Kenneth E. Natale focuses on project development and related financing, with particular emphasis on energy and mineral exploration and development matters. Mr. Natale has spent more than 12 years practicing in Europe (Brussels and Warsaw) and Africa (Nairobi and Kinshasa), where his clients included electric cogeneration developers; international banks and insurance companies; oil and mineral exploration companies; foreign aid organizations; and multilateral international lenders, manufacturers and investors in connection with the acquisition of existing projects, the development of new enterprises and facilities, and related financing. He has had extensive experience coordinating and supervising local counsel in numerous countries in connection with development project issues.
Mr. Natale’s representations include—
- a U.S. mining company, with responsibility for the negotiation and drafting of project agreements and financing documentation for a $1.2 billion copper and cobalt mining project located in central Africa, including an EPCM agreement, construction and supply agreements with individual contractors, and an electric power supply agreement with the government owned utility
- an investment fund, with responsibility for the negotiation and drafting of design services agreements, a technology license agreement and a construction agreement in connection with an acquired company’s acquisition of technology and design and construction of used oil refineries in the U.S.
- a Chinese mineral development company in connection with the negotiation of an option agreement for acquisition of mining licenses in Tanzania
- the owner of an oil refinery in Morocco in connection with a $1 billion upgrade, with primary responsibility for the drafting and negotiation of EPC agreements and related documentation with a consortium of Turkish and Italian contractors
- the owner of a oil refinery in Russia in connection with the negotiation of a construction agreement for a major upgrade
- the owner of a used oil refinery in the Midwest United States in connection with the drafting and negotiation of the EPC contract and related project agreements
- the developer of a 415 MW cogeneration power project in the Netherlands with respect to negotiation and drafting of the joint development agreement and agreements with offtakers
- the developer of a 135 MW tolling facility for a steel mill in Michigan, with responsibility for negotiation and drafting of the steam and electric energy sales agreement
- a Lithuanian state-owned energy company, with responsibility for the negotiation of transmission construction, power sale and related project agreements
- a Norwegian oil and gas exploration and development company with respect to joint ventures for the development of oil fields in Albania, the Republic of Adygea and Ukraine
- a U.S. mining company in connection with a joint venture related to mining rights in Poland
- Native American tribes in Arizona, New York, Massachusetts, Nevada and California with respect to the negotiation of design/build agreements and management agreements for the construction and management of hotels, casinos and related facilities, and transactions related to the transfer and use of tribal lands.
Mr. Natale received his B.A. with high honors from the University of Notre Dame in 1974 and his J.D. from the George Washington University in 1977. He is a member of the Virginia, District of Columbia and New York bars.