About

Featuring in some of the most complex, cross-border billion-dollar transactions, award-winning lawyer Paul Freedman stands out for his legal and business understanding, and negotiation skills. ‘Paul is an unusual breed of corporate lawyer,’ says Bill Lamb at Baker Botts L.L.P.. ‘He has the ability to stay on top of a wide range of complicated legal issues, a well-refined view of the business issues driving the transaction and the ability to manage large teams of inside and outside lawyers, all at the same time and in the face of intense time pressure’. Freedman has served as both global business development lawyer and North American generation business general counsel for independent power company The AES Corporation. A key player in the domestic and global IPP industry, AES is a Fortune 200 global power company with operations in 20 countries and over $42bn total assets. ‘He is unique in the scope and breadth of his legal skills, sector knowledge and international expertise,’ says Mitchell Silk at Allen & Overy LLP. With significant M&A, project and regulatory experience, Freeman has handled deals across all global regions and all power technology sectors, for both traditional and alternative energy. He is also praised for his work in international development, having spent nearly five years as chief legal advisor for the US Agency for International Development’s worldwide credit guaranty program to stimulate private sector lending by banks in emerging markets. ‘Paul’s work was instrumental in growing this portfolio of local currency loans for infrastructure and small enterprises from $100m to over $1bn, and thereby fostering sustainable development while stimulating the economy and increasing employment in a number of developing countries,’ Silk argues. Freedman has been a course advisor and lecturer for the International Law Institute’s three week training program on Capital Markets Development and Regulation for government officials from developing countries since 2006. Freedman is also active in training and development at AES, and has taken substantial steps to implement precedents and procedures in the legal function.