We advise our clients on the most innovative and significant transactions in the energy and infrastructure market.
Renewables
Renewable energy is our preeminent and most active practice for which we are particularly well-known for in the market. We have been active in the Italian renewables market since its inception and have, therefore, gained unrivalled experience and built, over the years, strong and consolidated relationships with all the key market players and stakeholders.
We cover the full spectrum of renewable power transactions including solar, onshore wind and offshore wind, biomass and energy from waste, geothermal, hydro, storage and green hydrogen.
Our lawyers have advised leading energy investors on cutting edge, and first-in-kind transactions, including the first ever financing of a photovoltaic plant not supported by state subsidies in Italy, the landmark securitization of performing and non-performing energy receivables, the most significant acquisition (per size) of subsidy-free solar power plants, the sale of one of the largest operating onshore wind projects, and the first long-term PPA for a fully unsubsidized solar PV portfolio signed in Italy, the first development debt transaction as well as the first private equity growth capital transaction in the Italian renewable market.
Renewable gasses
The current scenario sees natural gas still playing a very crucial role in the energy transition. Italy is also highly investing in renewable gasses, including green hydrogen and biomethane. We have extensive experience to assist our clients within this evolving sector with respect to natural gas and green gasses related transactions, including project development, gas facility acquisition and divestitures, and regulatory and litigation matters.
We are at the forefront of Italian and European policy initiatives and our professionals can count on distinguished technical and industry knowledge combined with excellent legal expertise.
Sustainable infrastructures
We advise on the full spectrum of infrastructure assets. We are particularly active in public procurement, public contracting, construction and commercial contracts, government concessions, project finance, fund and equity investments and public-private partnership (PPP), providing our clients first-rate assistance combining our strong administrative and financial experience. Our clients include public and private contracting authorities, governmental authorities, sponsors, developers, infrastructure funds, and financial entities.
Our lawyers have advised on some of the most relevant infrastructure projects in Italy, including transmission and energy infrastructures, gas pipelines transmission infrastructures, digital and telecommunication infrastructures, social and transportation infrastructures.
The services we provide
We act for sponsors, developers, private equity investors, infrastructure funds, debt providers and other strategic participants in the E&I sphere. Our team has combined expertise in all legal areas that are relevant to energy and infrastructure projects, including regulatory, project development, acquisitions and disposals, financing, construction contract and PPAs. Our professionals have advised on projects in Italy, the UK, the US, Romania, Denmark, Greece, Bulgaria, Ghana, Namibia, Japan and South America.
Project development
Our lawyers have assisted multi-GW developers in the organization and management of innovative sale processes for projects under development, including the first competitive process for these types of projects in Italy as well as the first private equity growth capital transaction in the renewable development space in Italy. We also regularly assist investors in the negotiation and drafting of co-development and joint venture agreements. Furthermore, our lawyers have assisted the bondholder with respect to the first development debt funding for an 840 MWp solar pipeline in Italy through a convertible bond issue.
Key Contacts: Carlo Montella and Andrea Gentili
Regulatory advice and public law
Our team regularly advises our clients on any matter related to the permitting processes for the construction, connection, and operation of E&I assets, as well as their eligibility for public incentives. With respect to public law, we have resources focusing on public entities, public contract work, tenders, supplies and services, also able to assist clients in the event of litigation. Our lawyers have an in-depth knowledge of every issue related to the Italian infrastructure market, and range with agility from administrative to corporate and financial issues, ensuring a multidisciplinary consulting service. We have also acquired specific knowledge with respect to the Golden Power procedure having assisted public companies and international private companies active in the health, transportation, energy, and telecommunication sectors in the filing of the Golden Power application with the Italian Government.
Key Contacts: Celeste Mellone and Ivano Saltarelli
M&A Practice
Our team has been engaged in a broad range of energy and infrastructure transactions, including acquisitions and disposals of totality, majority or minority shareholdings, asset auctions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, and company reorganizations. Our lawyers have represented a broad array of private and semi-private companies and equity firms, utilities, infrastructure funds, and other international investors in the energy and infrastructure sector in some of the most sizeable and strategic transactions in the E&I space. Our professionals have handled some of the most noteworthy transactions in the Italian market over the last 10+ years, supporting our clients from structuring transactions, performing extensive due diligences, drafting and negotiating the whole contractual package.
Key Contacts: Carlo Montella and Andrea Gentili
Research and development
Our team is probably one of the very few in the Italian legal market with resources having extensive legal background dedicated to research and business development and with strong partnerships with leading market and technology advisors. Among various activities, our R&BD team researches and studies the most innovative technologies of the energy industry, prepare reports, articles and newsletters, prepare a daily press review exclusively focused on theItalian renewables energy market that includes all relevant regulatory updates and most relevant news, investigate market insights and trends passing the knowledge to the rest of the team, scout projects being developed in all Italian regions cataloguing them under dedicated data bases, and classify market players under separate dedicated data bases.
Key Contacts: Daria Buonfiglio
Project & structured finance
We have significant experience in assisting leading Italian and international financial entities, sponsors and investors on the whole range of financing structures (both syndicated and on bilateral basis), including project finance and project bond transactions, asset finance, leasing and mezzanine loan, bond issuance and securitization transactions. Our multidisciplinary approach allows our team to offer a comprehensive assistance in all phases of financing transaction, from risk analysis and allocation, including those related to construction and management of power plants, drafting and negotiation of finance documents, to financial closing. The constant involvement in the main financing transactions in the related market enables our team to provide innovative solutions in financing structures, identify the best and more efficient structures and meet our clients’ needs, including delivery expectations. Thanks to relationship with foreign law firms, we are able to carefully assist our clients, also with multi-jurisdiction teams, in all aspects of project finance and structured finance transactions.
Key Contacts: Carlo Montella and Andrea Gentili
Litigation and out of court settlement procedures
Our team assist clients in litigation proceedings before administrative and civil courts of all types and degrees, including the Court of Justice of the European Union and arbitration panels, as well as before independent authorities. In our long experience we have drafted and negotiated several settlement agreements including with respect to disputes arisen between owners and contractors in relation to the construction of power plants and participated in international arbitrations on these matters. Members of our team provide specialized out-of-court assistance to public bodies and public and private companies (both listed and unlisted) in all areas of public law. Our track record includes assisting contracting authorities (public and private), public companies (listed and unlisted), individual, grouped or consorted economic operators as well as the Public Administration in thecontext of public procurement in ordinary and special sectors, public works and services concessions, PPP, projectfinancing and project leasing.
Key Contacts:
Project contracts and PPAs
Our team is very active in project construction and project management-related matters. We are one of the few law firms in Italy that has core resources totally dedicated to drafting and negotiating the whole range of project contracts including EPC, BOP, TSA, O&M agreements, service agreements, construction management agreements and PPAs.
Key Contacts Project Contracts: Daria Buonfiglio and Laura Galbiati
Key Contacts PPA: Marcello Montresor and Francesco Palmeri