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.

Jonathan Ayre Partner

Houston

Jonathan's recent experience includes representing note purchasers in securitizations of operated and non-operated oil and gas wellbore working interests with an aggregate value exceeding $6 billion. In addition to representing the note purchasers on the initial securitization of non-operated working interests, he has closed the first transactions that included operated working interests, overriding royalty interests, portfolios of primarily BLM leases, portfolios including tribal lands, and midstream gathering systems, and the first joint 144A / 4(a)(2) offering. Jonathan also has significant experience representing companies driving the energy transition, including representing project developers in connection with engineering, procurement and construction agreements, solar module purchase agreements, transformer purchase agreements, and operation and maintenance agreements.

Chambers Global has reported, "He knows the industry very well and takes a commercial approach to help resolve differences with the counterparty. He has a good bedside manner and cooperates well with others,” and ”he's very resourceful and he approaches the oil and gas and corporate sector with a true business sense." Jonathan also was recognized in 2020 by Law 360 as an Energy Rising Star.

Jonathan is an active supporter of the Houston Symphony, serving as Chairman of the Houston Symphony's Finance Committee, as a Governing Director on the Houston Symphony Society's Board of Trustees, and as chair of the 2021 Houston Symphony's Wine Dinner and Collector's Auction. He serves as a member of the Steering Committee of the Houston Men of Distinction Annual Awards Luncheon, an organization that recognizes Houston men who have distinguished themselves through excellence in community achievement, thereby providing support in superior biomedical research, education, and patient care in the Texas Medical Center.

John Azzopardi Managing Associate

New York

John Azzopardi is a Managing Associate in the Energy and Infrastructure team in Orrick’s New York office. His practice focuses on project finance and development transactions, with a focus on renewable energy. Since joining Orrick, John has advised sponsors on the financing of greenfield solar energy projects, navigating complex legal and commercial issues to achieve successful outcomes.

With a career spanning global law firms and senior in-house roles, John has developed deep expertise in drafting and negotiating finance documents and structuring cross-border transactions. His experience includes acting for both sponsors and lenders across a range of sectors.

John earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Business from Monash University and is admitted to practice in New York and Victoria, Australia.

Mark Beeley Partner

London

Mark leads Orrick’s global international arbitration practice group, and acts as advocate and counsel whether in international arbitrations (both commercial and investor-state) or in litigation in the English and DIFC courts. He has particularly deep experience in energy disputes, but also regularly acts in construction, technology, insurance, shareholder and white-collar/civil fraud matters (including advising on sanctions and export controls).

Mark has acted in arbitrations under all the major arbitration rules in disputes seated around the globe involving a wide range of governing laws and sits as arbitrator (including both as chairman and sole arbitrator). He previously practiced in Dubai as a Registered Foreign Lawyer and maintains a practice as advocate (and solicitor) in both the English and DIFC Courts (along with supervising cross-border litigation in multiple other jurisdictions). He is recognised in the leading directories for arbitration, litigation and natural resources disputes (including Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, GAR and Who’s Who). In addition, he has been recognised as a foreign expert in disputes in both the UAE and India by Chambers.

He has a particular interest in energy sector disputes, including those in the upstream and LNG areas  he knows “oil and gas inside out” and is “as knowledgeable as anyone about international arbitration in the energy sector, specifically oil, gas and renewables” (Chambers & Partners UK ) and is recognised in Who's Who Legal for Energy, Chambers UK for Energy & Natural Resource Disputes and Legal 500 for Oil & Gas), but has dealt with matters across the industry, running the gamut from seismic acquisition agreements through to IP disputes involving refined products, carbon trading agreements and the construction and licencing of renewable projects. He recently led the AIEN Model Form Revision sub-committee focusing on the dispute resolution aspects of the model form JOA.

As illustrated below, beyond energy, Mark has acted in the infrastructure/construction, technology, insurance, fintech, pharmaceutical, telecoms, insurance and finance sectors (amongst others) and also advises extensively (both in the advisory context and in leading investigations/claims) in relation to white-collar/fraud matters, including money laundering, bribery, sanctions and export control issues.

Originally called to the English Bar and now practicing as a solicitor-advocate, Mark frequently publishes and speaks on arbitration and energy matters, including on questions of sovereign immunity, res judicata, arbitration procedure, the award of interest and other questions on damages. Mark serves as a member of the ICC's Commission on Arbitration & ADR, as well as on the ICC UK's Arbitration & ADR Committee. He also leads Orrick's London Office.

Crissi Berger Practice Manager of Energy and Infrastructure

Washington, D.C.

Crissi's practice focuses on project development, project financing, and acquisitions in the energy and infrastructure sectors.

Prior to Orrick, Crissi worked as an assistant superintendent for a construction firm, where she managed teams of subcontractors, architects, and engineers to build projects in the residential, mixed-use, office, and education sectors.

Genet Berhane Innovation Attorney Energy and Infrastructure

New York

Genet supports firm efforts to optimize client service delivery and increase efficiencies across practice groups, connecting Orrick attorneys with tools and resources to support their work.

Genet’s practice previously focused on a variety of energy transactions as a managing associate in the firm's Energy & Infrastructure group. She has also worked as Senior Counsel at Clearway Energy and as a Legal Manager at Acumen, a non-profit global venture fund.

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.