Helen Aki Senior Associate, Energy, Renewable Energy
San Francisco
San Francisco
San Francisco
She advises clients on a wide variety of matters, including energy storage and power purchase agreements, debt and tax equity financing, and project acquisitions and sales. She also spent several months 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.
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).
London
Simon represents client in connection with acquisitions, disposals, joint venture arrangements and project agreements in energy and infrastructure investments and financings.
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.
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.
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.
Paris
Her practice covers the development of projects, particularly in the energy and infrastructure sectors, notably within the framework of public contracts such as concessions and PPP contracts, as well as the regulatory aspects of regulated activities. She also handles litigation in these sectors.
She advises both sponsors and lenders, and also works with public entities.
Constance started her career at Orrick in 2013, before joining the project finance legal desk of Bouygues Construction at the end of 2018 for two years. She rejoined Orrick in 2021.
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.
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).
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
His practice focuses on the representation of sponsors, issuers, project developers, lenders, investors and governmental entities in project financings, infrastructure projects in the public-private partnership sector and securities offerings.
New York
Her work includes the structuring and negotiation of project development arrangements, early development oversight, BOP and EPC agreements, including for solar, wind, battery energy storage and high voltage facilities, equipment supply agreements (including warranty packages) for solar, wind and battery energy storage facilities, project financing, and project sale and acquisition agreements.
Over the past twenty years, Michelle has been active in renewable energy development, encompassing wind energy projects in the United States, Mexico, Europe, South America and Asia, solar energy projects in the United States, Mexico, Asia and South America and the formation and investment activities of energy investment funds. Michelle has also represented a wide range of clients in general corporate law, private equity, restructuring, share and asset purchases, structured financing, bank finance and leasing.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Sue’s practice focuses on environmental law as it applies to the financing, construction and operation of all types of power generation, including several offshore wind projects, infrastructure projects, and the purchase and sale of commercial enterprises. Sue is also experienced with the environmental facets of ESG, including ESG reporting and disclosure.
Sue advises clients with respect to environmental and permitting matters in the context of domestic and international transactions. She is skilled in identifying environmental risk and negotiating the allocation of such risk in a variety of transactional contexts, including financing agreements, purchase and sale agreements, and leases (including with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management).