Our team

“excellent deal-making abilities and vast local and international experience”

Legal500

“one of the leading project finance experts in Israel”

IFLR1000

 “a deal maker”

Chambers and Partners

Jonathan Finklestone heads the firm’s Project Finance Group.

His practice covers a wide range of project and infrastructure financings in various project structures and delivery systems (BOT, BOO, DB, PPP, 3P, PFI and others) in transportation, water desalination, telecommunications, conventional energy, renewable energy and social infrastructure.

He regularly advises project companies, banks and financial institutions in the development and financing of infrastructure and energy projects.

Jonathan has extensive experience and has been involved in many of the largest project financings in Israel, including the Green Line of the Tel Aviv Light Rail Network, the Green and Red Lines of the Jerusalem Light Rail Network, Highway 6, Desalination Projects, Pumped Storage, Renewable Energy and Storage Projects. Many of the Projects have won international awards.

His transactional work has been recognized by numerous legal publications, including Chambers Global, Legal500, Who’s Who Legal and IFLR1000, where he is listed as a Band 1 practitioner in Israel Projects & Energy. Clients characterize him as an “amazing lawyer” with “excellent deal-making abilities” and “vast local and international experience”, citing his “commercial attitude” and the fact that he demonstrates “industry knowledge and has excellent connections”.

In the past, Jonathan served as a project finance attorney at Chadbourne & Parke LLP in New York.

• Representation of a project company in an international government tender for the design, construction and operation of a 121 MW solar energy thermal power station in Israel. The project was financed by the European Investment Bank and a consortium of commercial lenders. The Project was recognized as the European Solar Power Project of the year by Infrastructure Global.
• Representation of the consortium awarded the concession for a 150 million cubic meter sea water desalination project. The project was financed by the European Investment Bank and a consortium of commercial lenders.
• Representation of a natural gas reservoir developer in a secured Senior Credit Facility of up to US$1.275 billion from leading investment banks – Morgan Stanley, Natixis, Bank Hapoalim and Societe Generale as Mandated Lead Arrangers.
• Representation of a large European bank in the financing of a portfolio of solar projects in Israel.
• Representation of a large European bank in the financing of two co-generation power plants in Israel.
• Representation of a consortium in the financing of the largest desalination project in Israel – financing by the European Investment Bank and commercial lenders.
• Representation of a leading solar energy company in the development and financing of an 800 MW pipeline of solar projects with storage capabilities.
• Representation of the senior lenders in the development of solar projects of various sizes across Israel.
• Representation of the senior lenders in the development of the 3 largest wind farms in Israel.
• Representation of the project lenders in the financing of two pumped storage projects in Israel.
• Representation of the project company in the development and financing of the largest natural gas-fired power plant in Israel.
• Representation of an infrastructure fund in the development of large-scale solar projects in Spain.
• Representation of the successful bidder selected to develop the green line of the Tel Aviv light rail project. The project will be financed by EIB and commercial lenders.
• Representation of the project lenders financing the approx. USD 1 billion light rail project in Jerusalem.
• Representation of the project lenders financing the approx. USD 1.5 billion acquisition of an operating power plant from IEC.
• Representation of the project lenders financing the approx. USD 1 billion acquisition of the first operating power plant sold by IEC.
• Representation of an international consortium in the financing of an approx. USD 1 billion concession for the development of an extension to an all-electronic highway in Israel.
• Representation of the arranger in the financing of an approx. USD 1 billion MOD concession for the development of a Communications Campus.
• Representation of the arranger in the financing of an approx. USD 1 billion MOD concession for the development of distribution centers.
• Representation of the project lenders in the development of the largest wind project developed in Israel.
• Representation of the international consortium selected in the PPP tender as the successful bidder for the development of the Green Line of the Tel Aviv Light Rail Network.
• Representation of the project lenders financing the Red and Green Lines of the Jerusalem Light Rail Network.
• Representation of an international consortium bidding for the concession to develop a new line of the Jerusalem Light Rail Network.
• Representation of an international consortium bidding to develop a new tram/train project in the north of Israel.
• Representation of the project lenders financing a cluster of solar projects with storage capacity across Israel.
• Representation of the project lenders financing a new gas-fired power plant.
• Representation of a consortium bidding for the concession for a fast lane and shuttle bus project.