Ms Laura Ellen Jones > Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP > Richmond, United States > Lawyer Profile

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP has carved out a niche in the US energy market as a leading tax equity practice, advising both established industry players and new market entrants on the tax equity financings of substantial solar and battery storage projects, as well as advising multinational financial services firms on tax credit transactions. Alongside this, the practice boasts a formidable capital markets offering, working closely with household names in the utilities space, as well as leading underwriters, on significant financing arrangements. Co-heads Jeffrey Schroeder and Peter O’Brien operate out of Washington DC and New York, respectively, with the latter the key figure in the group for power, utilities, and capital markets work, often working closely with colleagues Michael Fitzpatrick and Steven Friend, who demonstrate further excellence in this area and sit alongside O’Brien in New York. Richmond-based Laura Jones is an especially well-regarded tax lawyer who oversees a wealth of tax credit transactions, both generating repeat instructions and new business for the firm. Washington DC’s Geoffrey Lorenz‘s wide-ranging experience covers a variety of financing and transaction structures, and he is also highly active on tax-equity investments. Patrick Jamieson and Brendan Harney are further names of note for their debt and equity capital markets work from New York, while Douglas Dua and Jean Liang received promotions to partnership and counsel, respectively in 2023, also sitting in the New York office.

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP provides a top PPP offering, adopting a multi-sector approach for a wide array of lenders, equity sponsors, procuring authorities and sub-contractors. Over the past twelve months the firm has been instructed on landmark digital infrastructure projects, interstate and intercity railway ventures, major city subway redevelopment programs, and sports and entertainment venue builds, as well as demonstrating continued excellence on highway and toll road P3s which remain a cornerstone feature of the practice. On the energy front, the team has pivoted heavily towards solar and battery storage mandates where they are increasingly utilized for their stellar tax equity financing expertise, and retains its position as a key advisor to government agencies, state-owned energy companies, and industry players engaging with nuclear assets, with the firm active on both domestic and international matters. John O’Neill leads the practice on the infrastructure P3 front from Richmond and presides on both the project development and public finance side of transactions, while Jeffrey Schroeder  is the head of the energy team and represents clients across tax equity investments and tax credit transactions from Washington D.C. Also based in Washington DC, David Horner  advises at the forefront of the P3 space and is a go-to figure for lenders, developers and public bodies for their most consequential projects. Richmond’s Laura Jones and Washington DC’s Geoffrey Lorenz are highlighted for the breadth of their financing expertise, with the duo consistently handling complex project financings and tax equity transactions, chiefly focusing on renewables work, whereas George Borovas is the key figure for nuclear work and operates from the firm’s New York office. Robert McNamara, previously an oil and gas specialist, now lends federal income tax counsel to renewable energy players from Houston. Andrej Micovic is based in Miami and oversees a number of infrastructure ventures on the East Coast, often working closely with associate Forrest Murphy , while Richmond’s Ryan Pedraza has been a key supporting presence across an array of practice mandates, particularly in the transport sector. New York’s Jean Liang, who was promoted to counsel in August 2023, has a practice that encompasses conventional and energy transition sources of power.

Tax equity financing is the standout specialism of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP‘s offering in the renewable energy space. Commercial banks and institutional lenders, development finance institutions, export credit agencies, and project developers are all featured in the team’s client list and look to the firm for assistance with various renewable and alternative power project types. Jeffrey Schroeder oversees the practice and has extensive project financing experience, assisting with development, acquisition, financing, and divestiture of renewables. He is based in Washington DC, along with Geoffrey Lorenz, also an experienced figure in a variety of financing structures. Laura Jones in Richmond is one of the key partners for tax equity financing in renewables, while Robert McNamara at the Houston office is an expert in federal income tax law. The team’s deep pool of more junior talent includes July 2023 partner appointment Doug Dua, Jean Liang and Jason Eisenberg in New York, and Alessandra Hylander in Washington DC.

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP‘s non-contentious tax practice is particularly strong in the structured finance and securitization spaces, with the energy sector another area of focus. Cecelia Horner in Richmond, with notable experience handling the tax aspects of secured financings, acquisitions, transactions involving investment funds and derivatives, and restructurings, chairs the group alongside Houston-based Robert McNamara, who focuses on federal income tax issues concerning business transactions planning, especially in the energy industry. George C. Howell, III in Richmond offers expertise in REITs, including in relation to REMICs and other securitization transactions. Washington DC’s David Lowman specializes in energy-related tax credits, while Richmond-based Kendal Sibley advises on equity REITs, mortgage REITs, and private investment funds. Laura Jones, also in Richmond, plays a key role in the team, advising on the tax equity financing of renewable energy projects.