Michelle is a Counsel in the Projects Group.

Michelle’s practice focuses on international project financing and development. With deep experience of the energy and infrastructure sector, she regularly advises sponsors, developers, project companies and lenders on some of the most complex, high value project finance, joint venture, M&A and development transactions in the power, metals and mining, oil and gas and renewables sectors.

Michelle also has direct industry experience, having undertaken a six-month secondment with a top-five global mining major in London in 2015.

Prior to joining WFW, Michelle spent over 10 years in the London and Hong Kong offices of a leading U.S. firm where in addition to her project financing and development work, she also acted on a broad range of corporate and leveraged financing transactions, including margin loans, private credit transactions and restructuring of debt arrangements.

Michelle is qualified to practice in both England and Wales and Hong Kong and is proficient in Korean.

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  • Advising a consortium led by China Three Gorges in relation to the 462 MW Chaglla hydro-electric plant in the Huallaga river, Peru. Named “Banking and Finance Deal of the Year” by Latin Lawyer in 2019.
  • Advising Rio Tinto and the project company in relation to the Oyu Tolgoi copper and gold mining project in Mongolia (the largest copper mine under development in the world). Named “Asia-Pacific Mining Deal of the Year” by Project Finance International in 2015.
  • Advising Australia Pacific LNG in connection with the partial refinancing of its US$8.5bn project financing with new secured term debt and a private placement of US$1.4bn of senior notes. Named “Asia-Pacific Midstream Oil & Gas Deal of the Year” by IJGlobal in 2018.
  • Advising Kinross Gold Corporation in relation to the US$300m project financing for the Tasiast gold mine in Mauritania.

Education

  1. 2013 · Kaplan Law School, Legal Practice Course (Distinction)
  2. 2012 · University of Cambridge, Newnham College, LLM (First Class Honours)
  3. 2009 · University of Oxford, New College, M.A. Jurisprudence