William Newton

William L. Newton’s practice focuses on domestic and international energy and infrastructure projects. Bill focuses his practice on project development and finance transactions, including developing, privatizing, restructuring, and financing diverse types of projects throughout the United States and internationally, with a particular focus on the energy sector.

Bill advises governments, utility companies, and developers and has experience negotiating and documenting a wide variety of project documentation. Bill has represented governments in public-private partnerships around the world.

Bill also has substantial knowledge of the energy markets throughout the United States and brings to any project substantial experience on interconnection and other issues related to an energy project’s integration into the power grid.

Experience:

• Advised the Government of Uganda on the development, construction and financing of the Bujagali hydroelectric facility on the River Nile (with capital costs of approximately $1 billion), 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 the Government of Kosovo on legal and regulatory reforms necessary to effectuate the transfer of assets and the implementation of a PPP project.
• Advised an international project developer on the development of an on-shore wind project in Thailand.
• Advised a major U.S. investment bank on the development and acquisition of approximately 100 renewable energy projects in California and Massachusetts.
• Advised on the development of solar projects on the Mariana Islandsand Puerto Rico.
  Advised a solar project development company in the acquisition of more than fifty renewable energy projects in New Mexico.
• Drafted legislation for the Government of Armenia to establish a multi-sector regulatory body designed to regulate energy, water, and other regulated industries.
• Advised investors in the development and financing of renewable energy projects in the southeast United States.
• Advised a major U.S. utility in the leasing of a biomass power facility and the tax credits related thereto. Negotiated and drafted project agreements. Advised on procurement and construction issues.
• Advised on market design issues for a USAID-sponsored project involving regional electricity legal and regulatory development assistance to the Governments of Southeast Europe, including those
• of Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Romania.
• Advised on privatization and foreign investment legal and regulatory reforms for a USAID-sponsored project involving the Governments of Southeast Europe.
• Advised a major U.S. utility in the acquisition of a biomass power facility for the purpose of selling electricity to a paper manufacturer. Negotiated and drafted all project agreements.
• Advised a major U.S. utility on the installation of a generating facility designed to operate on biomass at an industrial production facility.
• Advised a major U.S. utility on the purchase of geothermal electric generation facilities in California and Nevada.
• Advised other clients on U.S. Department of Energy funding for energy sector development projects.
• Advised a major agricultural supply company on the installation of solar projects at the company’s production facilities.
• Advised a large Spanish company dedicated to the production and distribution to end users of gas and electricity in connection with procurement contracts and agreements in relation to a project in Mexico.
• Advised the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO or New York ISO), the organization charged with implementing and administering the unbundled wholesale electric markets in New York State in the United States.
• Advised on the design and operation of the markets for energy, ancillary services, and transmission congestion contracts in New York, and has also assisted with the development and administration of credit support policies and procedures applicable to participants in the NYISO-administered markets.
• Advised the Government of Pakistan and Ministry of Water and Power in connection with the Pakistan Energy Policy and the development of a model PPP process.
• Work involved advising on the hydroelectric policy and tariff structure and developing a suite of standardized project documents including water use licenses, power purchase agreement, implementation agreement, and direct agreements, among others.
• Advised Pakistani lending institutions on financing documents in relation to the sale of power assets in Pakistan.
• Advised the Government of Kosovo and a Government-owned power company on the installation of heat supply assets at a thermal power plant and the sale of heat to end users.
• Advised the Republic of Croatia in connection with the €350 million Zagreb Airport public-private partnership project.
• Advised the New York ISO in connection with the Department of Energy Smart Grid Investment Grant, which is a multi-year project providing for approximately $80 million of Smart Grid investments in New York. Work involved all commercial arrangements with the Department of Energy, sub-awardees, and contractors, as well as Department of Energy compliance.
• Represented the Government of Nigeria and national utility in negotiating the sale of power production facilities.
• Advised Egyptian Electricity Holdings Company on the development of the $1.5 billion 2,250 MW Dairut combined cycle gas turbine power plant.
• Advised on solar project developments throughout the southeastern United States.
• Advised the Government of Kosovo on the sale of assets held by its government-owned utility to a foreign power project developer.
• Represented the Government of Tanzania’s national utility company on the long-term disposition of assets to a foreign operator.
• Advised the Government of Uganda on an emergency, short-term power project (Aggreko project #1), including the development and negotiation of various transactional documents (e.g. Power Purchase Agreement, Implementation Agreement).
• Advised the Government of Uganda on an emergency, short-term power project (Aggreko project #2), including the development and negotiation of various transactional documents (e.g. Power Purchase Agreement, Implementation Agreement).
• Advised the Government of Uganda on the privatization of the Uganda Electricity Board’s distribution assets, including the development and negotiation of transactional documents (e.g. Power Purchase Agreement, Lease and Assignment Agreement, Power Sales Agreement, and other agreements establishing financial security mechanisms to support the privatization).
• 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, among others. The deal was awarded Project Finance Magazine’s “African Telecoms Deal of the Year.”
• Advised an energy trading company in connection with its brokering of petroleum related products (including medium-term physical deliveries of petroleum products and derivatives). Representative work includes advice on purchase and sale agreements, credit documentation, and broker-related documentation.
• Advised an energy trading company on the negotiation of a purchase and sale agreement in relation to a multi-year supply of iron ore.
• Advised numerous clients on international economic sanctions and other matters regulated by OFAC.

EDUCATION:

• JD, University of Virginia School of Law, International Law Journal, 2002
• BA, International Studies, University of Richmond, cum laude, 1995
• BS, Biology, University of Richmond, cum laude, 1995

BAR ADMISSIONS:

• Virginia

Memberships:

• Energy Bar Association