EXHIBIT 5.1
Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP
32 Old Slip
New York, New York 10005
212-701-3000
December 5, 2022
Linde plc
Forge
43 Church Street West
Woking, Surrey GU21 6HT
United Kingdom
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special U.S. counsel to Linde plc, an Irish public limited company (the “Company”), Linde Inc. (formerly known as Praxair, Inc.), a Delaware corporation (the “Issuer”), and Linde GmbH, a German limited liability company (“Linde GmbH” and, together with the Company, the “Guarantors”), in connection with the registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-238875) (the “Registration Statement”) and the prospectus supplement dated November 28, 2022 (the “Prospectus Supplement”) relating to $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Issuer’s 4.800% Notes due 2024 (the “2024 Notes”) and $600,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Issuer’s 4.700% Notes due 2025 (the “2025 Notes”, together with the 2024 Notes, the “Notes”) issued on the date hereof. The Notes were guaranteed by the Company (the “Downstream Guarantee”), and the Company’s guarantee of the Notes were guaranteed by Linde GmbH (the “Upstream Guarantee” and, together with the Downstream Guarantee, the “Guarantees”). The Notes and the Guarantees are referred to herein as the “Securities.” The Issuer and the Guarantors are referred to herein as the “Obligors.”
The Notes were issued under an Indenture, dated as of August 10, 2020 (the “Indenture”), among the Issuer, the Company, as guarantor, and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association (as successor in interest to U.S. Bank National Association), as trustee (the “Trustee”). The Notes were evidenced by global securities (the “Global Notes”), and the Guarantees were evidenced by endorsements of guarantees on the Global Notes (the “Guarantee Endorsements”).
In rendering the opinions set forth herein, we have examined originals, photocopies or conformed copies certified to our satisfaction of corporate records, agreements, instruments and documents of the Obligors, certificates of public officials and other certificates and opinions provided to us by the Obligors. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to originals of all documents submitted to us as photocopies or conformed copies. We have also assumed that (i) the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Trustee and the Company and (ii) the Guarantee Endorsements have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Guarantors.
Based on the foregoing, we advise you that in our opinion: