Stephen Knight

The UAE

Dentons & Co
Level 4, Trade Centre - West Tower
Abu Dhabi Mall, PO Box 47656
Abu Dhabi, UAE

Tel: +971 2 6131521

Email: stephen.knight@dentons.com
Web: www.dentons.com

Stephen Knight is a partner and co-head of the Middle East Banking and Finance practice in Dentons’ Abu Dhabi office. He has 18 years’ experience of working on a wide range of finance matters, including advising grantors, sponsors/borrowers and lenders on finance transactions and he regularly advises on both finance documents (conventional and Islamic) and commercial contracts.

He has experience across a range of different sectors, including infrastructure/BOT/PPP transactions (especially in the healthcare, education and retail, leisure and hospitality sectors) and also power (renewable and thermal) and water financings. Stephen advises on English law and UAE law transactions.

Stephen Knight is a partner and co-head of the Middle East Banking and Finance practice in Dentons’ Abu Dhabi office. He has 18 years’ experience of working on a wide range of finance matters, including advising grantors, sponsors/borrowers and lenders on finance transactions and he regularly advises on both finance documents (conventional and Islamic) and commercial contracts. He has experience across a range of different sectors, including infrastructure/BOT/PPP transactions (especially in the healthcare, education and retail, leisure and hospitality sectors) and also power (renewable and thermal) and water financings.

Experience
  • Shuaa Energy 2 PSC (an affiliate of Masdar and EDF-Renewables): Advising on the refinancing and IBOR reform of the DEWA III Solar Power Project.
  • HSBC Bank Middle East Limited & First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC: Advising in relation to syndicated SLL loan facilities provided to Etihad Airways PJSC . This was the first SLL loan in the global aviation sector and used the LMA’s Sustainability Linked Loan principles.
  • Etihad Rail PJSC: Advising in relation to the financing of the Etihad Rail Passenger Project provided by First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC using the LMA’s Green Loan principles.
  • Aldar Properties PJSC: Advising in relation to bilateral term loan facilities provided by Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank and HSBC Bank Middle East. The HSBC loan was the first loan in the GCC to use the LMA’s Sustainability Linked Loan principles.
  • First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC: Advising in relation to the financing of Masdar Green REIT’s platform using the LMA’s Green Loan principles and allowed for additional properties and debt to be added to the structure.

Banking and finance is at the heart of every economy, providing the means to help businesses expand and investors grow. Dentons’ Banking and Finance team operates at the industry’s forefront, working with innovative finance products across the world.

Our integrated global team of Banking and Finance lawyers and professionals offers an expansive breadth of insight, helping our clients to structure and document transactions that help to provide financing to virtually every industry. Since Dentons represents both finance providers and users, you benefit from counsel that understands the needs and wants of each party. Whether yours is a domestic bank in Hong Kong, a government development bank, or banks in several other locations, our team understands you.

Dentons’ extensive, deep sector-specific experience also ensures you’re working with a team that’s fluent in your language and understands the local market. In fact, emerging jurisdictions often engage Dentons to assist in the development of banking and finance legislative frameworks.

Dentons is designed to be different. As the world’s largest global law firm with 21,000 professionals in over 200 locations in more than 80 countries, we can help you grow, protect, operate and finance your business. Our polycentric and purpose-driven approach, together with our commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and ESG, ensures we challenge the status quo to stay focused on what matters most to you.