Practice Expertise
- Corporate
- Cuba
- Distressed M&A
- Energy, Power and Natural Resources
Areas of Practice
- Corporate
- Cuba
- Distressed M&A
- Energy, Power and Natural Resources
- Finance
- India
- International
- Joint Ventures
- Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Mexico
- Midstream
- Power and Renewables
- Project Finance and Development
- Technology Mergers and Acquisitions View More
Profile
Arthur Cohen has represented financial institutions and project developers on major infrastructure projects throughout the U.S. and the world for more than 25 years. Arthur is consistently turned to by clients who value and respect his knowledgeable advice and leadership on significant transactions, and appreciate his understanding of how to best help them achieve their business goals.
Arthur’s industry focus includes energy, electric power, transportation, sports facilities and other infrastructure. Over the course of his career, Arthur has worked on all facets of project development, including: shareholder and partnership agreements; construction contracts; power and steam sales contracts; operation and maintenance agreements; equity commitments and guarantees; and state support agreements. He has represented lenders, borrowers, purchasers and sellers in a wide variety of transactions, including acquisitions and divestitures, financings, and joint ventures and other strategic alliances. Arthur has also represented both developers and lenders in restructuring troubled projects. Arthur’s abilities in these areas are aided by his prior experience as a managing director at GE Capital which helped Arthur develop an efficient and business-friendly approach, with a practical real-world understanding of how businesses work and a sound grasp of financial principles.
As co-chair of the firm's Project Finance and Development Practice Group and chair of the firm's Joint Ventures Practice Group, Arthur splits his time among the firm's Washington, D.C., Houston and New York offices. Arthur is a recognized bar leader and currently serves as vice-chair of the Project Finance Committee of the ABA's Business Law Section and was chair from 2007-2011. From 2001-2007 Arthur served on the Steering Committee (and in 2004/6 as chair) of the District of Columbia Bar's Corporation, Finance and Securities Law Section. Arthur is also a member of the Tribar Opinion Committee and is a Trustee of the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers.
Arthur is an adjunct professor at Georgetown Law Center where, for the last 10 years, he has taught a course on project finance. When not working on behalf of his clients, Arthur is frequently asked to speak to industry professionals on a wide variety of topics, including LNG projects, airport development, sports stadium financings, solar and wind energy, and challenges of project development in emerging markets.
Arthur’s industry focus includes energy, electric power, transportation, sports facilities and other infrastructure. Over the course of his career, Arthur has worked on all facets of project development, including: shareholder and partnership agreements; construction contracts; power and steam sales contracts; operation and maintenance agreements; equity commitments and guarantees; and state support agreements. He has represented lenders, borrowers, purchasers and sellers in a wide variety of transactions, including acquisitions and divestitures, financings, and joint ventures and other strategic alliances. Arthur has also represented both developers and lenders in restructuring troubled projects. Arthur’s abilities in these areas are aided by his prior experience as a managing director at GE Capital which helped Arthur develop an efficient and business-friendly approach, with a practical real-world understanding of how businesses work and a sound grasp of financial principles.
As co-chair of the firm's Project Finance and Development Practice Group and chair of the firm's Joint Ventures Practice Group, Arthur splits his time among the firm's Washington, D.C., Houston and New York offices. Arthur is a recognized bar leader and currently serves as vice-chair of the Project Finance Committee of the ABA's Business Law Section and was chair from 2007-2011. From 2001-2007 Arthur served on the Steering Committee (and in 2004/6 as chair) of the District of Columbia Bar's Corporation, Finance and Securities Law Section. Arthur is also a member of the Tribar Opinion Committee and is a Trustee of the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers.
Arthur is an adjunct professor at Georgetown Law Center where, for the last 10 years, he has taught a course on project finance. When not working on behalf of his clients, Arthur is frequently asked to speak to industry professionals on a wide variety of topics, including LNG projects, airport development, sports stadium financings, solar and wind energy, and challenges of project development in emerging markets.
Bar Admissions
District of Columbia; New York; New Jersey; Texas
Education
J.D., Columbia University in the City of New York, 1979, Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, Journal of Law and Social Problems
B.A., Yale University, 1976
Areas of Practice
- Corporate
- Cuba
- Distressed M&A
- Energy, Power and Natural Resources
- Finance
- India
- International
- Joint Ventures
- Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Mexico
- Midstream
- Power and Renewables
- Project Finance and Development
- Technology Mergers and Acquisitions
Professional Career
Significant Accomplishments
Nabors Industries in $2 billion joint venture with Saudi Aramco.
Investec in multiple project finance transactions.
Nabors Industries in its acquisition of Robotic Drilling Services AS.
American Grain Technology in connection with ethanol project development.
FMC Corporation in connection with geothermal lithium projects.
Bank of America as lender in LNG liquefaction facility financings in Texas and Louisiana.
Celanese Corp. in a $900 million joint venture transaction between Celanese and Mitsui for development and construction of the first new methanol production facility in the U.S. in more than 20 years, which is co-located with Celanese’s manufacturing campus in Clear Lake near Houston.
Deutsche Bank in the financing of the first closed-loop biomass power plant in the U.S., located on Kauai in Hawaii.
Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. in its $210 million sale-leaseback of equipment aboard four Diamond Offshore drillships located in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico as well as a related ten-year contractual services agreement (CSA) with GE Oil & Gas. The CSA is the first-of-its-kind for the offshore drilling industry as it transfers full accountability for blowout preventer (BOP) performance to the OEM, GE Oil & Gas.
US Trust as Agent in $76 million financing and restructuring of a project-financed prison in South Texas.
Bank of America in providing a $90 million credit facility to the San Antonio Spurs NBA basketball team, part of which was used to finance a new arena.
SMBC in the refinancing of an inside-the-fence power plant in Freeport, Texas.
GCP/BRS as an equity investor in the Big River Steel Mill in Osceola, Arkansas.
InterOil Corporation as lead developer of an LNG liquefaction facility to be co-located with an oil refinery in Papua New Guinea, including establishment of a joint venture and related financing matters.
Apollo Asset Management in an acquisition financing.
Celanese Corp. in a $150 million repowering project to convert its Narrows, Virginia, manufacturing facility from coal to natural gas.
FMC Corp. in connection with the development of a gas pipeline project in Argentina.
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings in an international joint venture.
ConocoPhillips in connection with the auction-sale disposition of a chemical facility.
ZVUE Corporation in connection with its acquisition of eBaum's World, a popular video website.
KBC Bank in the restructuring and sale of the Wolf Hollow project in Texas.
PPL Global in connection with the development and construction of its Shoreham and Edgewood power plants in Long Island, NY, and the sale of the output of such plants to the Long Island Power Authority.
Owners of the Minnesota Vikings NFL franchise in connection with the project-financed acquisition of the team.
General Electric Company in connection with its participation in the Dabhol Power Project, a US$3.1 billion project financing of a power plant in the state of Maharashtra, India.
Sellers and acquirers in various auction sale transactions.
Nabors Industries Ltd. in many matters, including its reorganization into a Bermuda company.
Bidders in an acquisition bid of almost $1 billion for three New York City power plants aggregating over 2,000 megawatts.
Nabors Industries in $2 billion joint venture with Saudi Aramco.
Investec in multiple project finance transactions.
Nabors Industries in its acquisition of Robotic Drilling Services AS.
American Grain Technology in connection with ethanol project development.
FMC Corporation in connection with geothermal lithium projects.
Bank of America as lender in LNG liquefaction facility financings in Texas and Louisiana.
Celanese Corp. in a $900 million joint venture transaction between Celanese and Mitsui for development and construction of the first new methanol production facility in the U.S. in more than 20 years, which is co-located with Celanese’s manufacturing campus in Clear Lake near Houston.
Deutsche Bank in the financing of the first closed-loop biomass power plant in the U.S., located on Kauai in Hawaii.
Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. in its $210 million sale-leaseback of equipment aboard four Diamond Offshore drillships located in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico as well as a related ten-year contractual services agreement (CSA) with GE Oil & Gas. The CSA is the first-of-its-kind for the offshore drilling industry as it transfers full accountability for blowout preventer (BOP) performance to the OEM, GE Oil & Gas.
US Trust as Agent in $76 million financing and restructuring of a project-financed prison in South Texas.
Bank of America in providing a $90 million credit facility to the San Antonio Spurs NBA basketball team, part of which was used to finance a new arena.
SMBC in the refinancing of an inside-the-fence power plant in Freeport, Texas.
GCP/BRS as an equity investor in the Big River Steel Mill in Osceola, Arkansas.
InterOil Corporation as lead developer of an LNG liquefaction facility to be co-located with an oil refinery in Papua New Guinea, including establishment of a joint venture and related financing matters.
Apollo Asset Management in an acquisition financing.
Celanese Corp. in a $150 million repowering project to convert its Narrows, Virginia, manufacturing facility from coal to natural gas.
FMC Corp. in connection with the development of a gas pipeline project in Argentina.
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings in an international joint venture.
ConocoPhillips in connection with the auction-sale disposition of a chemical facility.
ZVUE Corporation in connection with its acquisition of eBaum's World, a popular video website.
KBC Bank in the restructuring and sale of the Wolf Hollow project in Texas.
PPL Global in connection with the development and construction of its Shoreham and Edgewood power plants in Long Island, NY, and the sale of the output of such plants to the Long Island Power Authority.
Owners of the Minnesota Vikings NFL franchise in connection with the project-financed acquisition of the team.
General Electric Company in connection with its participation in the Dabhol Power Project, a US$3.1 billion project financing of a power plant in the state of Maharashtra, India.
Sellers and acquirers in various auction sale transactions.
Nabors Industries Ltd. in many matters, including its reorganization into a Bermuda company.
Bidders in an acquisition bid of almost $1 billion for three New York City power plants aggregating over 2,000 megawatts.
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