About

The legal team of NextEnergy Capital is composed of two lawyers, head of legal Michele Catanzaro and senior legal Claudia Calderini, as well as one trainee. Catanzaro possesses extensive experience in the renewable energy industry with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, project financing and asset management. He is responsible for the legal affairs and he represents the first line of assistance to the board of directors and the fund investment committee in relation to the legal due diligences, SPAs negotiations and potential litigation decisions. Calderini on the other hand is a senior lawyer, with specialisation in administrative, public and civil law. Together they have been key to the development of the business and the increase of significant transactions throughout the years and have led the company to the decision to improve the control on the legal risks linked to such transactions. ‘Therefore, the number of legal professionals involved in the investment process increased from one, in 2016, to four in 2019. Furthermore, the range of the activities has been as well extended in order to involve the legal department in all the legal matter regarding either the investment process or the asset management, contractual compliance, extrajudicial litigation, corporate’, explains Catanzaro. Amongst their most formidable transactions, the legal team has been involved in the acquisitions of 13 photovoltaic plants in the centre and South Italy, with an enterprise value of €96m. ‘Loyalty is a trademark of NextEnergy and of the legal department. This value is very much appreciated by lawyers, partners and counterparties, and it makes us respectable and appreciated’, says Catanzaro.