Charles Johnson
Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright US Consultores em Direito Estrangeiro
Norton Rose Fulbright US Consultores em Direito Estrangeiro
Related services and key industries
Related services
Biography
Charles Johnson is the head of our office in São Paulo, Brazil where he has been based since January 2002. He represents financial institutions, public and private companies, private equity funds and hedge funds on a wide range of financial and commercial transactions.
Charles has more than twenty-five years of cross-border experience with particular focus on financial restructurings and structured trade, project, asset and development/export credit agency financings in emerging markets, especially Brazil and wider Latin America. He also has extensive experience of advising in relation to commercial matters, particularly in the mining, wastewater/sanitation, energy and offshore oil sectors.
Charles is named in the current editions of Chambers Latin America, Legal 500 Latin America, Latin Lawyer 250, Who's Who Legal and ILFR 1000 as one of the leading locally based international lawyers for banking and finance in Brazil.
Professional experience
Collapse all- Represented the sponsor in relation to the combined US$300 million+ project financings for two parallel wind farm projects in Peru; in relation to which financing was provided by three European development agencies, US-Exim, CAF and various commercial lenders. Awarded Best Renewable Energy Financing by Latin Finance.
- Represented the sponsor in relation to a US$430 million ECA backed project financing for the construction and chartering of a deepwater drilling platform chartered to a Brazilian state oil company.
- Represented a group of commercial banks in connection with the restructuring and refinancing of existing US$ export prepayment and BRL CCE facilities in an aggregate amount of approximately US$925 million secured on Brazilian and offshore assets provided to a Brazilian sugar and ethanol producer.
- Represented the sponsor in relation to a BRL 324 million facility provided by IDB and IDB Invest to finance a wastewater project in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil. Awarded Latin America Water Deal of the Year by IJGlobal and Water Treatment Financing of the Year by Latin Finance.
- Represented the bank steering committee in the restructuring of approximately US$1.9 billion of debt of a Brazilian media group.
- Represented the sole mandated lead arranger in relation to an up to US$450 million syndicated revolving ACC credit facility to a Brazilian sugar and ethanol producer. Named Deal of the Year by Global Trade Review magazine and Best Americas Commodities Finance Deal of the Year by TXF magazine.
- Represented a European bilateral development agency in relation to separate structured pre-export finance facilities for an Argentine agricultural producer in the amounts of US$250 million, US$150 million, US$75 million and US$60 million.
- Represented the lead arranger in relation to a US$100 million letter of credit issuance facility agreement for a Uruguayan agribusiness group and its Singaporean trading company parent. Named Deal of the Year by Global Trade Review magazine.
- Represented the arranger in relation to a US$70 million structured export finance facility for a Peruvian copper mining company and the subsequent US$55 million refinancing of the same.
- Represented the arranger in relation to a US$135 million structured export finance facility for a Venezuelan iron ore producer and the subsequent refinancing of the same. Named Deal of the Year by Trade Finance magazine, Global Trade Review magazine and Trade & Forfaiting Review magazine.
- Represented a Brazilian metals and mining company in relation to a US$3 billion syndicated standby credit facility.
- Represented two European bilateral development agencies in relation to the restructuring of separate financings to a Brazilian industrial group totaling US$60 million.
- Represented a Brazilian electricity distribution company in the restructuring of its approximately US$1 billion indebtedness and a subsequent consent solicitation to amend terms of their reprofiled dollar debt indenture to permit asset unbundling required by Brazilian electricity sector laws.
- Represented the lenders in relation to the restructuring of separate US$25 million and US$30 million pre-export finance facilities for Brazilian sugar and ethanol producers.
- Represented the borrower in relation to the restructuring of a US$25 million pre-export finance facility for a Brazilian soya producer.
- Represented a Brazilian petrochemicals company in relation to separate US$250 million and US$350 million syndicated standby credit facilities.
- Represented a Brazilian petrochemicals company in relation to a US$210 million syndicated finance facility for the acquisition of a US company.
- Represented a Chinese state development bank in relation to a US$10 billion trade backed financing facility for a Brazilian state oil company.
- Represented a Brazilian metals and mining company in connection with a joint venture for the development of an iron ore project and associated logistics project in West Africa.
- Represented a Brazilian state owned electricity company in relation to a €13 million loan facility from a European development agency for the construction of small hydroelectric power plants.
- Represented a Brazilian state petroleum producer on several different transactions involving the chartering and/or financing of offshore platforms.
- Represented the lead arranger in relation to a US$100 million syndicated draft discounting facility for a Brazilian metals and mining company.
- Represented a Brazilian gas distribution company in relation to a €200 million loan from a European development bank with the benefit of commercial bank guarantees.
- Represented the arranger in relation to separate US$225 million and US$255 million structured import finance facilities for a Brazilian petrochemicals company.
- Represented the joint lead arrangers of a US$725 million syndicated secured pre-export finance facility for a Brazilian petrochemicals company. Named Deal of the Year by Trade Finance magazine, Global Trade Review magazine and Trade & Forfaiting Review magazine and Best Syndicated Loan by LatinFinance magazine.
- Represented a Canadian development bank in relation to a US$50 million financing for a Chilean state oil company, and separate US$250 million and US$500 million financings for a Brazilian state oil company.
- Represented the placement agent in relation to an issuance of US$150 million convertible notes by a Brazilian sugar and ethanol producer.
- Represented the lead arranger of a US$30 million secured export finance note issuance for a Mexican metals and mining company.
- Chambers Global and Chambers Latin America - leading international lawyer for banking and finance in Brazil and Latin America, Chambers and Partners, 2010 – 2025: where he is described by market sources as "very technical and very thorough," who say "He does everything extremely well and has a well-rounded view of transactions."
- Legal 500 Latin America - Leading Partner: Banking & Finance, "hailed by clients for his market knowledge and experience: There is no transaction he hasn't seen before, which makes us feel very safe," and which quotes sources as describing him as "very responsive," "knowledgeable" and "a great asset in negotiations," 2012 – 2025
- ILFR 1000 - Highly Regarded lawyer for banking, capital markets and M&A in Brazil, Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC, 2010 – 2023
- Latin Lawyer 250 - Recommended lawyer for project finance and banking and finance.
- Who's Who Legal Brazil - Recommended Lawyer for banking in Brazil, Law Business Research, 2011 – 2023
- Portuguese
- Spanish
Insights
Global offshore wind: Brazil
Publication | January 01, 2024
Global offshore wind: Key markets and prospects
Publication | September 27, 2023
Mining law insights
Publication | January 15, 2022