great communication and interpersonal skills.”
Legal 500 2020, Mining and Minerals

A small selection of our recent work

  • Kaz Minerals: in relation to the recommended cash offer by a consortium of its two largest shareholders, in a deal that values Kaz Minerals at £3bn.
  • Endeavour Mining: advising in connection with its announced acquisition of Semafo and separately on their acquisition of Teranga.Gold. The transaction will create the largest gold miner in West Africa and a top 15 gold producer globally.
  • Glencore: advising on the sale of its subsidiary’s Carlisa Investment Corps.’s 90% interest in Mopani Copper Mines to ZCCM Investment Holdings. 
  • Jingye Group: advising on the £1.2bn acquisition of British Steel’s United Kingdom and Dutch assets.

 

Landmark deals

  • Glencore on a significant number of their most complex transactions, including:
  • in its capacity as a major shareholder of Volcan Compañía Minera on its joint venture with Cosco Shipping Ports
  • the $1.1bn acquisition of a 31% stake in Mutanda and 10.25% stake in Katanga from Fleurette Properties
  • on its US$10bn debt reduction measures, including US$2.5bn new equity capital raise and its strategic disposals including the US$3bn sale of a 49.99% interest in its agricultural business
  • the US$15.25bn RCF refinancing
  • the US$10bn acquisition of a stake in Rosneft
  • US$2.2bn convertible bond issue, subsequent IPO and listing on the LSE and HKSE, followed by its secondary listing on the JSEUS$70bn (Equity Deal of the Year: IFLR Awards)
  • the all-share merger of equals with Xstrata (M&A Deal of the Year: Financial Times and MergerMarket M&A Awards)
  • the US$7bn disposal of the Las Bambas copper mine in Peru to a Chinese consortium (Global M&A Deal of the Year: Latin America/Peru - Infrastructure Journal)
  • Rio Tinto on a number of transformational deals including:
  • in its defence of the £97bn hostile takeover offer by BHP Billiton (the largest ever announced M&A transaction), which was of unprecedented complexity owing to both companies being dual listed, and involved numerous potential conflicts of legal regimes
  • its US$40bn acquisition of Alcan and the divestment of its Alcan Engineered Products division

 

  • Sibanye Stillwater: advising on its recommended all-share offer for Lonmin.
  • Rio Tinto: advising on the successful completion of the divestment of its 68.6% stake in Rössing Uranium to China National Uranium Corporation. 
  • BHP: advising on the sale of its upstream Algerian oil and gas assets located in the Ghadames Basin to ENI
  • MMG: a subsidiary of China Minmetals on its conditional sale of MMG's 90% interest in the Sepon mine in Laos PDR to Chifeng Jilong Gold Mining.

 

 

 

  • Anglo American on a number of deals including:
  • the acquisition of a majority stake in De Beers
  • the demerger of Mondi
  • the sale of Tarmac Middle East
  • the sale of its Niobium and Phosphates businesses
  • London listings: advising the company on IPOs for Prairie Mining, Polyus Gold, Glencore, Evraz, Fresnillo, Gem Diamonds, Nikanor, Hochschild Mining, Kazakhmys, Vedanta, Xstrata, Anglo and (the banks) on IPOs for:Vallar, Konkola resources, Barrick Gold and Billiton.
  • the lenders: advising on Vale’s US$5bn Nacala Corridor rail and port project in Malawi and Mozambique to transport coal from its mines to overseas markets (Outstanding Deal of the Year: Nacala Corridor, Trade Finance Awards), on the US$750m development and financing of the EuroChem Usolsky potash mine in Russia - the first project financing of a mine in Russia. (European Mining Deal of the Year: Infrastructure Journal) and on the project financing of the Thar Block II 3.8Mt/a coal mine and 2X330MW pit mouth coal-fired power project in Pakistan (Deal of the Year: Development of the Thar Block II coal mine in Pakistan.
  • the lenders: to a variety of mining, metals and metal trading companies including Ferrexpo, Nord Gold, Zamin, DTEK, African Minerals, Essar Steel, Stemcor, Arcelor Mittal, Reliance Industries and Tata Corus on a variety of financing structures, including corporate finance, pre-export finance, borrowing base financings, ECA-backed financings and other structured financings.
  • a number of international mining companies: advising on a global compliance review including assessment of its key operations’ compliance with ABC laws and with safety, environmental and social regulations.
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