International law firm Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has appointed Patrick Hirsch as a partner in the Projects, Energy and Infrastructure (PEI) team based in its Johannesburg office.

Hirsch, who has 30 years of experience, specialises in project development and project finance, including public-private partnerships. In project finance, he acts for both borrowers and lenders in South Africa and other African countries across a range of industries.

In other financing transactions, he advises borrowers and lenders on acquisitions and general corporate facilities, HSF says.

More recently, Hirsch has focused his practice on the renewable-energy sector. He advised financial services firm Standard Bank and other lenders in six solar PV projects that reached financial close.

He also advised financial services firm Absa Bank and development finance institution the Development Bank of Southern Africa in three wind power projects that reached financial close, all of which were under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.

Further, Hirsch also acted for the borrower and sponsors in relation to the project financing of Gigawatt’s 100 MW gas-fired Ressano Garcia power station project, in Mozambique.

Hirsch has been ranked for Projects and Energy in South Africa by Chambers for the past 10 consecutive years, from 2015 to 2024, and has also been ranked by legal firms guide IFLR1000.

Clients have noted that he is "technically excellent and thorough", HSF notes.

"Patrick is a highly rated, capable and experienced project finance lawyer. He is recognised as a market leader and a well-respected figure in the industry. His arrival at the firm will further strengthen our offering across the projects, energy and infrastructure sectors, particularly in the energy transition space," says HSF Johannesburg office managing partner Jean Meijer.

"Herbert Smith Freehills, supported by the lawyers from the Johannesburg office, some of whom I know very well, has become a leading legal adviser in the projects space in South Africa in a relatively short time. I am excited to be a part of this growth journey with a well-defined sector focus in an international environment," says Hirsch.

Hirsch is the third partner or director to be hired at the firm's Johannesburg office in the past year. He joins HSF from law firm Bowmans where he was a partner and head of the project finance practice.

HSF in Johannesburg, which opened in 2015, currently has a team of more than 40 lawyers, including nine partners.