Orrick Advises SGCIB on Its Financing of WAAT, a Major Player in Electric Recharging Solutions in France

3 minute read | March.11.2025

Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking (SGCIB) has provided a €63 million financing package to WAAT, a leading provider of electric recharging solutions in France. This includes an uncommitted €25 million accordion facility.

Orrick represented SGCIB.

THE IMPACT

This tailor-made financing will accelerate WATT’s expansion in the home recharging sector, enhancing their presence and contributing significantly to the development of electric vehicles and recharging solutions in France. This initiative will also aid in reducing France's carbon footprint.

THE TEAM

Orrick’s Paul Loisel led the team advising SGCIB. The team also included Oliver Sikora, Ahmed Boulahcen, Camille Heissat on financing; Geoffroy Berthon, Adil Kourtih on project and regulatory aspects; and Maxence Jonvel on competition law.

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Related Lawyers

Paul Loisel Partner, Energy & Infrastructure, Banking & Finance

Paris

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D:+33 1 5353 7291
E: ploisel@orrick.com

Practice:

Energy & Infrastructure Sector
Energy & Infrastructure
Banking & Finance
Renewable Energy
Power
Africa

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Paul Loisel Partner

Paris

Paul's practice focuses on project finance and strategic acquisition transactions in energy and infrastructure.

He advises sponsors and financiers on large greenfield and brownfield project financings, both cross-border and domestic, primarily in France, in EMEA and Africa.

He brings exceptional knowledge in structuring and financing of public-private, transport, telecom, energy transition, social infrastructure and real estate projects.

Paul also regularly advises clients in the fast-growing EnergyTech and InfraTech sectors.

He has extensive experience on all types of financings (senior, junior, mezzanine, loans, bonds) and related derivative instruments.

More generally, Paul advises on financing aspects of strategic assets in connection with project finance, M&A/private equity or restructuring transactions.

Geoffroy Berthon Partner, Energy, Infrastructure

Paris

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D:+33 1 5353 7515
E: gberthon@orrick.com

Practice:

Energy & Infrastructure Sector
Energy
Infrastructure
Public Finance

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Geoffroy Berthon Partner

Paris

Geoffroy advises on public contracts, particularly in the context of concessions and PPPs. He has been involved in projects relating to the financing, construction and operation of the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille; the Sud Europe Atlantique high-speed line; the Athletes' Village for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games; the Grand Paris Express and the offshore extension of the Principality of Monaco. He has also worked on several French highway (A412, A69, RCEA, A88, A41, A150), port (Calais, Cannes) and airport projects (Nice, Lyon, Beauvais).

In the renewables field, he acts alongside the French government (Ministry of Energy Transition) in calls for tenders for the construction of offshore wind farms, including floating wind turbines, and advises operators in the realization of biomass and geothermal projects, as well as investors in the context of "M&A" operations concerning wind and solar assets and methanization. He also has experience in hydroelectricity matters. He advises both sponsors and lenders and works regularly with public entities and governments. He also advises on the drafting and negotiation of corporate PPAs, acting for both energy producers and buyers.

Geoffroy Berthon is recognised by clients as "a high quality lawyer whose analyses are very precise and rigorous and whose pragmatic approach is highly regarded" (Legal 500) and as a Leading Individual by Legal 500 (EMEA 2023) in public law and energy.

Geoffroy holds a doctorate in public law, was a lecturer in public contract law at Sciences Po, and frequently published in both English and French.

Maxence Jonvel Senior Associate, Antitrust & Competition, Strategic Advisory & Government Enforcement (SAGE)

Paris

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D:+33 1 5353 7548
E: mjonvel@orrick.com

Practice:

Antitrust & Competition
Strategic Advisory & Government Enforcement (SAGE)

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Maxence Jonvel Senior Associate

Paris

Admitted to practice in Paris and New York, Maxence brings an international perspective to his practice, focusing on aspects of French and EU competition law, including both transactional and litigation cases : merger control, antitrust, and state aid. He also has experience in the field of French restrictive and unfair practices.

Prior to joining Orrick as an associate, Maxence was a legal intern in a San Francisco-based law firm specialized in business immigration law. He previously interned with the Directorate General for Competition of the European Commission and with the energy department of Becker Büttner Held (Brussels office).

Oliver Sikora Senior Associate, Banking & Finance, Renewable Energy

London

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D:+44 20 7862 4624
E: osikora@orrick.com

Practice:

Banking & Finance
Renewable Energy
Energy
Offshore Wind
Solar Energy
Wind Energy
Derivatives
Power
Hydrogen
Infrastructure

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Oliver Sikora Senior Associate

London

Oliver works primarily on domestic and cross-border transactions in the renewable energy space, and also has experience advising on deals in the transport sector.

Ahmed Boulahcen Managing Associate, Energy & Infrastructure, Banking & Finance

Paris

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D:+33 1 5353 7524
E: aboulahcen@orrick.com

Practice:

Finance Sector
Energy & Infrastructure
Banking & Finance
Structured Finance
Africa

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Ahmed Boulahcen Managing Associate

Paris

He focuses on project finance transactions and advises sponsors, debt providers and governments on the structuring and financing of various energy and infrastructure transactions across Europe, Africa and Latin America.

His experience includes a wide range of debt financing transactions (senior, junior, mezzanine, loans, bonds, multilateral development financings, export financings, etc.). He has also been involved in infrastructure M&A/private equity and restructuring transactions in connection with strategic assets.

Ahmed has gained substantial experience working on high-profile energy and infrastructure deals, including public-private, transport, telecom, energy transition and IPP projects.

Prior to joining Orrick, Ahmed practised several years within the Energy & Infrastructure teams of major international law firms in Paris.

Adil Kourtih Managing Associate, Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Offshore Wind

Paris

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D:+33 1 5353 7254
E: akourtih@orrick.com

Practice:

Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Offshore Wind
Hydrogen
Energy Storage
Solar Energy
Wind Energy
Renewable Energy
Infrastructure
Energy
Energy & Infrastructure
Africa

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Adil Kourtih Managing Associate

Paris

Adil focuses on the development, construction and acquisition of projects in the energy and infrastructure sector as well as complex litigation. He has extensive experience of advising on complex infrastructure projects and corporate power purchase agreements, including notably the structuring / bankability analysis of project agreements and regulatory / public law aspects.

Adil advises clients on public law and highly specific regulatory issues, as well as on transactional matters (analysis and drafting of concession agreements, EPC, O&M, PPAs, etc).

Prior to joining Orrick, Adil worked for two leading law firms in Paris.

Adil is also Teacher/Lecturer in Law at the Ecole Normale Supérieure preparatory class of Lycée Turgot and at the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas.

Camille Heissat Associate, Energy & Infrastructure

Paris

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D:+33 1 5353 7500
E: cheissat@orrick.com

Practice:

Energy & Infrastructure

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Camille Heissat Associate

Paris

Camille is involved in project financing, project development and acquisition financing in the energy & infrastructure sectors.

She was worked on transactions in France as well as on international transactions, in the financing and development of public-private, telecoms, transports and energy projects.

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