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Sovereigns
Sovereigns, including governments, ministries, central banks and state-owned enterprises, play a leading role in creating, stimulating and stabilizing markets, driving innovation, and developing sustainable global economies. They need their lawyers to take an informed, experienced and nuanced approach, with appropriate sensitivity to their special concerns and perspectives.
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Hogan Lovells has been representing Sovereigns since 1904. During this time, we have been involved in the some of the most consequential matters ever to face sovereign governments and state-owned entities. We provide our sovereign clients, and clients working with sovereigns, with legal advice that is underpinned by a critical and deep rooted understanding of the environment in which they operate and transact.
Our advice covers the entire “Sovereign Cycle”; advising on the many legal aspects affecting sovereigns, including sovereign debt and restructuring; infrastructure, energy and projects; public private partnerships (PPP); international disputes and arbitration; international public law; government and public sector relations; international trade; regulatory; sovereign wealth and investments, privatizations and acquisitions and commodities.
Our global platform and network of strategic partners connects key financial centers and emerging markets, enabling our sovereign attorneys to provide in-depth local and global legal advice to our sovereign clients, and clients working with sovereigns, wherever they operate.
Our legal expertise, combined with over 100 years’ experience in advising Sovereigns makes for a powerful combination and a compelling reason to work with the Sovereigns legal team at Hogan Lovells.
Key contacts
Representative experience
Asian sovereign wealth fund in connection with the purchase of a US$100m pool of infrastructure fund interests.
Both governments and private sector clients in several WTO disputes, including with respect to the GATT and the TRIPS.
California Public Employees' Retirement System on its acquisition of interest in the Indiana Toll Road.
Government of Croatia regarding the privatization of INA oil industry.
IFC and the city of Belgrade in connection with a PPP project to transform the city's existing waste management practices.
Libyan state institutions on a range of international issues since the 2011 revolution, including engagement with UK, EU, and U.S. policymakers and legislators.
Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund on its solar energy joint venture.
The Bank of Ghana and the government of Ghana in relation to a project to reduce their domestic debt burden by converting short team treasury bills into medium term or long term debt.
The Met Office on the £1.2bn supercomputer project. The new supercomputer is designed to help improve forecasting of the Earth's atmosphere, making it more accurate, timely, and localized.
The Republic of Ecuador in one of the first-ever tests of "collective class action clauses," helping the country restructure US$17.4bn of its international bonds, its bilateral debt, and its derivatives.
The Shah Deniz Consortium (BP, SOCAR, Statoil, Total, and three minority parties) on the US$45bn Shah Deniz Phase 2 Gas Project.
The Singapore Sports Council in connection with its US$1.8bn Singapore Sports Hub project, the world's largest sports infrastructure PPP project, and the subsequent refinancing.
The Slovak Republic, against Achmea in the CJEU, achieving a landmark judgement on investor-state arbitration clauses.
The UK government on regulatory and legal advice on the negotiations of the UK-Australia and UK-New Zealand free trade agreements.
The government of Vietnam in an investment treaty arbitration brought by a French company under the Bilateral Investment Treaty between Vietnam and France.
The largest bank in Ukraine (now state-owned) against its former shareholders, including obtaining a US$2.6bn freezing order against all the defendants.
Awards and recognitions
Band 1, Dispute Resolution
Chambers Global
2022
Band 1, Infrastructure (PFI/PPP)
Chambers UK
2022
Tier 1, Projects, energy and natural resources - Infrastructure
Legal 500 UK
2022
Band 1, Asset Tracing and Recovery (Law Firms)
Chambers Global
2022
Tier 1, Parliamentary and Public Law
Legal 500 UK
2022
Tier 1, Administrative and Public Law
Legal 500 UK
2022
Tier 1, EU Regulatory
Legal 500 EMEA
2022
International Trade Practice Group of the Year
Law360
2022
Band 1, International Trade: Trade Remedies and Trade Policy
Chambers USA
2022
Tier 1, International Trade
Legal 500 US
2022
Band 1, Public Procurement
Chambers UK
2022
Top 12 Global Restructuring and Insolvency Practices
Global Restructuring Review
2022
Utilities Project of the Year
Partnership Awards
2021
International Trade Practice Group of the Year
Law360
2021
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Awards & rankings
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Press releases
Hogan Lovells welcomes the New Year with 27 new partner and 71 new counsel promotions
05 January 2022
Press releases
Hogan Lovells welcomes the New Year with 27 new partner and 71 new counsel promotions
05 January 2022
Awards & rankings
Hogan Lovells recognized at the IJGlobal 2020 Awards in eight categories for the second consecutive year
12 July 2021
Press releases
Hogan Lovells secures major antidumping victory for Brazilian millwork industry
21 January 2021
Press releases
Hogan Lovells joins ACLU in filing Supreme Court petition seeking to end discriminatory sex-based registration for the draft
08 January 2021