Jeffrey S. Lewis
Partner
Chambers Global
“He is a very skillful negotiator who deals with the most complex cases. If I had to choose someone to fully delegate any complex matter, he would be my first, if not only, choice. He is one of the best external lawyers that I have worked with. He's a very quick thinker, and is very pragmatic and efficient.”
Chambers Global
“He provides the best negotiation insights we’ve seen and is extremely impressive in his ability to get to the core of the issue. He doesn’t waste any time.”
Chambers Latin America
“He has a ton of experience, knows the region and knows our business. I would work with him in a flash.”
Chambers Latin America
“Jeffrey Lewis is my go-to lawyer… He is an excellent adviser and is 100% reliable.”
Chambers USA
“He is among the best. He is creative, rigorous and practical.”
Jeff Lewis’ practice focuses on domestic and international business and financing transactions.
He has advised private and public sector clients in connection with mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and private equity investments. Jeff has substantial experience in the natural resources and energy sectors.
Jeff joined the firm in 1987 and became a partner in 1995.
Notable Experience
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LATAM Airlines in its $2.25 billion strategic partnership with Delta, and its voluntary reorganization and restructuring of debt under Chapter 11 protection in the United States.
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Pluspetrol, an independent oil & gas firm, in its $294 million acquisition of Apco Oil and Gas International, and in its $400 million acquisition of Harvest Natural Resource’s stake in Petrodelta, an oil and gas exploration and development company majority owned by the Republic of Venezuela.
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Vale in numerous M&A transactions, including in its strategic partnership with Manara Minerals, a joint venture between Saudi Arabian Mining Company and the Public Investment Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, pursuant to which Manara Minerals will invest in Vale Base Metals Limited, the holding entity of Vale’s energy transition metals business, at an implied enterprise value of $26 billion; the $2.5 billion sale of its fertilizer business to The Mosaic Company; its $1.6 billion acquisition of the Latin American iron ore assets and potash business of Rio Tinto; its $19 billion acquisition of Inco; its Peruvian phosphate joint venture with Mosaic and Mitsui; its sale of 60% of its Bayovar phosphate mining project to Mitsui and Mosaic; its sale of a stake in Mineracão Rio do Norte to Norsk Hydro ASA; the sale of coal assets in Colombia to a subsidiary of Colombian Natural Resources, a privately-held mining company; its acquisition of Mitsui’s stake in the Moatize coal mine in Mozambique and related Logistics assets in Mozambique and Malawi; and in the sale of its Vale New Caledonia nickel and cobalt mining business.
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Vale, Dongkuk, and Posco in the sale of Companhia Siderúrgica do Pecém to ArcelorMittal Brasil S.A.
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ABB in the formation of a 50/50 joint venture with the Niedax to deliver advanced cable tray solutions and services to electrical contractors, distributors, and systems integrators across the United States, Canada, and Mexico; and in its acquisition of Siemens’ low voltage NEMA motor business.
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Compass Minerals in Koch Minerals & Trading LLC’s $252 million investment in Compass Minerals through the purchase of its common stock to support phase-one development of its previously identified 2.4 mMT lithium carbonate equivalent Great Salt Lake resource and debt reduction.
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BHP Billiton in numerous matters, including the multibillion-dollar South32 demerger and its $40 billion hostile bid for Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan.
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CAP in connection with a desalination project in Chile.
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Codelco in the negotiation of the acquisition from Anglo American and Mitsubishi by a special purpose subsidiary of Codelco of 29.5% of the equity of Anglo American Sur, and the negotiation of the sale to Mitsui of approximately 17% of Codelco’s interest in such asset for a purchase price of approximately $1.1 billion.
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Enel on strategic and U.S. issues in connection with its R$5.5 billion ($1.5 billion) acquisition of 73% of the shares of Eletropaulo through a voluntary tender offer.
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AmBev and its subsidiary, Cervecería Quilmes, in a transaction with their indirect controlling shareholder, AB InBev, pursuant to which Quilmes received an exclusive, perpetual, and irrevocable license to produce, sell, and market Budweiser beer and related products in Argentina and rights to other North American beer products.
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Google in connection with wind energy projects in the United States.
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Shell Oil Company, Pemex, and PDVSA in connection with multi-billion dollar oil refinery projects in Texas.
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Suez Energy in Brazil, Panama, and Chile, including the $400 million project financing of a greenfield coal-fired power plant in Chile and the project financing of the Cana Brava hydroelectric power plant in Brazil.
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Eni in its strategic agreement with Falck Renewables for the joint development of renewable energy projects in the United States.
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Citigroup Venture Capital and BMG Limited Partnership as sponsors in the project financing of Northeast Biofuels, a special purpose vehicle formed to develop an ethanol production facility in New York.
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Tupy in its €210 million acquisition of Teksid from Fiat Chrysler.
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The Clorox Company in the sale of certain wholly owned subsidiaries, with operations in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay (collectively, Clorox Argentina), to an investment group led by Apex Capital.
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Antofagasta in its acquisition of beneficial ownership of approximately 19% of the outstanding shares of Peru’s largest, publicly traded precious and base metals company, Buenaventura, and the sale of its interest in the El Arrayan Wind Energy Farm in Chile.
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Alpha Natural Resources in its $8.5 billion merger with Massey Energy; its $2 billion merger with Foundation Coal; and its entrance into and subsequent termination of its $10 billion merger with Cliffs Natural Resources.
Publications
Events
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June 26, 2019
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June 16, 2016
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May 7, 2014
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November 14, 2013
The New Brazilian Takeover Panel and Listed Company M&A in Brazil