Freshfields has advised the consortium of infrastructure investors comprising Alberta Investment Management Corporation (on behalf of its clients), OMERS, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Wren House Infrastructure Management Limited (the infrastructure investing arm of the Kuwait Investment Authority) (the “Consortium”) on its agreement to acquire the company that owns and operates London City Airport from Global Infrastructure Partners and Highstar Capital.
London City Airport opened in 1987 and handled over 4 million passengers in 2015. Located in close proximity to Canary Wharf, the City of London and London’s West End it has excellent transport links and is a highly attractive UK infrastructure investment.

Laurie McFadden, a senior partner in the infrastructure group and head of Freshfields’ global energy and natural resources group, commented: ‘This landmark deal drew on the infrastructure team’s unparalleled expertise in the airports sector – we’ve acted on all the major UK airport transactions in recent years and we are delighted to have advised the consortium on this major infrastructure acquisition.’

The Freshfields team was led by corporate partners Laurie McFadden and Martin Nelson-Jones and corporate senior associate James Scott. They were supported by planning counsel Vanessa Jakovich, real estate partner Emma Kendall, tax partner Colin Hargreaves and anti-trust and competition partner Alastair Chapman.