Christopher B. Berendt concentrates his practice in the design and operations of the energy and environmental markets. He counsels clients on matters ranging from regulatory development and market strategy to advanced commodity and service procurements, M&A and project/portfolio developments and financings. He is focused on the rise of distribution level resources.
Working with clients at all stages of energy and sustainability project development, Chris counsels on screening, structuring, and developing and financing projects for hosts, developers and investors. He also assists clients undertaking advanced energy commodity, service and equipment procurements.
Chris has assisted with pioneering efforts in the pooled origination, financing and securitization of clean energy project portfolios and to employ smart grid and microgrid technologies as dynamically managed load and onsite generation is becoming an asset in the power markets.
He is a founder of, and counsel to, the Microgrid Resources Coalition (MRC) and represents leading microgrid development projects. In recent years Chris has supported a number of leading clean tech deals, including a Project Finance Magazine Deal of the Year for 2012 and a Bond Buyer Deal of the Year for 2013.
Chris was named to the CleanTech 100 by LMG Clean Technology & Renewable Energy, the peer reviewed guide to the top 100 attorneys in the United States who practice in the clean technology and renewable energy space. Further, he has represented some of the largest compliance entities and offset developers working in the carbon markets and on their design since inception.
Chris has lectured on market regulatory and transactional issues for many years, most recently presenting on DER integration at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School and automated contract systems blockchain technology at the MIT Media Lab. Chris started his career on Capitol Hill, drafting energy and environmental market design legislation, and has testified before Congress.
Experience :
- Assists clients in wholesale liquid fuel rack, wet-hosing and travel center transactions (including biofuels) as well as in the CNG/LCNG markets.
- Developed complex GHG inventories and compliance cost recovery mechanisms for supply chains and distribution networks.
- Experienced in counseling carbon offset project developers, investors and offtakers on pre-compliance, compliance and voluntary market transactions for all US project categories, protocols and standards.
- Developed origination pipeline business models for clients and advised on the creation of some of the largest domestic landfill gas and forestry carbon project portfolios.
Chris assists investors and targets in clean energy M&A. He has over twenty years of focus on clean energy, renewable energy, retail power, energy efficiency / building control systems, storage, cogeneration, demand response, microgrids and onsite / distribution-level energy assets and services generally. Working with Drinker’s full-service M&A team, Chris provides leadership in energy-related M&A strategy, due diligence and negotiation. His time in business as an energy executive helps him parse trends, guide clients through the value impacts associated with future market designs and conditions, and assess the strength of commercial relationships and agreements.
Education :
- Vermont Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, Vermont Law Review, Editorial Board, Environmental Editor
- University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business, Executive Leadership Acceleration Program
- Kenyon College, B.A., Synoptic Major
Bar Admissions : District of Columbia
Cost
Rate : $$$