Florian Kutzbach
Partner, Banking & Finance

Florian is an English law qualified Partner in the Banking & Finance team in our Frankfurt office.

Florian advises principally in the areas of global energy, natural resources and infrastructure development, project financing and corporate financing – acting for governments, developers, sponsors, ECAs/multilaterals and banks on international projects, associated financings and corporate matters.

Florian has extensive experience in emerging market financings, including many landmark projects. Geographically, Florian’s transactional experience is diverse and stretches across major emerging markets in South Eastern Europe, the Middle East, South America and Africa.

Florian has also given external lectures, presentations and seminars, including in Nigeria and Ghana and has recently been invited to speak at a conference in Kyiv on Renewable Energy financing in Ukraine.

• Florian’s experience includes:
• Advising in relation to two separate wind farm financings in Ukraine, both on the lender and sponsor side
• Advising the lenders and multilateral agencies in relation to the development, financing and construction of the Istanbul Strait Road Tunnel Crossing in Turkey. This included negotiating the first debt assumption agreement with Turkish treasury which was used as a blueprint for subsequent infrastructure financings in Turkey.
  • Deal of the Year – Transport  (Infrastructure Journal (IJ) Awards 2013),  European Deal of the Year  (Project Finance Magazine Awards 2012), Turkish Infrastructure Deal of the Year (PFI Awards 2012)
• Advising groups of lenders (including development banks) in relation to the financing of several power ships deployed to a variety of jurisdictions, including Ghana, Indonesia and Lebanon. Their capacity ranges from 175MW to 470MW (the world’s largest powership).
• Advising the lenders in relation to a SERV covered financing for a light rail network in Bolivia
• Advising the sponsors in connection with a Hermes and Delcredere Ducroire backed project financing of a 1,500 MW combined cycle power plant project in Turkey
• Advising the lenders and multilateral agencies on the financing of the development, reconstruction and operation of Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, Russia.
  • Global PPP Deal of the Year 2010 (Infrastructure Investor Awards), European Airport Deal of the Year 2010 (Project Finance)
• Advising the lenders in connection with the EKF covered financing, construction and operation of a group of wind farms projects in Turkey
  • EMEA Best Sustainability Deal 2015 (Project finance awards)

• 2000 –  2001: Legal Practice Course, College of Law (Guildford)
• 2000: LL.M. German Commercial law, University of Trier
• 1996 – 2000: LL.B. Law with European Legal Studies, University of East Anglia (Norwich)

• September 2003: Admitted as a Solicitor to the Supreme Court of England and Wales

• 2018 – present: Watson Farley & Williams, Frankfurt
• 2003 – 2018: Clifford Chance, London and Frankfurt (since 2008)
• 2001 – 2003: Clifford Chance, Trainee Solicitor