Ropes & Gray, AZB & Partners, BMA Advogados along with DSK Legal advised on Stonepeak and CMA CGM’s US$2.4 billion United Ports Joint Venture.

Stonepeak Partners LP has entered into an agreement with CMA CGM S.A. to establish United Ports LLC, a joint venture to acquire and develop 10 major CMA CGM-operated port terminals globally. The transaction is backed by a US$2.4 billion investment from Stonepeak in exchange for a 25% minority stake.

The portfolio includes terminals across the United States, Spain, India, Taiwan, Vietnam and Brazil, including interests in the Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Port. The transaction reflects a strategic partnership between the parties aimed at expanding and strengthening global port infrastructure operations.

Ropes & Gray represented Stonepeak on the formation of the joint venture and the investment.

The team was led by private equity partner Jessica T. Murray and associate Andrea Daley and included private equity partners Taylor Hart, Emmanuel Mimin and Fabrice Cohen.

AZB & Partners advised Stonepeak on the Indian law aspects of its joint venture with CMA CGM, including its stake in the Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal (which carries out operations and management of container terminals at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port).

The AZB deal team comprised Senior Partners Darshika Kothari and Anuja Tiwari, Partners Kunal Kumbhat and Mallika Anand, Counsel Pranjal Bhattacharya, Senior Associate Aman Raj and Associates Anushka Mehta, Khushi Bafna, Antra Shourya, and Jiyaa Saluja. The employment team included Partner Nishanth Ravindran and Senior Associate Ankit Dutta.

BMA Advogados advised Stonepeak on Brazilian law aspects, including legal due diligence of Santos Brasil and six subsidiaries within the scope of the transaction.

The BMA team included Partners Camila Goldberg, Hélio Alvarez, Adriana Dib Fuzinato, Ana Cândida de Mello Carvalho, Anna Carolina Malta Spilborghs, Fernanda Tanure, Guilherme Zoghbi Ayala, Felipe Palhares, Sergio Savi, Cibelle Linero and José Otavio Haddad Faloppa, and Associates Alexandre Roscoe Lindenberg, Pedro Tavares, Caíque Ribeiro, Jean Jaldin, Ana Carolina Cerqueira, Estêvão Orcini, Thais Maria Dias, Ana Carolina Villa, Victor Baldi, Julia Soave, Larissa Medeiros, João Victor Bueno, Felipe Destri and Murilo Vianna Artico.

DSK Legal advised CMA CGM on the Indian law components of its strategic partnership with Stonepeak.

The DSK team comprised Principal Associates Manhar Gulani and Mala Mehto, Senior Associate Abhikalpa Ghosh and Associates Vedant Sinha and Brijesh Ranjan Sahoo. Partners Avinash Kumar Khard and Harvinder Singh acted as lead engagement partners, with Partner Anjan Dasgupta serving as relationship partner and providing strategic inputs.