Uster Law represents international corporate clients, funds, financial institutions and governments on complex power, water, natural resources (mining and oil & gas) and infrastructure projects internationally.

Firm

Kerim Uster, the Firm’s founder, is specialised in international law, general corporate and commercial law, international arbitration, project development and other matters, primarily in the energy, infrastructure and natural resources sectors. He has great experience at dealing with African jurisdictions, particularly OHADA jurisdictions.

Prior to creating Uster Law in 2021, Kerim acquired significant experience at several renowned anglo-saxon law firms. He regularly appears before the Turkish national media (TV, press) on various international law matters and international politics and delivers trainings in international law. He also regularly drafts articles for the French national press.

Kerim holds a postgraduate law degree in business law from the University of Panthéon Sorbonne (Paris), an LLM. from the London School of Economics (London) and a Master’s in international law from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Geneva).

Kerim speaks French, Turkish and English.

Expertise

Renewable Energy and ESCO Deals

Kerim has great experience in advising on the development, financing (and refinancing), equity investment, construction, acquisitions, disposals across a wide range of renewable energy projects (including wind, solar, geothermal and hydro projects), primarily in Africa. He has an acute experience in advising on ESCO deals.

Power

Kerim has substantial experience in IPP projects. His practice covers the drafting and negotiation of project agreements (PPA, EPC, O&M, Host Government Agreement) as well as any other aspects relating to the implementation of power projects.

Mining

Kerim advises mining actors in connection with the financing, development and operation of their project. He has extensive knowledge of many mining laws as well as an ability to engage with the legal culture. His practice covers legal and regulatory due diligence, as well as drafting and (re)negotiation of mining agreements and investment and partnership agreements with Host States, primarily in Africa, including in Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

OHADA Law

Over the last few years, Kerim has developed an unrivaled expertise assisting his clients setting up their operations and business in sub-Saharan Africa and French speaking countries and are therefore extremely familiar with the OHADA law, the legal corpus common to 17 West African countries. Kerim regularly assists investors in West Africa whether regarding the setting up, or restructuring, of their company, grant of securities, acquisition, insolvency procedure.

International Arbitration

Kerim has also experience in cross-border disputes and international arbitration, particularly in the energy, mining and construction sectors. He also focuses his practice on advising clients regarding their disputes in African jurisdictions, in particular in the OHADA region.

Acquisitions

Kerim assists his clients with an acute expertise with respect to the acquisition and/or liquidation of their investments in the infrastructure, mining, energy and transportation sectors.