People

Foucaud Jaulin Partner

Paris

Foucaud's practice focuses on public-private partnerships and concession projects, as well as on privatizations and acquisitions in the infrastructure and energy sectors. He also advises on the financing aspects of infrastructure projects.

Having solid experience in emerging markets, Foucaud has been involved over the past few years in the development and financing of various large-scale projects, in particular in the fields of energy (renewables, natural gas) and transportation.

Prior to joining Orrick, Foucaud worked for a leading French law firm, both in the Moscow and Paris offices

Molly Jergenson Managing Associate

San Francisco

She advises clients on a wide range of transactions in the energy industry with a particular focus on renewable energy, including project acquisition, debt and tax equity financing, and development of solar, wind, and storage projects. 

Giji John Partner

Houston; Singapore

He has extensive experience representing project sponsors through development (including through the negotiation and drafting of power purchase agreements and other long-term offtake agreements, physical and financial swaps, engineering, procurement and construction contracts, operation and maintenance agreements, management services agreements and site services agreements), acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures and financings. His representation has included transactions involving LNG facilities, methanol facilities, petrochemical refineries, carbon capture and sequestration facilities, natural gas processing and storage facilities, natural gas and CO2 pipelines, wind energy, solar energy, natural gas-fired peaking and combined-cycle power plants, thermal and battery energy storage, transportation, aviation and ports.

His prior experiences include a two year secondment to International Finance Corporation’s Office of General Counsel where he worked on multi-currency corporate financings, project financings and equity investments in infrastructure projects in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Panama, the Philippines, Romania, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and Turkey.

Giji is currently ranked as a Projects Leading Lawyer in Chambers Global and Chambers USA, and has been recognized for excellence by numerous leading industry and legal publications, including being named one of 34 "Groundbreaking lawyers" by Public Utilities Fortnightly.

Mariah T. Johnston Of Counsel

New York

She focuses her practice on the development of energy infrastructure, including liquefied natural gas terminals, natural gas pipelines and natural gas storage facilities, as well as related transactional and financing matters. She routinely advises companies on securing permits and authorizations for major energy projects and has significant experience with proceedings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, and the U.S. Maritime Administration.

Jared Joyce-Schleimer Partner

New York

Jared’s practice focuses on debt financing of a broad range of domestic and cross-border renewable and conventional power, energy and infrastructure, satellite and telecommunications and transportation projects. He supports scaling into large projects and portfolios and commercializing new technology in clean energy, sustainable infrastructure and space.

Working with private equity sponsors, credit funds and portfolio companies, he has significant experience with a variety of finance structures, including development and construction financings and traditional project finance, subordinated and mezzanine financings, term loan B financings, direct lending, syndicated debt financings, private placements, climate and impact finance, acquisition financings, M&A and restructurings.  He has also represented debtors and creditors in restructuring matters.

Jared also maintains an active pro bono practice and assists developing countries in bringing sustainable projects to market. He has worked with representatives of Bangladesh, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Jamaica, Kenya and Vietnam on high-level sustainable project preparation and structuring matters.

Gohshun Kawamura Of Counsel

Tokyo

He focuses on the development, acquisition and financing of solar, wind and other renewable energy projects in various regions of Japan. He has experience related to the FIT/FIP system and other laws and regulations related to the electric power industry, as well as negotiations with relevant government agencies, and the preparation and negotiations of related contracts.

In addition, he is involved in establishing schemes and negotiating contracts for the corporate PPAs of non-FIT renewable energy projects, as well as preparing on-site PPAs and general terms and conditions for electricity retailers.

He is the co-author of Orrick’s “Japan Renewables Alert".

Prior to joining Orrick Tokyo Office, he was an assistant judge at the Tokyo District Court and the Matsuyama District Court, where he gained experiences in a variety of cases, including civil, administrative and criminal matters.

Adil Kourtih Managing Associate

Paris

Adil focuses on the development, construction and acquisition of projects in the energy and infrastructure sector as well as complex litigation. He has extensive experience of advising on complex infrastructure projects and corporate power purchase agreements, including notably the structuring / bankability analysis of project agreements and regulatory / public law aspects. 

Adil advises clients on public law and highly specific regulatory issues, as well as on transactional matters (analysis and drafting of concession agreements, EPC, O&M, PPAs, etc).

Prior to joining Orrick, Adil worked for two leading law firms in Paris.

Adil is also Teacher/Lecturer in Law at the Ecole Normale Supérieure preparatory class of Lycée Turgot and at the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas.

Karthik Kumar Partner

Singapore

Karthik has a strong focus on the renewable energy sector with extensive experience in solar, onshore and offshore wind, biomass, and waste-to-energy projects across the region. Karthik is highly regarded in the market for his in-depth regulatory knowledge and significant transactional experience. Clients laud him for his commercial approach and deep regional background.

He has extensive experience advising developers, sponsors, borrowers and financial institutions, including banks and multilateral lending institutions, on a wide range of renewable energy projects in jurisdictions such as Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Philippines, China and Australia.

Karthik is a top-ranked lawyer in the Chambers Global and Asia Pacific directories as well as by Legal 500 and India Business Law Journal. Clients describe him as a “top-notch lawyer” and is “known for his project finance capabilities, particularly in the renewable energy segment.” They also note that he “deeply understands the business needs and stakeholder expectations and has time and again proven to have our 100% confidence in his counsel.” Clients extol his India-focused project finance practice, commending him for his "second to none" knowledge of Indian law and practice and noting a particular acquisition of an Indian company where "his ability to understand unique local issues" was "amazing." 

A. Cory Lankford Partner

Washington, D.C.

Recognized by Chambers USA, Legal 500, and Best Lawyers, clients praise his sophisticated regulatory expertise and ability to navigate complex challenges.

Cory's practice focuses on advising developers of renewable energy and battery storage projects, electric utilities, financial institutions, and corporations pursuing renewable energy goals.  He advises clients on their rights and responsibilities under the Federal Power Act, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, and the Public Utility Holding Company Act.  In addition, he frequently represents clients in proceedings before FERC to obtain and maintain authorization to sell energy, capacity and ancillary services at negotiated or market-based rates and to purchase and sell direct or indirect ownership interests in energy projects.  Drawing from his broad energy regulatory experience, Cory also helps clients develop and implement compliance programs for FERC and North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) requirements .

Before joining Orrick, Cory served in FERC's Office of the General Counsel, where he led numerous multidisciplinary teams in developing Commission orders addressing Regional Transmission Organizations, open access requirements, transmission, generator interconnection and qualifying facility certification.  His notable achievements include providing legal counsel on rulemakings to revise FERC's pro forma Open Access Transmission Tariff and in evaluating mandatory reliability standards proposed by NERC and its regional entities.  Cory also collaborated with staff at the U.S. Department of Energy to create the National Action Plan on Demand Response and its Implementation Proposal to Congress. 

Young Lee Partner

New York

Young is recognized as a Leading Lawyer by Chambers USA and Chambers Global (2010-2024), where clients state, “Young is a spectacular lawyer. She is smart, creative and commercial - a stand out person to work with,” she “provides expert representation in the development and financing of high-value and sophisticated infrastructure projects,” and is “very insightful and bringing a lot of practical experience to deals.”

Young represents sponsors, lenders and investors in the development, construction, financing and operation and maintenance of complex infrastructure projects and the acquisition and sale of projects and companies in the infrastructure sector. She has been involved in many of the largest U.S. PPP transactions that have achieved financial close in the past several years.

Young has acted as lead counsel in numerous project financings, acquisitions and other strategic arrangements in the United States and abroad. These transactions have involved, among other assets, toll roads, airports, port facilities, generation assets, telecommunications infrastructure, water and waste facilities, and companies owning portfolios of infrastructure assets.

Young also serves as Lead Director of Orrick's Board.

Grace Lentz Senior Associate

Houston

Grace counsels energy clients on a wide range of transactions in the energy industry with a particular focus on renewable energy matters. Grace regularly advises clients on project development matters, including power purchase agreements and other long-term offtake agreements, physical and financial swaps, engineering, procurement and construction contracts, equipment supply and warranty agreements, and operation and maintenance agreements, as well as mergers and acquisitions involving energy companies and assets.

Yves Lepage Partner

Paris

Recognized by Chambers as a notable practitioner in International projects, Energy and Africa, Yves is praised for his “very good sector experience and knowledge”, as well as his “enormous negotiating skills”. With 30 years' experience in PPP, international infrastructure projects and power industry projects, Yves regularly advises operators in both the public and private sectors, government entities and financial institutions for operations in Europe, Africa and Latin America. Recently, he has led a cross-border multidisciplinary team advising Actis, one of the largest and most active private equity firms operating in Africa, in its purchase of a majority interest in three power assets in Cameroon from Fortune 200 global power company AES Corporation.

Yves also has substantial experience in privatizations and acquisitions in France and internationally with companies whose main assets are infrastructure facilities. He notably advised VINCI Airports in connection with the acquisition of nine airports and three partial management contracts following acquisition of the airport portfolio held by Airports Worldwide.

Yves is a lawyer with the Paris Appeals Court and a member of the New York Bar. He was appointed as French Foreign Trade Advisor in 1996.