Fasken fortifies Johannesburg office by adding projects and construction expert Danielle van der Vaart as a new partner

Danielle has expertise in project finance transactions related to renewable energy, infrastructure projects in Africa, and energy and utility projects in the Middle East, noted Fasken yesterday, when announcing her as a new partner. “She also has comprehensive experience in closing high-value, cross-border project financing transactions, acting as Lender counsel, Sponsor counsel and Offtaker counsel.”

Following several years in the South African office of a Magic Circle law firm, Danielle was most recently a Senior Associate at leading South African firm Webber Wentzel. 

A graduate of the University of Pretoria, with degrees in law and psychology, Danielle has extensive negotiating experience relating to key project documents such as EPC (Engineer, Procure, Construct) Contracts, Operation and Maintenance Contracts, Power Purchase Agreements, and Concession Agreements.

Fasken, an international law firm with more than 950 lawyers across ten offices on three continents, traces its African roots back to company and mining law expert William Henry Somerset Bell commencing practice in Grahamstown in 1879, before he moved to Johannesburg in 1886 and established what would later become Bell Dewar. More than 125 years later, Bell Dewar merged in 2013 with Fasken Martineau, an international business law and litigation firm based out of Canada. 

The Johannesburg team has experience and expertise in all of Africa’s established and growth industries, including mining, energy, infrastructure, healthcare, technology and finance. The addition of Danielle van der Vaart as a Partner in its Corporate & Commercial Practice Group further fortifies its project finance expertise.