Vanessa Simpungwe

Vanessa Simpungwe is a senior associate in the Banking and Finance practice, advising financial institutions, corporates, sponsors and government-related entities on complex cross-border financing transactions.Vanessa’s practice focuses on general banking and structured finance, including syndicated and bilateral lending, acquisition and refinancing transactions, sovereign and ECA-backed financings across the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Vanessa also advises lenders and lessors on aviation and other asset-backed financings and regularly advises on transactions involving Islamic financing structures.Vanessa has been based in the UAE since 2022, following her training and qualification in London.ConcentrationsGeneral Banking and Syndicated LendingCross-Border Acquisition and RefinancingAviation and Asset-Backed FinancingSoverign and ECA-Backed FinancingExperience: Representative Matters: Acted for financiers on USD 300 million syndicated RCF to sovereign-owned energy and commodity group.Represented a global bank on complex multi-borrower, multi-jurisdictional refinancing of existing debt facilities to a UAE government owned logistics and transport group.Advised leading UAE-lender on a USD 400 million sustainability-linked term loan to an African commercial bank.Structured an AED 4 billion sovereign-backed working capital guarantee facility for a UAE government owned satellite operator.Supported ALAFCO Aviation Lease & Finance Company (a subsidiary of Kuwait Finance House and majority owned by the State of Kuwait) on its USD 3.1 billion portfolio sale to Macquarie, including 53 aircraft and an orderbook of 20 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.Advised AviLease (wholly owned subsidiary of Saudia Arabia's PIF) on the launch of its leasing platform and the acquisition and financing of 12 Airbus A320neo aircraft for delivery to Flynas.Advised an international financial institution on a (i) USD 95 million UKEF-backed facility to the Ministry of Finance of a Middle Eastern sovereign to finance national infrastructure and (ii) EUR 364 million SERV-covered term loan to the Ministry of Finance of an African sovereign with extensive ESG linked compliance.Advised financiers on USD 150 million murabaha RCF to GCC-based petrochemical company, including Kuwait law governed commercial terms, master murabaha and investment agency agreements.Acted for regional Islamic bank on complex multi-layered Islamic refinancing involving consolidation of mezzanine and senior debt into a USD 270 million Wakala facility.The above representations were handled by Ms. Simpungwe prior to her joining Greenberg Traurig Limited.