John focused his practice on energy, extractive industries and infrastructure transactions and international project finance. John served multiple terms as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and Partnership Admission Committee. Prior to becoming Senior Counsel, John served for ten years as Global Head of Hunton’s Business Practice Group (which includes its Capital Finance and Real Estate, Corporate, Energy and Infrastructure and Tax and ERISA Teams ). He served as Chair of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Infrastructure and Regulated Industries Section and is a current member of the ABA House of Delegates. John is an Honorary Lecturer at the University of Dundee’s Center for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP). With over 40 years of experience, he focused his practice on energy, extractive industries and infrastructure transactions and finance, particularly in the oil, gas, electricity, mining and infrastructure sectors. In Chambers rankings, John is one of two lawyers worldwide ranked with the highest “Senior Statespeople” designation for Africa Infrastructure Projects and Energy.

John is an internationally recognized author and speaker on the development and financing of energy, extractive industries, renewables and infrastructure projects with a particular focus on Africa and emerging markets. He is a co-author of the World Bank’s ground-breaking treatise on resource-financed infrastructure and his work in Africa has been the subject of feature articles. John has undertaken speaking and lecturing assignments in North and South America, Europe and Africa, generally with a focus on emerging market development and finance.

Bar Admissions

Education
JD, The George Washington University Law School, with honors, 1979

BA, University of Pennsylvania, magna cum laude, 1975

• Served as lead issuers' counsel for large investor-owned utilities in hundreds of capital markets transactions, in the following areas: first and refunding mortgage bonds, aggregating over $4 billion; preferred stock (fixed- and variable-rate); public offerings of common stock; unsecured notes, aggregating over $2 billion; tax-exempt financings of utility assets, aggregating over $800 million; and miscellaneous nuclear fuel financings, sales of accounts receivables, and debt/equity swaps.
• Advises on the development and financing of a fiber optic cable system connecting South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania, India, and Marseilles, France. The project has involved eight jurisdictions stretching from South Africa to India. The deal was named "African Telecoms Deal of the Year" by Project Finance Magazine.
• Represents the Government of Kosovo in relation to the renovation and development of approximately 1,200 MW of lignite-fired combined heat and power plants in Pristina and in relation to the privatization of PTK, the Government's Post and Telecommunications company.
• Represents the Government of Uganda on the development and financing of the Bujagali hydroelectric facility on the River Nile, including structuring and negotiating all bidding documentation and project documentation, including requests for proposals, power purchase agreement, implementation agreement, financing and other documents. The deal constitutes the largest-ever private sector investment in the region and was named "African Power Deal of the Year" by Project Finance Magazine.
• Represents the Government of Tanzania in the development of its natural gas fields, including Tanzania's first LNG facility; the Government of Nigeria in its independent power program and in the restructuring of its electric utility; and the Government of Ukraine in connection with the restructuring of its energy sector.
• Represented investor-owned utilities in connection with the acquisition and sale of significant utility assets, including the Shoreham Nuclear Power Station, the Clover Thermal Generating Plant, the North Anna Nuclear Power Station, the Bath County Pump Storage Project and the North Branch IPP.
• Advised a major investor-owned utility in the review and restructuring of its IPP portfolio.
• Represented a major investor-owned utility in connection with the sale of its natural gas subsidiary.
• Represented the governments of the Dominican Republic, Nigeria, Pakistan, Uganda and the United Kingdom on the privatization of utility assets.

• Chair (2016–2017), Infrastructure and Regulated Industries Section, American Bar Association
• Past Chairman, International Law Committee, American Bar Association

• Leader in the Field, Africa Projects & Energy Law, Chambers Global Guide, since 2007
• Leading Lawyer, IFLR1000 Energy and Infrastructure: Sub-Saharan Africa, since 2013
• Listed in Corporate Law (since 1995), Public Utilities/Energy Law (since 1995), International Trade & Finance Law (since 2003) and Project Finance Law (since 2006), The Best Lawyers in America. A description of the selection methodology can be found on Best Lawyers’ webpage.
• Identified as lead lawyer for previous awards “African Power Deal of the Year” and “African Telecoms Deal of the Year,” Project Finance magazine
• Latin Lawyer Magazine, listed in the Latin Lawyer 250, International category, 2014

• Competitive Tenders for IPPs in Africa—A Practical Guide
• Commercializing Flare Gas To Reduce Emissions And Develop Economies, USEA Blog
• Petroleum Legislative Frameworks and Contracts in a Federation: Issues of Constitutions, Petroleum Laws, Regulations, and Contracts, Balancing Petroleum Policy: Toward Value, Sustainability, and Security, The World Bank
• Uganda Gets Hydro Project, EnergyBiz
• Resource Financed Infrastructure: A Discussion on a New Form of Infrastructure Financing, The World Bank