People

Helen Aki Senior Associate

San Francisco

She advises sponsors, investors and buyers in the renewable energy sector on all stages of a project, from drafting and negotiating offtake, procurement and construction contracts to coordinating debt, tax equity and preferred equity financing, as well as facilitating tax credit transfer structures, joint venture arrangements, and project acquisitions and sales.

Helen takes a collaborative approach to help clients build consensus and manage stakeholders across an increasingly complicated capital stack to close the deal. She understands both the legal and business challenges of the energy transition from a variety of perspectives, including through direct experience on secondment to the project finance group of a major U.S. renewable energy developer. 

As a law student, Helen worked as a summer legal intern in the Administrative Law Judge Division of the California Public Utilities Commission, as a senior business analyst with Pacific Gas and Electric Company and as a legal trainee at Positive Planet UK.

Before practicing law, she led programs with state and local governments and ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs to advance the adoption of clean technologies, including battery storage, virtual power plants, commercial and industrial lighting and advanced building control systems.

Walter Alarkon Senior Associate

New York

He advises sponsors, debt providers and equity investors in financings and acquisitions of renewable power, conventional power, telecom and other infrastructure assets.  

As a 2021 Orrick Racial Justice Fellow, he served as in-house financing counsel for non-profit Common Future, helping structure the non-profit's novel Character-Based Lending Fund to provide capital to entrepreneurs in diverse communities. He has also counseled on a pro-bono basis social impact startups focused on healthcare and energy efficiency.

Prior to joining Orrick, Walter was a reporter for the Concord Monitor in New Hampshire and The Hill in Washington, D.C., and an editorial page contributor for The Boston Globe. He collaborated with authors on two books, “The New New Deal: The Hidden Story of Change in the Obama Era,” by Michael Grunwald (Simon & Schuster, 2012), a New York Times bestseller and an Economist book of the year, and “Long Mile Home: Boston Under Attack, the City’s Courageous Recovery, and the Epic Hunt for Justice,” by Scott Helman and Jenna Russell (Penguin, 2014).

Simon Alsey Partner

London

Simon represents client in connection with acquisitions, disposals, joint venture arrangements and project agreements in energy and infrastructure investments and financings.

Matthew Archer Partner

Houston

Matt's practice is centered on project development and mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) in the energy industry, with a particular focus on electric power and midstream projects. He regularly advises clients on the development, construction, operation, purchase and disposition of conventional power, renewable and midstream projects. His experience includes each stage, from early development, construction, offtake agreements, through commercial operation, financing, repowering and disposition. Matt also regularly represents clients in the development, structuring and construction of large natural gas pipeline, renewable and gas-fired power projects in Mexico.

Matt’s experience encompasses all manner of revenue and construction contracts; equipment supply and warranty agreements, long-term parts and services agreements; operating and maintenance agreements; electric interconnection and transmission agreements; fuel supply and transportation agreements; and ownership, joint venture and equity participation agreements.

Chase Armbrust Partner

Houston

Specializing in debt finance with a strong understanding of tax-driven strategies, Chase works with developers, sponsors, lenders and utilities across the renewable energy sector. He has extensive experience guiding clients on debt transactions to finance renewable energy infrastructure, including utility-scale solar and wind, distributed solar, fuel cell and biomass projects.

His broad debt experience includes negotiating credit facilities, structuring intercreditor arrangements and ISDA documentation and advising on financial restructuring strategies.

Reflecting his excellent client relationships and strong commitment to successful outcomes, Chase was recognized as a 2022 Client Service All-Star by BTI Consulting Group.

Charlotte Berrat Associate

Paris

Charlotte Berrat is involved in public contracts, in particular concession contracts and public-private partnerships for major projects (airport, port, motorway, building, telecommunications). She assists consortiums in the award of these contracts, from the bidding phase to the post-award phase.

She advised the winning consortium for the concession contract to operate Beauvais-Tillé airport (near Paris), as well as a bidding consortium for the public service contract for the lines 16 and 17 of the Grand Paris Express (the new metro linking the main residential and business districts of the suburbs without passing through Paris).

Charlotte Berrat also has experience in the energy sector and in environmental law. She regularly advises operators on complex issues relating to connection to electricity distribution and transmission networks. She has also participated in drafting and negotiation several corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs), representing both producers and buyers depending on the transaction.

Charlotte Berrat also advises operators, sponsors and lenders on project development and M&A transactions for wind and solar assets, both in France and internationally.

Her practice also covers all regulatory aspects related to regulated sectors such as telecommunications, transport and energy.

Charlotte Berrat also handles litigation in these sectors.

Prior to joining Orrick, Charlotte gained significant experience in the public and energy law teams of several international law firms and a public transport operator.

Geoffroy Berthon Partner

Paris

Geoffroy advises on public contracts, particularly in the context of concessions and PPPs. He has been involved in projects relating to the financing, construction and operation of the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille; the Sud Europe Atlantique high-speed line; the Athletes' Village for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games; the Grand Paris Express and the offshore extension of the Principality of Monaco. He has also worked on several French highway (A412, A69, RCEA, A88, A41, A150), port (Calais, Cannes) and airport projects (Nice, Lyon, Beauvais).

In the renewables field, he acts alongside the French government (Ministry of Energy Transition) in calls for tenders for the construction of offshore wind farms, including floating wind turbines, and advises operators in the realization of biomass and geothermal projects, as well as investors in the context of "M&A" operations concerning wind and solar assets and methanization. He also has experience in hydroelectricity matters. He advises both sponsors and lenders and works regularly with public entities and governments. He also advises on the drafting and negotiation of corporate PPAs, acting for both energy producers and buyers.

Geoffroy Berthon is recognised by clients as "a high quality lawyer whose analyses are very precise and rigorous and whose pragmatic approach is highly regarded" (Legal 500) and as a Leading Individual by Legal 500 (EMEA 2023) in public law and energy.

Geoffroy holds a doctorate in public law, was a lecturer in public contract law at Sciences Po, and frequently published in both English and French.

Ari Bessendorf Partner

Singapore

Ari’s practice cuts across sectors, including conventional power, renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric), infrastructure, oil & gas and mining throughout the United States and Asia. His combination of project development and finance experience allows him to advise clients on bankability considerations for development matters.

Clients commend him for being “meticulous on the finer details”, and “a firm but calming and amiable presence at the negotiating table.” They add that “he gained our trust” and has “a cost-effective approach and a drive to successfully close deals.”

Victoria Boyne Partner

New York

Vicki negotiates project financings, procurement, acquisition and sale of energy and infrastructure projects. She quarterbacks complex mergers and acquisitions as well as project developments that require coordination with a host of different parties and advises on debt and equity financings for renewable and conventional energy projects. Well versed in public-private partnerships (PPP/P3) and securities offerings, Vicki guides clients through the legal and business challenges of large infrastructure projects.

Vicki is recognized nationally by Chambers USA, where clients state that she “is terrific to work with,” and she “always makes herself available and is extremely knowledgeable, intelligent and able to get the best out of everyone she works with.”

A distinctive aspect of Vicki’s practice is her dual focus in both the infrastructure and renewables sectors. She leverages this unique perspective in her client relationships with project developers, sponsors, issuers, lenders and governmental authorities.

Passionate about strategizing to get a project to completion, Vicki helps clients build consensus and find creative solutions with achievable outcomes. Whether it’s for the development of a major airport expansion, the equity or debt financing of a wind farm, or the acquisition of a geothermal facility portfolio, Vicki counsels clients on challenging issues and the broader process, providing commercial advice that considers all stakeholders involved.

Devin Brennan Partner

San Francisco; Boston

Such transactions have involved both long- and short-term, fixed and variable rate obligations, public-private partnerships (P3s), commercial paper, swaps, credit and liquidity enhancement, and revenue bonds for transportation and utility issuers, as well as a number of sizable special purpose financings. Devin has also represented multiple clients in connection with chapter 9 bankruptcies, restructurings and other workouts.

Devin is a partner in Orrick’s San Francisco office and chairs the Firm’s Transportation Finance Group. Devin has served on the Hiring and Summer Program Committees in the San Francisco office, and helps organize the firm's annual summer surf trip to Capitola Beach. Devin is a past Chair of the Bond Buyer's California Public Finance Conference, and is currently a member of the Strategy Council for OneJustice, an organization dedicated to transforming the delivery of legal services to Californians in need.

Dr. Werner Brickwedde Partner

Düsseldorf

While Werner’s corporate and M&A experience spans a broad range of industries, he has built a strong focus on and deep knowledge of the Energy & Infrastructure sector. His experience extends to acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, complex shareholder arrangements and project agreements of a variety of alternative energy and sustainability projects, including offshore wind, storage and mobility.

Werner also has extensive experience in project development, including advising on Operations & Maintenance and energy-related projects, particularly upstream and midstream. His in-depth understanding of how these projects fit together and how risk is allocated enables him to provide commercial, forward-looking advice on complex, cross-border transactions.

Werner is recommended in Germany for energy transactions (JUVE 2022/2023, Legal 500 2023), M&A (JUVE 2022/2023, Legal 500 2024, Handelsblatt/Best Lawyers 2023/24. WirtschaftsWoche 2023) and corporate law (WirtschaftsWoche 2021).

Taylor Brien Associate

London

Taylor works primarily on mergers and acquisitions and project finance in the renewable energy space. Taylor also has experience advising on joint ventures and project development.