Claire Williams

Claire Williams is a Partner in the Firm’s Credit Practice, based in the London office and concentrating on infrastructure debt finance matters. She represents financial sponsors, funds and portfolio companies on complex cross-border financings across a wide range of infrastructure asset classes (including, among others, energy and energy transition, regulated utilities, transport and digital infrastructure). Claire has extensive experience on senior and subordinated financing structures for acquisition (including public-to-private), capex roll-out and refinancing transactions and regularly advises clients on multi-source and rated debt raisings.

Claire’s recent work highlights include advising:

• KKR Infrastructure in connection with the financing for:
  • its completed takeover to acquire ContourGlobal plc
  • its completed takeover to acquire Ocean Yield ASA
• Blackstone in connection with financing the voluntary tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding ordinary shares of Atlantia S.p.A.
• John Laing in connection with:
  • the refinancing of certain holdco acquisition and development facilities
  • financing the acquisition of a portfolio of assets from the Irish Infrastructure Fund
• Equitix in connection with the refinancing of certain holdco acquisition facilities
• Viridor in connection with:
  • its first investment grade rated multi-source financing  structure to refinance existing debt in its EfW business
  • its recommended takeover offer for Quantafuel ASA
  • its corporate level revolving credit facilities  

Claire was named a 2023 “UK Female Rising Star” by Law.com International and a 2023 “Rising Star of Legal Services” by Financial News. Chambers UK named Claire an Infrastructure “Associate to Watch” in its 2022 and 2023 guides. Prior to joining Simpson Thacher, Claire was a senior associate in a magic circle law firm in London and spent time on secondment to 3i Infrastructure and JPMorgan.

Claire's experience prior to Simpson Thacher included representing:

• A Blackrock-led consortium in connection with the take private of Calisen plc
• Macquarie in connection with the acquisition of Currenta
• A consortium of Allianz and Macquarie in connection with the acquisition of Elenia
• A consortium led by Macquarie and CIC in connection with the acquisition of a majority stake in National Grid's gas distribution business
• 3i Infrastructure in connection with a refinancing for the Wireless Infrastructure Group, institutional debt raisings for Scandlines and the refinancing of Belfast City Airport
• Global Infrastructure Partners in connection with a refinancing for Edinburgh Airport
• Antin in connection with a refinancing and bolt-on acquisitions for Eurofiber