Liquefied Natural Gas

Sidley is a recognized leader in advising clients on the business opportunities and complex legal challenges that arise in liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, having worked on numerous “first of its kind” and “deal of the year” projects throughout the world. Over the last decade, our lawyers worked on more than 40 high-profile LNG projects worldwide, providing comprehensive advice on all aspects of those transactions. This includes matters ranging from the development of liquefaction and regasification facilities to selling, trading and importation of LNG and related regulatory issues. Members of our team have served, or are serving, as lead project counsel for numerous greenfield LNG liquefaction projects and have substantial experience with LNG import and export terminals in North and South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Our lawyers represented parties on more than 40 LNG projects worldwide, including over 10 LNG projects since 2018
Of the 13 regas facilities in the United States, our lawyers represented parties in 10
Of the first wave of U.S.-based liquefaction facilities, Sidley team members represented parties in three of the initial five projects

Sidley is known for its “expertise in oil and gas, particularity LNG matters” and for advising “blue-chip companies on sophisticated project development and financing mandates.”
Chambers Global 2019

“Deal of the Year” at PFI Americas Awards 2023
Sidley represented GIC, a global investment firm that manages Singapore’s reserves, in connection with its commitment to NextDecade Corporation’s Phase 1, US$18.4 billion LNG project.

We add value to our clients in the following ways:

Regas – Sidley lawyers have worked on regasification facilities in North America (10 of 13 regas facilities), South America and the Middle East, as well as traditional land-based regasification facilities, floating storage and regas facilities and gas-to-power arrangements, which tie the import of LNG to the dispatch cycles of local power plants.
Liquefaction – Having worked on more than 20 liquefaction plants throughout the world, our lawyers bring many decades of experience to the full life cycle of liquefaction projects in North America, South America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, including development, construction, off-take/tolling, equity structuring, financing and operational matters. We have worked on land-based facilities, floating LNG terminals and related offshore LNG terminals. In the international realm, we have deep experience with host government investment agreements, competition law considerations and other cross-border issues.
Equity – The LNG market has evolved significantly in recent years to include financial investors such as private equity firms in the permanent equity capital of LNG projects. We have been at the forefront of structuring and closing private equity investments in multiple LNG projects under development in the United States.
Regulatory – In the United States, Sidley assists clients in obtaining (and complying with) short-term and long-term permits for the import and export of natural gas from the U.S. Department of Energy and Canada’s National Energy Board. We also represent clients in securing permits from FERC, the U.S. Coast Guard and other federal and state regulatory agencies with respect to the construction and expansion of LNG terminals.

Our lawyers routinely advise clients with respect to compliance with Foreign Trade Regulations, including reporting their exports to the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.