Ayesha K. Waheed

Partner

Ayesha Waheed practices principally in the project finance, infrastructure, and natural resources practice. She represents developers and lenders in oil and gas, power generation, and infrastructure projects, and has experience in all aspects of structuring, negotiating, and drafting finance and commercial documents in connection with international project financings and privatizations. She counsels companies that are developing and deploying new energy resources, including renewable energy. Ayesha is an active member of the firm’s energy industry team, international projects working group, and hydrogen working group.

commercial and pragmatic in approach and always a pleasure to work with

Legal 500 UK

strong on large multi-source project financings – with a focus on lender side work

Legal 500 UK

Extended Profile

Ayesha is recognized as a leading lawyer for Project Development and Banking and Finance by IFLR 1000; a thought leader and a global leader by Who's Who Legal; and a recognized practitioner by Chambers UK. She has been described in The Legal 500 UK as “commercial and pragmatic in approach and always a pleasure to work with” and “strong on large multi-source project financings.”

Before joining Morgan Lewis, Ayesha was a partner at another global law firm.

Selected Representations

Oil & Gas

Commercial banks in connection with a $2.55 billion syndicated facility for the Australia Pacific LNG project
Purchasers in connection with a $1.4 billion US private placement for the Australia Pacific LNG project
Lenders in connection with a bank and bond financing for the $42 billion expansion to the Tengizchevroil Project in Kazakhstan

Mining

Yildirim Holding as sponsor in connection with the $260 million acquisition and capex facilities provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for a chrome ore mine in Kazakhstan
Yildirim Holding as sponsor in connection with the $100 million acquisition financing of the Tikhvin ferroalloy plant in Russia

Power

Institutional investors in connection with the US private place refinancing of a portfolio of wind farms in the Nordic region
Kremna Enerji and Gama Enerji in connection with the restructuring of facilities provided by multilateral institutions and commercial banks for the construction and development of hydro power plants in Turkey
EBRD as lender under Turkish Lira denominated facilities equivalent to $225 million made available to EnerjiSA Enerji, a major Turkish utility, for purposes of upgrading its electricity distribution assets
Akfen Renewables in connection with project financing for the development, construction, operation, and maintenance of a portfolio of solar power plants in Turkey financed by EBRD and Turkish commercial banks
Akfen Renewables in connection with project financing for the development, construction, operation, and maintenance of four greenfield wind farm projects in Turkey financed by EBRD and commercial banks with export credit agency cover
A potential investor in the financing of a South African solar project

Infrastructure

Institutional investors in connection with a US private placement refinancing for a portfolio of ports in Canada
Institutional investors in connection with a US private placement financing for the construction and development of a cruise port in the Bahamas
Institutional investors in connection with a US private placement financing for the construction and development of a cruise port in the United States
Yildirim Holding in connection with export credit agency (ECA) covered loans for the development of a urea and ammonia plant in Turkey
Yilport Holding in connection with an ECA covered loan for its port in Ecuador
Yilport Holding in connection with the acquisition and capex financing provided by the European Investment Bank and commercial banks for its portfolio of ports in Portugal
DenizBank as lead arranger in connection with the financing provided to an SPV set up by TAV Airports for the concession to operate and maintain Bodrum Airport