I represent project developers, investors and lenders on U.S.domestic and international transactions involving investments in and financings of clean energy, water, and other infrastructure projects. I only work on projects that meet society’s growing need for energy and infrastructure that never compromise and often improve environmental quality.
Keeping you competitive
If you are reading this, you know how difficult it is to develop and finance clean and sustainable infrastructure in markets that fail to incorporate all costs and benefits associated with essential social infrastructure. While we must also shape the regulatory and policy environment so markets reflect the true cost of our choices, those of us who wish to cause sustainable infrastructure to displace present day incumbents at meaningful scale must compete on simple cost.
Investing in your mission
For thirteen years I practiced energy and infrastructure project finance law at full-service law firms. Rates at America’s top law firms have risen to the point that high legal expenses can interfere with the ability or willingness of clients to involve experienced legal advisors and can become a factor that limits the ability of great projects to move forward. I spend enough time with my clients so that I can come to deeply understand their business. My approach allows my clients to invest in expert and personalized legal support with less financial burden and less risk. This approach is consistent with my clients’ mission, because it allows them to innovate new business models and offer their products and services more competitively.
Experience that matters
Over the course of my career, I have contributed to the success of electrical power generation and transmission, microgrid, mining, natural gas and biogas processing facilities, urban and long-distance transportation infrastructure, and energy efficiency projects in over twenty countries. Through this work I have developed expertise in joint venture agreements, shareholders’ agreements and LLC operating agreements; development, technical and engineering services agreements; equipment supply and EPC agreements; project offtake agreements; limited recourse secured credit agreements; energy hedges, political risk insurance and currency hedges; and export credit agency / multilateral development bank financings. I am also an experienced transaction project manager; I am well-organized and capable of overseeing the work of local counsel and specialty counsel.
Education
J.D., Stanford Law School
Master of Pacific International Affairs, University of California, San Diego
B.A., University of California, San Diego
Recognition
Recognized as a notable Projects and Energy Expert (Japan Experts Based Abroad) in the 2015, 2014 and 2013 editions of Chambers Global
Ranked in the 2015 and 2016 editions of Legal 500
Recognized as an "Up and Coming" attorney in the 2012 edition of Chambers Asia Pacific.
Representative Experience
Representative transactions include advising as follows.
U.S.-Based Projects
- A developer and owner of landfill gas to renewable natural gas infrastructure on various commercial agreements relating to the engineering, and construction of a landfill gas to pipeline quality natural gas conversion facility.
- The renewable energy subsidiary of utility holding company in its acquisition of development rights in a 60 MW wind farm in Ohio.
- A leading financier of distributed generation renewable energy projects for the debt and tax equity financing of a portfolio of solar power projects in California, including negotiation of tax equity financing agreements and review of PPA and EPC Agreements.
- The renewable energy subsidiary of utility holding company in its acquisition of development rights in a 100 MW wind farm in Montana.
- The company and its investors in connection with a secured lending facility for an enterprise that builds, owns, and operates compressed natural gas filling stations.
- The investors in connection with the purchase of an equity investment into a facility that captures carbon dioxide from the exhaust stream of a cement manufacturing plant.
- The EPC contractor and battery systems supplier for one of the nation’s largest utility scale energy storage projects.
- The lender in connection with multiple loans funding the development of community solar projects in the state of Minnesota.
- The provider of construction and long-term financing in connection with the development and financing of three 5-MW solar electric projects in North Carolina.
- The project developer of a 30 MW solar farm in North Carolina in connection with the negotiation and documentation of the EPC contract and the project purchase and sale agreement.
- The project sponsors in connection with the sale-leaseback financing of a portfolio of distributed generation solar facilities in Hawaii.
- The lender under a master credit facility for the financing of solar hot water heating systems and solar electric systems in connection with Louisiana state solar tax credits.
- One of the world’s largest technology companies in its acquisition of and tax equity investment in a 69 MW portfolio of solar power projects in California.
- A major U.S.-based independent power producer in their negotiations with the contractor for the EPC Agreement for the turn-key construction of a gas fired power plant in California.
International Projects
- The renewable energy developer of a 250 MW wind farm in Mexico.
- A renewable energy developer in its negotiations with a global wind turbine manufacturer of a joint venture to develop wind projects in Latin America.
- The export credit agency lender, the political risk insurer, and a consortium of commercial banks in the US$1.1 billion project finance loan for the development of copper mine in Chile. (Project Finance International Americas Mining Deal of the Year 2011)
- A Thai independent power producer in connection with the US$2.7 billion project financing for a 1,878-MW Power Plant Project in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic that sells power under a PPA to Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. (Project Finance Magazine Asia-Pacific Power Deal of the Year 2010)
- A consortium of Japanese investors in their negotiations for the investment in a nuclear power project under development in the United States.
- The export credit agency lender in connection with the multi-billion-dollar financing of housing and related infrastructure for the relocation of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to the Territory of Guam, U.S.A.
- A state-owned utility in its negotiation of a CDM Emissions Reduction Purchase Agreement (ERPA) with a developer and broker of tradable carbon credits.
- The developer of a 1200 MW power project in southern Vietnam in its negotiation of a Government Guarantee and Undertakings Agreement, PPA, and EPC Agreement.
- The export credit agency lender (and co-financing banks) for the 2 x 660MW unit power project expansion of Tanjung Jati B in Indonesia. (IFLR Asia Project Finance Deal of the Year 2008)
- The export credit agency lender group in connection with the financing of the US$4.7 billion liquid natural gas facility in Yemen (Yemen LNG) and related facilities. (Infrastructure Journal Global Deal of the Year 2008; Project Finance Middle East Oil & Gas Deal of the Year 2008)
- The developer of a proposed 50 MW wind farm in Mongolia.
- The commercial lender in the political risk guarantee-backed financing of the construction, operation and maintenance of a portion of the Interoceanica Sur toll road project in Peru. (Latin Lawyer Magazine Deal of the Year 2007)
Pro-bono and Community
I am co-founder and CEO of Millennium Microgrid, a social enterprise that brings affordable, sustainable energy services to rural off-grid communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.
I provide pro-bono legal services on matters of international law and finance mechanisms to attract investment in climate change mitigation projects to the Legal Response Initiative (LRI). LRI provides free legal support to poor and particularly climate vulnerable developing countries in international climate negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.