For over two decades, Michael has advised energy developers and investors in their finance, mergers and acquisitions, and project development matters.

He has vast experience in a number of energy assets, including electric generating facilities (fossil fuels and renewable sources), natural gas pipelines, offshore drilling platforms, oil refineries and industrial equipment.

His transactional experience includes a variety of complex structures relating to the development, construction, finance acquisition and disposition of energy and infrastructure assets. In addition to his energy transactional experience, Michael has experience in a broad range of lending and structured finance transactions, with particular experience in leveraged acquisitions and buyouts.

Relevant Experience

Acquisitions and Dispositions:

• Represented a consortium of Japanese investors in the purchase of a 645 megawatt merchant combined cycle, gas-fired power generating facility located in New York.
• Represented a financial investor in its bid to purchase a 1,767 net megawatt power generation portfolio, including 1,000 net megawatt of capacity sold to the PJM Interconnection power market and 767 net megawatt of capacity sold to ISO New England.
• Represented a private equity fund in the auction and $720 million sale of a 512 megawatt gas-fired power generating facility located in New Jersey and a 7-mile transmission cable beneath the Hudson River.
• Represented a consortium comprised of an infrastructure fund and affiliates of a Japanese investor in bid to purchase a 943 megawatt natural gas-fired combined-cycle cogeneration project located in New Jersey that sells wholesale to PJM Interconnection and NYISO.
• Represented a private equity fund in the $475 million purchase of interests in 3,422 megawatt merchant coal-fired facilities located in Pennsylvania that sell wholesale power to PJM Interconnection.

• Represented a private equity fund in the “stalking horse” bid under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code of a 305 megawatt coal-fired power plant located in Texas, which was sold at auction for $126 million.
• Represented a private equity fund in the auction and sale of an interest in a 105 megawatt gas-fired cogeneration facility located in Texas.
• Represented a joint venture comprised of a Japanese financial investor and a leading insurance company, in connection with the leveraged acquisition of approximately 1000 MW of gas-fired power plants located in in Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
• Represented a private equity fund in the acquisition, project financing and sale of approximately 140 megawatt of hydroelectric generating facilities in Maine.
• Represented a financial investor in the sale of a minority interest in a 100 megawatt biomass facility located in Florida.
• Represented a private equity fund in the leveraged acquisition of a 200-mile 345-kv transmission line in New York.
• Represented a strategic investor with the acquisition of minority equity interests in a 396 megawatt wind power generation project, valued at $1 billion, under construction in Oaxaca, Mexico. Recognized as “Americas Wind Deal of the Year” by Project Finance International.
• Represented a joint venture comprised of affiliates of Japanese investors on the leveraged acquisition of interests in a portfolio of five gas-fired power plants located in the United States with capacity of approximately 4,800 megawatts.
• Represented a strategic investor in the formation of a $2.35 billion joint venture that owns a 5,000-mile natural gas pipeline and a 2,600-mile gas pipeline system and the subsequent sale of a portion of the joint venture interests to institutional investors.

Project Development and Finance:

• Represented a developer in connection with the development and equity investment by a private equity fund and a Japanese financial investor in a 1350 megawatt combine cycle gas-fired electric generating facilities constructed in Indiana that will sell wholesale power to PJM Interconnection and Midcontinent ISO.
• Represented tax equity investors in the $345 million construction financing of a 203 megawatt wind farm project in Texas.
• Represented a tax equity investor in the $228 million construction financing of a 138 megawatt (aggregate) wind farm project in Idaho.
• Represented a private equity firm with the $270 million construction financing of a 512 megawatt gas-fired power plant in New Jersey.
• Represented a developer in bid for $270 million construction financing of a 300 megawatt gas-fired combined cycle plant in Mexico.
• Represented a sponsor on a $310 million construction financing of a 600 megawatt gas-fired power plant located in New Mexico.
• Represented a hedge fund in the construction financing of a 6 megawatt portfolio of fixed-tilt solar photovoltaic systems. 
• Represented the sponsor and project company borrower in connection with approximately $ 4.2 billion nonrecourse, multiple currency debt financing for a 4,000 MW power generation and coal mine project in India. Recognized as “India Deal of the Year” by Project Finance International.
• Represented a developer in restructuring and creation of a joint venture for the development and construction of a waste-coal facility in Pennsylvania.
• Represented an agent in $110 million credit facilities to an oil refinery for acquisition financing and working capital purposes.
• Represented a lease equity investor in the $940 million construction financing and leveraged lease of a 400 megawatt coal-fired power plant in Arizona and the subsequent participation and sale of a portion of the lease equity.

Bar Admissions

Education
JD, St. John’s University School of Law, cum laude, 1995BA, Providence College, 1992