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Leopoldo de Amaral

Leopoldo de Amaral.png
POSITION
Managing Partner

 

LANGUAGE

Portuguese
English

 

PHONE

(+258) 84 315 9050

(+258) 82 315 9050

(+258) 21 082 776

E-MAIL

lamaral@loamoz.com

CURRICULUM PROFILE

A member of AIEN (the Association of International Energy Negotiators, ex-AIPN), the Mozambique Bar Association and a Trade Mark Agent, Leopoldo is an LLB graduate from Eduardo Mondlane University (2000 - Mozambique) and LLM from University of Pretoria (2002 - South Africa). He is trained in Mining, Petroleum Law and Contracts by Wits University (South Africa). He was for several years an international law lecturer at Eduardo Mondlane University (Mozambique) and has vast experience in consulting for public and private entities in Mozambique. From 2013 to 2020 he represented major mining and oil & gas companies in Mozambique, and lenders and sponsors on power projects.

 

His legal career spans from DLA Piper-SAL & Caldeira Advogados (Legal Advisor: 1999-2006 Mozambique); Open Society Foundation Southern Africa (Program Manager: 2006-2013 based in Johannesburg, South Africa); DLA Piper-SAL & Caldeira Advogados (Manager: 2013-2015 Mozambique) and DLA Piper-SAL & Caldeira Advogados (Partner: 2015-2020 Mozambique), and LOA Advogados Associados (Managing Partner: 2021 to present).

AREA OF EXPERTISE

  • Commercial Law (corporate and finances), Energy & Natural Resources (Oil & Gas; Power; Mining; Telecommunications and Environment Law).

WORK HIGHLIGHTS

  • Representing the Operator of the Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin’s 15,2 mtpa LNG project, a US$23 billion project financing and development;

  • Assisting a global top 10 leading oil company in a US$2,8 billion M&A of the US$23 billion Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin LNG project;

  • Assist two top 10 global oil company in a successful Exploration bid for three oil and gas blocks in the Mozambique 5th Licensing Round and negotiate the Exploration Agreements and licensing;

  • Assist the leading Area 1 of the Rovuma Basin Operator to negotiate and obtain a legal and contractual regime for the development of 125tfc of natural gas in Mozambique, a project valued at US$20 billion;

  • M&A including due diligence, contractual documentation and complete compliance issues on the first Rare Earths’ mining project in Mozambique;

  • Negotiation of contractual, financing agreements and licensing largest coal mining project in Mozambique; Overall legal services;

  • Negotiated the contratual arrangement, the financing and commissioning of the Balama graphite project in Mozambique, the largest integrated natural graphite mine and processing plant globally as measured by annual flake concentrate production capacity. Commissioned in 2017;

  • Assist a large Japanese company to invest in acquiring a participation interest in the largest mining company in Mozambique as well as in the rail and port infrastructure in Mozambique;

  • Leading lenders local counsel advice and assistance in relation to a concession to build, operate and transfer a Temane 450 MW gas-fired generating plant and a 563km transmission line;

  • Leading project counsel for the financing and construction of a 120 MW Namaacha wind power generating plant, the first of its kind in Mozambique;

  • Leading local project counsel for the financing and construction of a LNG powered long-term base load of 400 MW power plant in the Nacala Velha region, including the LNG Terminal;

PUBLICATIONS

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