Jeffrey Chester is a Partner in the Los Angeles office and heads the firm’s Renewable Energy Project Finance and Development practice, focusing on wind and solar energy development, construction, tax structuring and project finance. In renewable energy transactions, Mr. Chester regularly represents developers, sponsors, lenders and investors.
MEHRMr. Chester has been centrally involved in the development of the equity, debt and capital markets for renewable energy projects, having closed more than 50 wind and solar power projects throughout the United States.
Recent Representative Matters
- One of the leading U.S. banks as a tax equity investor in approximately 700 MWs of wind power projects.
- The U.S. subsidiary of a leading European utility in the acquisition of a 4,000 MW development pipeline and management team.
- A major international Korean company in the development and financing of PV Projects in the U.S. totaling 130 MWs.
- A developer in the negotiation of a 1,550 MW PPA with a California utility — the largest wind PPA ever signed.
- A leading German developer in the development, construction, financing and sale of multiple projects.
- An Australian infrastructure fund in the sale of a 3,100 MW project in development to a private equity fund.
- A developer in the negotiation and structuring of a large equity commitment from a top-tier Wall Street investment banking house.
- A private equity fund in the acquisition, tax structuring and financing of a project in California.
- An Australian infrastructure fund in the acquisition, development, tax structuring and financing of multiple projects.
- A developer in the sale of a portfolio of development projects to a Spanish company.
- A major utility in the acquisition of a wind project in development.
- A wind development company with an announced pipeline of over 800 MW in its sale to one of the leading wind energy developers in the United States.
- The lenders for construction financing of a 120 MW project in Texas.
- The developers as lead counsel in the Altamont Avian cases.
Mr. Chester also represents issuers, underwriters, lenders and investors in a wide variety of transactions, including private equity capital financings, initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, commercial paper, medium-term notes, eurobond offerings, structured finance and credit enhancements, leveraged buy-outs, international and strategic joint ventures and other complex financial transactions.
Since 2008, Mr. Chester has been recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as “a celebrated expert in renewables M&A” and “regarded as one of the top deal makers in California” who is “deal-oriented and a great problem solver.”