Simmons & Simmons
Law Firm of the Year
What is it?
Simmons & Simmons is a global law firm, with more than 1,000 legal staff. The water practice is part of the Projects group, with 35 partners or associates. Key staff in water are located in Paris, London and Abu Dhabi.
What has it done?
In Algeria, S&S advised the Hyflux/Malakoff consortium on the financing, construction and operation of the $200 million, 200,000 m3/d Tlemcen desalination project, which is being built in a joint venture with Algerian Energy Company. The firm also advised Veolia Water UK on its acquisition of the unregulated businesses of Thames Water Services, and advised the Bunya consortium of three UAE developers on the infrastructure for Al Reem Island, a residential and commercial project close to Abu Dhabi City.
What has it done?
- In 2007, S&S worked on a dozen individual transactions in the water sector, ranging from litigation on water pollution to advice on UK water industry regulation and on Independent Water and Power Projects (IWPPs) in the Gulf and North Africa.
- It has a very strong focus on emerging countries, and is one of the few firms active in North Africa. It advised the sponsors of the first large-scale SWRO plant in Algeria, and has worked on many of the subsequent Algerian desal projects which followed.
- Its Paris office is particularly strong, with links to the two French water giants Veolia and Suez.