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Scott Neilson

Partner

Tokyo

Image of Scott Neilson
Scott Neilson

Partner

Tokyo

Scott is one of the world’s leading lawyers in the energy, infrastructure and financing spaces. He has over 20 years of international experience in projects, export credit and multisource financings, acquisition finance and restructurings. Scott has advised export credit agencies, lenders, project sponsors and project companies on transactions in every continent except Antarctica. He also has deep shipping sector experience.

Scott is sought after by clients for his extensive international experience representing clients on many of the world’s largest and most innovative projects. His recent experience includes advising on the world’s largest project financing (the USD20 bn project financing for the USD34 bn Ichthys LNG project) and many first in country and first in kind projects, such as the world’s first project financing of a floating LNG unit and Africa’s biggest project financing at the time (the USD5 bn Coral South FLNG project), the first LNG-to-power project in Asia (the USD1.8 bn Jawa 1 integrated gas to power project in Indonesia which included a 1,760MW CCGT and an FSRU) and one of the world’s largest and Dubai’s first waste to energy plant (Warsan WtE).

Regarded as a true expert in his field, Scott recently authored the chapter on export credit agencies in the book, Liquefied Natural Gas: The Law and Business of LNG, Third Edition.

Related articles

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Publications: 25 September 2023

Part 5: Conclusion and potential solutions

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Read more Part 5: Conclusion and potential solutions

Publications: 25 September 2023

Part 4: Private finance is positioned to meet the opportunity and fill the needs gap

Read more Part 4: Private finance is positioned to meet the opportunity and fill the needs gap

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Part 3: Public finance and policies must play a catalytic role

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Part 2: The need for sector- and region-wide climate strategies

Read more Part 2: The need for sector- and region-wide climate strategies

Experience highlights

Office

Tokyo

JP Tower 22F, 2-7-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo
100-7022

View office →

Qualifications

Professional

Registered Foreign Lawyer (Australia, New South Wales, England & Wales), Japan, 2010, 2014 (Tokyo Bar Association)

Admitted as solicitor, England and Wales, 2006

Admitted as solicitor, New South Wales, Australia, 2001

Academic

Bcom, Accounting, The University of New South Wales, 2000

LLB (Hons), The University of New South Wales, 2000

Graduate Diploma, Legal Practice, The College of Law, Sydney, 2001

Other noteworthy experience 

Advising:

LNG Liquefaction

  • Tangguh LNG Train 3 expansion project – USD3.745bn trustee borrower scheme financing acting for the lenders.
  • Donggi Senoro LNG – All aspects of the project acting for the project company. This included a USD2.8bn project financing and was the first time the trustee borrower scheme was dispensed with and the first all Asian sponsored LNG project.
  • Bonny Island LNG complex expansion project – Nigeria LNG and its shareholders on the financing of the seventh phase expansion of its Bonny Island LNG complex.

LNG regasification and LNG to power

  • Jawa 1 gas to power in Indonesia – USD1.8bn project financing acting for the lenders. This was the first integrated gas to power project in Asia and is a 1,760MW gas fired power plant and an FSRU.
  • Manzanillo onshore LNG regasification plant in Mexico – USD875mn project financing acting for the project company.

Power

  • 50MW Tsetsii wind farm in Mongolia – acting for the lenders. This was the first dollar-denominated project finance debt transaction by JICA through its Private Sector Investment Finance scheme.
  • 129MW Q10 offshore wind farm in the Netherlands – acting for the lenders.
  • 210MW Westermost Rough wind farm in England – acting for the lenders. This was the first financing in the UK OSW sector which took construction risk.
  • 1,800MW gas fired power plant in Sharjah, UAE – acting for the project company. Included a USD1bn financing.
  • Acquisition of 5 CCGT power plants (2.2GW) and a gas pipeline in Mexico by Mitsui and Tokyo Gas – acting for the lenders on the USD750mn innovative limited recourse portfolio financing. 90MW geothermal power plant in Theistareykir, Iceland – acting for JBIC. The USD68mn buyer’s credit financing included JBIC’s first loan to Iceland.

Acquisition financing

  • Acquisition of Jaguar and LandRover by Tata Motors from Ford – acting for the lenders on the USD3bn financing.
  • Acquisition of RBC’s aircraft leasing business by SMBC and Sumitomo Corporation – acting for JBIC on the USD3bn financing.

Pro bono

  • Scott advised UNOPS in relation to its investment in Acme Solar Holdings Ltd’s 250MW solar project in Rajasthan, India.

Published work

Recognition

Awards & accolades

Ranked Band 1: Projects & Energy in Japan (International Firms)

Chambers Asia Pacific, 2021, 2022, 2023

Leading Individual: Projects and Energy in Japan (International Firms: Gaiben)

Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

Global Leader, Project Finance

Who's Who Legal 2022