The Legal 500 Green Guide: United States 2025

Further demonstrating its expertise across innovative energy transition transactions, the firm represented Summit Carbon Solutions in the financing of its carbon capture project, which consists of ethanol plants, pipeline infrastructure, and sequestration formations. To support the project in becoming operational, the environment team also assisted in negotiating pipeline transportation contracts with third parties.

In a cross-border matter, the firm acted for Moroccan sustainable technology accelerator INNOVX in the production and sale of sustainable aviation fuels. By securing the generation and offtake of the client’s clean fuels, the mandate makes a leading contribution to the decarbonization of the aviation sector across the project’s US and European target sectors.

Establishing itself as an incisive and committed thought leader concerning decarbonization-focused investments, the firm created a net zero financing tool and hosted a financing transition event for business leaders, policymakers, and climate diplomats.

With a global environmental sustainability strategy seeking to mitigate its impact on climate change, biodiversity degradation, water scarcity, and natural resources depletion, the firm is assessing its real estate, operations, supply chains, and travel to reduce its scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions by 50% by 2030.

An ongoing client is climate solutions investor Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, whom projects expert James O’Brien represented in connection with its equity investment in AES Corporation’s 1.3 GW operating renewables portfolio. By acquiring a 49% interest, the client will help fund the operation and clean energy generation of seventeen solar facilities and one wind project.

In Chicago, leading ESG and environmental law authority David Hackett serves as Board Chair for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) North America. The firm also assists the WBCSD in its green partnerships with leading companies, advising on ESG initiatives, soy sustainability standards, antitrust, plastics regulation, and sustainable finance.

Aiding the adoption of green best practices among American corporations, the firm serves as outside general counsel to the UN Global Compact US Board, advising on standards and programs related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and assisting with all legal issues surrounding sustainable contracting, compliance, and governance.

The firm is a founding member of the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance and shares its goals and milestones in an annual sustainability report. Empowered by its proprietary bGreen internal environmental management system to take a data-based approach to decarbonization, the firm is currently developing science-based scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions targets.

The team also recently represented the Republic of Uruguay in an offering of $700m 5.75% sustainability-linked bonds due in 2034, encouraging its commitment to sustainable targets related to greenhouse gas production and the protection and reforestation of its areas of native forests by 2025.

In line with its workload, the ESG group meets regularly to discuss sustainable developments, keeping clients up-to-date with new regulations and current trends through ESG webinars, conferences, and articles on its dedicated ESG page as well as its weekly Climate and Financial Sector Newsletter.

Internally, the firm has been taking active steps to decarbonize and offset its operations, reducing waste and energy usage, as well as purchasing carbon credits each year, showing commitment to achieving these goals through calculating its carbon footprint and disclosing its performance to CDP and EcoVadis.

The firm is also a member of the Law firm Sustainability Network, the Legal Sustainability Alliance and the Net Zero Lawyer Alliance, and regularly gives back to the planet through its pro bono practice. It recently assisted The Nature Conservancy with the governance structure of its project, which encourages smallholder farmers to engage with climate-resilient and sustainable farming.

In a landmark Caribbean renewables transaction, the team advised the arrangers on a $450m financing to AES Dominicana Renewable Energy, Agua Clara, and I.E. DR Projects I to finance the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of a 240 MW solar portfolio and to refinance a 150 MW wind and solar portfolio.

At the cutting-edge of the real estate investment space, the funds team advised Nuveen Green Capital on the formation and close of the $525m Nuveen C-PACE Lending Fund. Through the fund, insurance investors will help finance energy efficient, climate resilient, water conservation, and renewable energy upgrade projects in commercial buildings, providing a long-term financing solution for vital sustainability enhancements.

As part of its Sustainable Development Goal-aligned responsible business strategy, the firm is targeting to reduce scopes 1 and 2 emissions by 80% and scope 3 emissions by 47% by 2030. To help realise this goal, the firm’s Net Zero Delivery Group is currently implementing changes to limit its business, travel, and supplier emissions.

Another key contact is Steve Nickelsburg, who is a member of the firm’s Global and Americas ESG Boards. All named lawyers are based in Washington DC.

The firm is also representing SGP BioEnergy on all matters regarding the development, financing, construction, and operation of a major $2.5bn advanced biorefinery in Panama. It provided transactional, regulatory, and development advice for the project, which will utilise biological feedstocks to produce sustainable aviation fuel, biodiesel, and green hydrogen.

A New York-based finance team acted for Deutsche Bank Trust as depositary bank regarding a $112m construction facility and term facility provided to the North Fork solar project. The facility will support the construction and operation of the 120 MW PV plant, which will significantly augment the clean electricity capacity in Oklahoma.

Also in the clean energy financing space, the firm is a trusted advisor in negotiating power purchase agreements, complementing its expertise in client work by developing a comparative global guide to support the legal sector and clients in navigating corporate PPAs.

Committed to setting a positive example within the industry, the firm publicly shares its environmental strategy and responsible business ambitions through its Americas sustainability report. Internally, the firm is ISO 14001 certified, has completed a greenhouse gas inventory to kickstart its SBTi-aligned emissions reduction plan, and has partnered with the Law Firm Sustainability Network to promote best practice within the legal sector.

Through the creation of the Green Committee, the firm is actively taking responsibility for its own carbon footprint, implementing waste reduction measures, recycling initiatives and reducing its energy consumption. The San Fransisco and Washington D.C. offices are also located in LEED Gold-certified buildings which maximize energy efficiency and overall sustainability performance. In line with these efforts, the firm works with suppliers to purchase eco-friendly products and participates in a global carbon offsetting program to mitigate the environmental impact of its air travel. Accordingly, the firm’s New York office’s sustainability efforts have been recognized, earning it a gold rating for Vorgate’s American Legal Industry Sustainability Standard (ALISS).

The ESG team also regularly participates in talks and publishes articles on ESG, biodiversity, climate risk and regulation, and, as a member of the Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy Initiative, actively encourages others to devote their time to the green transition by providing legal services to NGOs and start-ups working in environmental sustainability.

In a $6.3bn mandate, the corporate team advised carbon-free electricity provider Energy Harbor on its acquisition by Vistra. Through the transaction, the client will combine with the acquirer’s clean energy companies to form part of a 41,000 MW zero-carbon energy generation portfolio.

Global ESG and sustainability co-head Julien Bourgeois is a trusted advisor to the asset management industry, acting for market-leading asset managers across green investment patterns, regulatory trends, and litigation risk management. He regularly contributes to the firm’s thought leadership on topics including SEC climate disclosures and emerging ESG investigations.

Jason Rozes, also co-head of the ESG and sustainability practice, is an expert on the decarbonization of the real estate sector, regularly advising clients on green and energy efficiency financing projects. To apply his knowledge within the business community, Rozes is a member of real estate finance trade association CREFC’s sustainability initiative and writes on the intersection of climate change and commercial real estate finance as a member of the Climate Reality Project’s Leadership Corps.

Globally, the firm’s carbon reduction strategy places emphasis on energy conservation, waste and pollution prevention, and the reduction of supply chain impacts. To implement these goals locally, the firm’s New York office has a cross-staff Green Team which leads its waste and electricity reduction programs.

Of its energy transition workload, it has also been advising the City Council of the City of New Orleans on the acquisition of a renewables portfolio and adoption of a renewable and clean portfolio standard. It is also representing Capital Power Corporation on all aspects of its acquisition and operation of natural gas, solar and wind generation facilities in the United States, marking a step towards the country’s decarbonization. 

Beyond its workload, the firm shows further commitment to the green transition by signing up to Business Ambition for 1.5°C and the Race to Zero. It has also earned a Gold rating in the All Legal Industry Sustainability Standard (ALISS), a survey which measures the sustainability efforts of firms.

Notably, the firm has recently launched a sustainability engagement website to help people increase their positive impact and, later in 2024, will be developing the tool to allow access to clients, encouraging them to make the shift too.

The team keeps clients up to date with developments in the ESG space, sharing its thoughts and insights on important issues – most recently on greenwashing, climate reporting requirements and offsetting – via its ESG hub, and in April 2024, hosted a Sustainability Month around Earth Day, where it discussed climate change issues and solutions through a series of virtual events.

Clinton Vince and Jeffrey Fort stand out for their work in this space.

Key to the firm’s renewable energy strength is its Washington DC-based expertise in regulatory mandates. In an ongoing matter, the firm is advising electric utility ALLETE on strategic regulatory issues regarding its transition away from fossil-fuel generation to wind and solar power, assisting the client in restructuring its generation portfolio, negotiating renewable power purchase agreements, and developing clean infrastructure. The energy team is also advising longstanding client Pattern on regulatory issues related to the development of the 3000 MW SunZia wind project and associated transmission line.

From Atlanta, Victor Haley leads the firm’s forestry & climate solutions group, providing expertise on forestry carbon sequestration programs and carbon credit transactions. A key client is the Blue Source Sustainable Forests Company, whom the firm advised in the $1.8bn acquisition of 1.7m acres of timber assets. The land will be sustainably managed in order to restore local biodiversity and produce high-quality mitigation credits.

Demonstrating its commitment to corporate decarbonisation, the firm is a founding member of the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact, which brings together local businesses to collaborate toward net zero emissions and a sustainable transition. Supporting its ambition to reach net zero by 2050, the firm purchased renewable energy credits corresponding to its entire estimated energy use until 2025.

Also in the solar power sector, the firm represented impact investment fund manager Monarch Private Capital in the tax equity financing of a 190 MW PV facility. Demonstrating the client’s engagement in complex and purpose-led renewable energy financings, the project will provide clean electricity and sustainable infrastructure to Illinois while donating a portion of its revenues to local community organizations.

In an innovative project finance deal which scales up energy access to underserved communities, the team represented African blended finance platform CrossBoundary Access in a $10m partnership with Mobile Power to delivery battery hubs across Nigeria.

Supporting the diversification of the US clean energy matrix, the firm is also advising Vineyard Energy on permitting and siting issues as well as in negotiating project labour agreements for its landmark commercial-scale offshore wind project.

The firm regularly supports green activity in the business community. As co-founder and key legal sponsor of non-profit climatetech incubator Greentown Labs, it offers corporate counsel and training presentations to emerging climate solutions companies. Elsewhere in the pro bono space, it has pledged over $1.5m of legal services in 2024 through Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy, which offers free advice to sustainability-focused entrepreneurs and not-for-profits.

Keen to implement a veracious decarbonisation strategy, the firm has set verifiable net-zero emissions targets for 2050, which it reviews and measures against annually.

A further key client is battery cell technology developer KORE Power, whom the policy team advised in the application and negotiation of a $850m loan from the Department of Energy. Vital to the growth of e-mobility and energy storage, the loan will fund the construction of an advanced battery cell manufacturing facility in Arizona, capable of producing 6 GWh of batteries annually.

Energy transition group co-chair George Humphrey is a key contact in landmark and technologically complex deals in the renewable gas space, with experience including acting for a major developer in negotiating and closing a novel EPC contract for its 45 metric-ton-per-day utility-scale green hydrogen project; and advising a developer on the negotiation of a syngas agreement from a renewable fuels supplier, helping secure a low-emission feedstock for a 2000+ metric-ton-per-day low-carbon methanol plant.

As well as coordinating its multi-disciplinary client-facing sustainability advice, the ESG team directs the firm’s operational decarbonization strategy and is currently developing internal environmental goals and guidance. Alongside regularly providing events and client alerts on topics including carbon credits and climate claims, the firm offers its clean energy expertise in the business community as an active member in RNG, offshore wind, and clean energy buyer associations.

Amy Edwards co-leads the firm’s climate change team as well as environmental team, and has been heavily involved in sustainability initiatives within the American Bar Association. Climate change co-chair Jennifer Hernandez also heads the West Coast land use and environmental practice.

Also in the renewables transaction space, a cross-office team advised Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board in closing its joint acquisition with Corio Generation of a 27.67% stake in the 3 GW Attentive Energy offshore wind project. The energy practice then advised Attentive Energy on securing a 1342 MW offtake award, corresponding to $3.3bn in offshore wind renewable energy credits, to deliver clean electricity to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. The mandates are vital in supporting the growth of clean energy projects and infrastructure off the east coast.

The capital markets practice has deep and longstanding expertise advising Latin American sovereign actors on green debt issuances, including representing the Republic of Chile in its $2.25bn and €750m sustainability-linked bonds issuance. With the bonds’ KPIs linked to the country making annual greenhouse gas reductions, remaining below a near-term GHG budget, and improving gender equality, the deal makes a wide-reaching commitment to local sustainable development.

Pursuing a Science Based Targets initiative-approved near-term carbon reduction strategy to reduce scopes 1 and 2 emissions by 70% and scope 3 emissions by 50% by 2030, the firm’s cross-staff carbon reduction steering group has introduced impactful climate mitigation strategies, including procuring 81% of its electricity in FY2022 from renewable sources.

Former US Department of the Interior and American Wind Energy Association lawyer Lauren Bachtel joined the firm in 2023 to lead the US ESG team.

In a $1bn mandate which supports the ongoing development of a resilient clean energy mix, the firm acted for leading client Engie in its acquisition of battery storage company Broad Reach Power. Through the transaction, the client obtained a portfolio of 350 MW of operating, 880 MW under-construction, and 1.7 GW development-stage battery assets.

From Houston, renewables group co-head Rob Goldberg represented Nestlé in its tax equity investments in a 405 MW solar and 140 MW storage portfolio being developed by Enel Green Power and in its simultaneous acquisition of the projects’ renewable energy credits. The transactions are vital in helping the client meet the additionality goals in its net-zero carbon strategy.

New York-based capital markets expert Anna Pinedo is a key contact in the firm’s green publications and events, regularly offering expertise on climate change regulation. Pinedo’s key recent mandates include acting for InspereX as agent in Calvert Impact Climate’s $400m CPACE asset-based notes issuance, which will help decarbonize the built environment by financing commercial renewable energy improvement projects.

As part of its responsible business effort, the firm is currently assessing its carbon footprint to create a data-based decarbonization programme. Its current green initiatives include a pro bono partnership with corporate sustainability certifier B Lab, choosing LEED-certified premises across the US, and reducing emissions across waste, travel, and procurement.

In the sustainable finance space, the firm is representing NiSource in the negotiation of a $166m tax equity commitment from Wells Fargo for a solar project with a capacity of 265 MW. The solar project will be one of two to replace the Schahfer Generating Station, which is expected to be retired in 2025.

While the whole team stands out for its involvement in thought leadership on renewables, climate disclosure, ESG and sustainability, Chris Gladbach and Carl Fleming, in particular are recognised for their engagement in support of the energy transition, with Gladbach being a member of the American Council of Renewable Energy, and Flemming an appointee to the Biden administration’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee, where he advises the Secretary of Commerce on wind, solar, battery storage, electric vehicles and other low carbon solutions. Philip Tingle and Heather Cooper stand out for their energy tax expertise, and David Cifrino is the managing director of the firm’s ESG, Impact and Sustainability practice.

The firm has also been involved in pro bono work for The MA Housing & Climate Innovation Center and, equipped with an in-depth knowledge of weather tech and sustainability, is helping to address the social and environmental issues related to housing, working to achieve net zero goals and using innovative and sustainable materials in projects.

Demonstrating further authority in the renewables space, the team regularly participates in thought leadership and recently hosted its second energy summit, ‘Catalyzing the Energy Transition Through Investment, Innovation, and Adoption’, in which practice co-chairs Thomas R. Burton and Sahir Surmeli, and energy expert Ayaz Shaikh spoke alongside other guest speakers and professionals from across the industry.

Through the Mintz Energy Funding Matrix platform, the firm hopes to ease and encourage the green transition, helping people find the relevant grants, loans and financings for the gamut of projects.

Beyond its workload, the team also dedicates itself to caring for the planet. Burton, in particular, is chair of the Board of Trustees of the New England Aquarium, an ocean conservation organization dedicated to marine animal conservation through public engagement and education.

In a $212.8m deal, a cross-office team is representing technology-based carbon credit developer and manager DevvStream in its business combination with Focus Impact Acquisition Corp, which provided the client with the financial strength to further to develop and monetise high-quality and accountable carbon mitigation projects.

Having recently advised the client on its $400m capital raise, the ESG group represented Australian environmental infrastructure provider Xpansiv on an additional $125m capital raise. This supports the expansion of the client’s voluntary carbon offset, renewable energy credit, and low-carbon fuels trading platforms.

As a founding member of Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy, the firm promotes sustainability in the legal sector and contributes pro bono services to projects addressing climate change. Exemplified by its recent impact investing report, co-published alongside Impact Capital Managers, the team regularly shares its knowledge with the business community through podcasts, briefings, and industry partnerships.

An internal environmental sustainability committee tracks and reports the firm’s operational emissions via the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and is targeting further carbon reductions by promoting staff engagement in its MoFoEco program and by procuring entirely renewable electricity in the US in 2025.

Also in the clean energy transmission space, New York-based Ben Koenigsberg – who leads the firm’s US projects practice together with Keith Martin in Washington DC – is assisting the New York Power Authority in connection with the $11bn Clean Path New York transmission project, which will combine 20 wind and solar projects with a 175-mile transmission line to deliver over 7.5m MWh of clean energy into the city annually.

From Austin, Becky Diffen has vast expertise in renewables M&A and finance. For Shell subsidiaries Shell Wind Energy and Savion Equity, she advised on the sale of tax credits and a 60% interest in the 182 MW Brazos repowered wind project and the sale of a 50% interest in the 180 MW Madison Fields solar development. In the equity financing space, she acted for NeuPorter in an equity financing by Lotus Infrastructure Partners to launch a large-scale clean hydrogen pipeline transportation and storage platform. The project, which will leverage Texas’ abundant renewable energy assets, provides vital infrastructure to scale-up clean hydrogen delivery and help decarbonize US industries.

Committed to improving its operational sustainability, the firm is measuring its global carbon footprint in order to identify an optimal data-based decarbonization and waste and resource management strategy. It also partnered with non-profit Conservation International for its 2023 Global Charitable Initiative, working alongside the organization to protect forests, oceans, and biodiversity.

Demonstrating the firm’s expertise in supporting energy clients in their transition journeys, a cross-office team is acting for hydrocarbon producer Aera Energy in its negotiations to develop and construct a carbon capture and sequestration project, advising on CO2 offtake agreements and the project’s eligibility for CCS credits.

New York-based energy group chair Junaid Chida, a key contact in renewables M&A and financing, leads a cross-office team in representing major Japanese corporate Mitsui in its ongoing funding of sustainable aviation fuel pioneer LanzaJet. The client’s shareholding is vital in supporting the development of renewable jet fuel and its availability in the commercial market.

To broaden its green engagement, the firm provides pro bono representation to environmental organizations including Oceana and the Rainforest Alliance. It is also a member of the law firm sustainability consortium Vorgate, which incentivizes a data-driven approach to the legal sector’s decarbonization, and joined the EPA and American Bar Association’s Climate Challenge, which pushes best practices in conserving paper, waste, and energy.

The firm’s internal Green Office Initiative has introduced sustainability commitments including eco-friendly procurement, reduced travel, participation in community conservation events, and the procurement of renewable electricity, through which the New York is entirely powered by wind energy.

The firm also advised Eversource Energy on the sale of 50% of two of its offshore wind projects to Global Infrastructure Partners, a leading investor in renewable energy that will be responsible for the growth and expansion of these projects.

In keeping with its impressive green transition work, the firm is also taking active steps to reduce its carbon footprint, with 83% of its real estate portfolio powered by 100% clean energy.

As a member of the firm-led pro-bono group Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy and a founding member of the Green Tech Legal Collaborative (GTLC) program, which won the “Most Effective Pro Bono Partnership” at the LawWorks Pro Bono Awards in 2023, pro-bono work lies at the core of its activity, partnering with an extensive list of global and local environmental organizations, including the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund, Conservation Law Foundation, Blue Finance, Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute and Green Pro Bono.

Internally, the firm continues to fight against climate change, adopting various waste-reducing and energy-saving initiatives within its offices. In line with this, the firm has worked to incorporate smart tech into its buildings to help reduce waste and energy consumption: its Chicago, Boston, New York, Silicon Valley, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles offices have been awarded a Gold and its San Franciso office a Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Beyond its workload, the firm shows further commitment to a greener future, purchasing 100% green energy alongside implementing waste and energy reduction measures across offices and, as a member of the Law Firm Sustainability Network, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting sustainability throughout the legal industry, the firm hopes to inspire others to take action too.

Of note is its engagement with pro-bono work and, through its affiliation with Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy, its pledge to contribute at least $350,000 in free legal services to qualifying sustainability-focused NGOs and small businesses annually.

Co-chair of the firm’s impact & sustainability practice group Ameena Majid stands out for her work in the ESG space.

It also recently led the ESG and SFDR diligence efforts in connection with TPG Rise Climate’s acquisition of energy and fuels specialist AmSpec Group, inc.

In keeping with its ESG advisory offering, the firm also offers clients various tools to keep them up-to-date with the fast developing ESG space, offering a regulatory compliance database, providing them with monthly regulatory updates, and a 50-state ESG state tracking tool which covers ESG measures.

Beyond its workload, the firm shows further commitment to sustainability not only as a member of the EPA Green Power Partnership, purchasing renewable energy credits equal to 50% of its energy consumption in its New York headquarters, but also through its partnership with EcoVadis, through which it measures its environmental impact.

Of note is the group’s dedication to climate-focused pro bono work for the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Eastern Environmental Law Center, the Rainforest Foundation US and the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice.

In another significant matter, the team represented Available Power, the developer of a battery energy storage system, in a partnership with Linxon, a joint venture of SNC-Lavalin and Hitachi Energy, to scale the North American energy storage market, accelerating the US’s transition to clean energy.

In support of its green transition workload, the group is not only a co-founder of the Renewable Energy Alliance of Houston, but its San Francisco and Palo Alto hubs both operate in buildings that offset 100% of their energy with Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) while its New York headquarters offsets 50% of its emissions via RECs.

The firm has also adopted various internal sustainability-based initiatives and developed an Environmental Code of Conduct through which it hopes to gather information on its supply chain. Hoping to achieve net zero by 2050, it is committed to tracking, measuring and improving its carbon footprint through its Environmental Management System and affiliation with the Legal Industry Sustainability Standard, showing further dedication to reaching this target. Notably, in 2023, its efforts were recognized by the latter, earning it a Platinum Rating.

The team is also known for its pro bono work and has recently provided legal assistance to the Carbon Disclosure Project, Climate on Site and Climate Change program on several sustainability-based initiatives.

William L. Thomas heads up the firm’s environment, health & safety practice with expertise in international environmental law and policy, and legal aspects of sustainability and ESG matters. Laura L. Delanoy, a partner in the corporate & financial services department, co-chairs the ESG practice.