Leading Renewables Tax Expert John Eliason Joins Orrick

• John Eliason has joined the firm’s market-leading Energy & Infrastructure team to meet growing client demand in the renewable energy and energy transition markets.
• Most recently Global Co-Head of Energy Project Finance at Greenberg Traurig, John acts for many of the market’s top developers, investors, sponsors and lenders on federal and state tax-incentivized renewable and alternative energy transactions in the U.S. He regularly acts for cross-border investors entering U.S. energy and infrastructure markets.
• John will be based in the firm’s Washington, DC office.
• He joins an Orrick platform that was top 3 in renewables transactions by volume in 2022 (Inspiratia) and that Chambers USA recognizes as Band 1 nationwide in Renewables, Energy Transition, Power and PPP. Law 360 named the firm a Project Finance Practice Group of the Year in 2022 for the 8^th time.

"Passage of the Infrastructure Act and the IRA has created new opportunities to use the US Tax Code to foster investment in renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure, both expanding the availability of benefits as well as potential participants,” said John. “This is the perfect inflection point to join Orrick’s market-leading team.”

“John is one of the most innovative tax lawyers in the market, and we are thrilled to add his experience and creativity at a time of tremendous evolution in how market participants will qualify for, monetize and transfer the tax incentives that are driving the energy transition in the United States,” said Blake H. Winburne, Orrick’s global Leader of Energy & Infrastructure.

John is Orrick’s 14^th lateral hire in Energy & Infrastructure since the beginning of 2022.

Recent transactions John has worked on include:

• Representing a major U.S. financial institution as tax equity investor in a $750 million portfolio of solar + storage projects in California and Texas, as well as partial syndication of those investments to global technology company.
• Negotiating multiple 6418 tax credit transfer transactions (aggregating more than $500 million of ITC and PTC), with representations on both buyer and seller side.
• Working with a leading wind and solar developer to implement strategies to qualify for IRA “credit adders,” including prevailing wage and apprenticeship, energy community, and domestic content.