Michele Arruzzolo

I am a Counsel in the Finance & Financial Regulation department based in Rome. I am an experienced lawyer who has been involved in several market firsts, both in the energy and the infrastructure sectors.

I specialise in banking & finance and project finance law, with a particular focus on the renewable energy and infrastructure sectors.

I have worked extensively on high-profile national and cross-border project finance, advising both major investment banks and major players in financing and project documentation.

I have been involved in several market firsts both in the energy and in the infrastructure field.

My area of expertise also includes company acquisitions, where I am involved in the drafting and negotiation of quota purchase agreements.

Before joining Bird & Bird, I worked at leading international and national law firms.

• Assisting an Italian bank on the €23M financing of five photovoltaic plants managed by a large energy group. The plants, with a total capacity of 64 MW, are the first project of this size without government subsidy in Italy and among the largest power plants in Europe. The transaction may open a new chapter for the photovoltaic industry in Europe, leading to increased production of subsidy-free renewable energy in both the Italian and European energy markets.

• Assisting two Italian banks on the €60M financing and partial refinancing of a 25.2 MW biomass plant owned by a private equity fund and an Italian renewable energy storage system design specialist.
• Assisting three banks in relation to the restructuring of the facilities, up to an amount of €280M, granted for the development of four wind farms, having a total capacity of 180MW and owned by a consumer services group and a French private fund.
• Assisting a private company in relation to the financing of the engineering, construction and maintenance of the motorway section which connects the motorway A4 Milano Brescia with the motorway A1 Milano Bologna (project financing of approximately €1.200 billion - €120 million Bridge Financing).
• Assisting banks in the restructuring of a loan granted in 2005 for the design and construction of lines 2 and 3 (I lot), management and maintenance of lines 1, 2 and 3 (I lot) of the tramway system in the Florence-Scandicci area (loan of approximately €166 millions).
• Assisting three investment banks in the financing for the acquisition of aircrafts by an Irish company.