Ryan’s practice focuses on energy and infrastructure projects located in emerging and frontier markets. Ryan is a frequent speaker and author on topics related to the development and financing of renewable energy projects and public-private partnerships. Clients quoted in Chambers Global praise Ryan as “extremely efficient,” adding that, “his wisdom and judgement of process is very good, as is his ability to handle deep-heated situations,” that he is “very knowledgeable in private-public transactions in the energy sector,”and that he “provides intelligent counsel and knows how to get the deal done.”

Ryan focuses his practice on the development and financing of energy and infrastructure projects worldwide. He has acted for governments, sponsors, lenders, development finance institutions, and other participants in the energy and infrastructure sectors.

Chambers Global guide has recognized Ryan since 2013. Before joining the firm, he served as a law clerk for the Honorable Henry H. Whiting of the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Bar Admissions

Education
JD, William & Mary Law School, 1998

BS, James Madison University, magna cum laude, with distinction, 1995

• Represented the Government of Uganda on the development, construction and financing of the $872 million Bujagali hydroelectric facility on the River Nile, including (i) structuring and negotiating all bidding documentation and project documentation, including the requests for proposals, power purchase agreement, implementation agreement, financing and other documents and (ii) advising on the engineering, procurement and construction contracts for the project and the limited notices to proceed issued thereunder. The deal was awarded Project Finance magazine's "African Power Deal of the Year."
• Advised on the development and financing of a $650 million fiber optic cable system connecting South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania, India and Marseilles, France. The SEACOM deal involved eight jurisdictions, including Mauritius, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, India, Djibouti, Egypt and South Africa. The deal was awarded Project Finance magazine's "African Telecoms Deal of the Year."
• Advising Energies des Grands Lacs and the governments of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda on the development of the 145 MW Ruzizi III Regional Hydroelectric Dam, which will be located on the border between Rwanda and the DRC and will sell capacity and energy to the utilities of Burundi, Rwanda and the DRC.
• Advising Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP), the national electricity company of the Republic of Croatia, on an international tender for the design, engineering, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of a new €800 million, 500 MW coal-fired power plant at Plomin in Istria, Croatia.
• Advising 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.
• Advising the Government of Kosovo on matters relating to the privatization of Post and Telecoms of Kosovo, the largest mobile phone operator in Kosovo.
• Advised the Egyptian Electricity Holdings Company on the development of the 2,250 MW Dairut combined-cycle gas turbine power plant.
• Advised the IFC and the Government of Montenegro in connection with the development of a 500 MW cascade of hydroelectric power plants on the River Moraca.
• Advised the Ministry of Mines and Energy of the Government of Serbia in restructuring the electric power industry of Serbia.
• Advised the Government of Macedonia with the development of market design options and requirements and developed a restructuring plan for Elektrostopanstvo na Makedonija (ESM), the state-owned electric utility, in accordance with European Union requirements in anticipation of privatization. Also assisted with drafting new energy laws, including laws on energy, efficiency and renewable energy, electricity, natural gas district heating, oil and oil derivatives.
• Advised the Government of Armenia in connection with the development of an institutional framework for the regulation of public utilities in Armenia and the extension of the Armenian Energy Regulatory Commission’s jurisdiction to regulation of the water sector.
• As an independent expert, conducted a review of the energy sector in Mauritius as applicable to bagasse- and coal-fired independent power producers, on behalf of the Republic of Mauritius and the Mauritius Sugar Producers’ Association. The review included extensive analysis of the terms of the power purchase agreements and fuel supply arrangements used in the sector.
• Advising the Tanzania Electricity Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) on all aspects of the conversion of a heavy fuel oil-fired IPP to natural gas, including advising on the engineering, procurement and construction of the modifications to the facility; the modifications to the existing power purchase agreement; negotiations with the project sponsor; and negotiations with the lenders.
• Advised a major project developer in connection with the development of, and relevant agreements associated with, palm oil plantations in multiple jurisdictions in West Africa.
• Advising the Government of Tanzania on all aspects of the expansion of a natural gas processing plant and pipeline owned by an integrated gas-to-electricity project, including financing, construction and regulatory aspects of the project.
• Advised the Government of Tanzania in connection with the Songo Songo Gas-to-Electricity Project, on the expansion of a gas-fired plant from four gas turbines to six gas turbines. This representation included extensive advice on force majeure and change order claims under the relevant construction contracts.
• Advised an East Africa government on litigation involving the construction of an undersea pipeline.
• Advised an independent exploration and production company on various aspects of their production sharing agreements.
• Advised the first transmission-only company formed in the United States in connection with the contribution of transmission assets from various utilities and the issuance of equity interests in exchange for those assets.
• Counseled a financing company in connection with a loan program under which it originated loans secured by distributed generation and cogeneration equipment. On behalf of the same client, structured a leasing program for similar equipment that successfully addressed a variety of regulatory concerns.
• Represented the Public Utilities Commission of Guyana on the development of an independent power production strategy, including review of the legal and regulatory framework of the Guyana power sector, specifically the Electricity Sector Reform Act 1999, the Public Utilities Commission Act 1999 and the license of Guyana Power & Light.
• Advised on the restructuring of the Philippine electricity sector, the privatization of its transmission system, market and related regulatory reform issues, the privatization of its portfolio of generating facilities and the integration of its portfolio of IPP plants into the Philippines' developing wholesale electricity spot market. While advising on this project, Ryan lived in the Philippines.
• Represented a lender seeking to restructure the debts of borrowers affected by volatile natural gas prices and successfully negotiated the swap of debt for a combination of participating preferred equity and warrants.

• Member, International Law and Practice Section, American Bar Association

• Leading Lawyer, IFLR1000 Energy and Infrastructure: Sub-Saharan Africa, since 2013
• Recognized for Africa Projects & Energy Law, Chambers Global Guide, since 2013
• Named among Law360 Energy Rising Stars, 2013
• “Rising Star,” Virginia Super Lawyers, 2007

• Renewable Energy 2020, Ethiopia, Getting the Deal Through
• Renewable Energy 2020, Nepal, Getting the Deal Through
• The Challenges of Funding Sub-Saharan Infrastructure, Gateway to Africa
• Competitive Tenders for IPPs in Africa—A Practical Guide
• Renewable Energy 2019, Ethiopia, Getting the Deal Through
• Are Local Currency Power Purchase Agreements Better for Offtakers?
• Understanding Power Project Financing
• Understanding Power Purchase Agreements, 2^nd Edition
• Reducing The Risk Of Liability, Fines And Penalties Under The FCPA And The Bribery Act, Linkedin Pulse
• Emerging Markets Energy Law: Are Local Currency Power Purchase Agreements Better for Offtakers?
• Renewable Energy 2019, Nepal, Getting the Deal Through
• Renewable Energy 2018, Ethiopia, Getting the Deal Through
• Developing Bujagali, The Largest Private Sector Investment In Uganda, Hydroworld.com
• A Role For PPPs In African Infrastructure, This Is Africa
• Cooperation Amid Conflict, IFC's Handshake
• Understanding Power Purchase Agreements
• Renewable Energy 2018, Nepal, Getting the Deal Through
• Looking Toward Project Bonds For African Infrastructure, Law360
• Understanding Energy Storage
• Understanding Power Project Procurement
• Understanding Power Transmission Financing
• Africa Projects, a curated collection of resources and articles on the development and financing of power, energy, and infrastructure projects on the African continent
• Uganda And Rwanda, Bright, Shining Examples, Global Energy Review
• Financing Hydropower In Africa, Energy World
• Fuel For Thought, PPP Bulletin