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Robert N. Freedman
Partner




Education

Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 1996, cum laude
State University of New York at Binghamton, B.S., 1993, summa cum laude


Practice

Mr. Freedman is a partner in the Project Development & Finance Group. His practice focuses on finance and development, asset acquisitions and dispositions and complex work-outs and restructurings of infrastructure assets, internationally and in the United States. He has represented lenders in project and leveraged finance transactions for infrastructure and also has extensive experience representing developers in different types of infrastructure sectors, including power, renewables and sustainable development, oil and gas (upstream and downstream) and transportation. Mr. Freedman also represents parties in commodity hedges for infrastructure projects, including in the renewables sector. Prior to joining Shearman & Sterling in 2006, Mr. Freedman was a Managing Director and Counsel with GE Energy Financial Services, Inc., the energy investment business of the General Electric Company, and practiced with the global project finance group of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP.

Mr. Freedman was selected for inclusion in the 2007 and 2009 Guide to the World’s Leading Project Finance Lawyers.


Recent Experience

Finance
  • The lead arrangers in the financing for the recapitalization of the Calhoun power project, owned by NextEra Energy, in Alabama
  • EQT Infrastructure Limited and FORTISTAR in the financing of its acquisition of the Midland Cogeneration Venture Limited Partnership (selected as “North America Acquisition Deal of the Year” (2009) by Project Finance)
  • Lead arrangers in the financing for the merger of Puget Energy, Inc. with a consortium of infrastructure investors
  • Bank of America as lead arranger in the leveraged acquisition finance of Synagro Technologies by the Carlyle Infrastructure Fund
  • Lead arrangers and initial purchasers in the $3.4 billion 144A bond/bank refinancing for InterGen
  • Lead arrangers in the Campeche and Rosarito Power Projects in Mexico
  • Initial purchasers in the 144A project bond financing for the Monterrey Power Project in Mexico
  • Newcourt Project Finance Fund in the leveraged lease financing of the Washington 10 Gas Storage Project

Asset Acquisitions and Dispositions
  • Fortress Investment Group in the acquisition of an equity interest in, and the development of, the Mississippi Hub Gas Storage Project
  • KGen Power in its acquisition of the Duke Southeast Portfolio of assets
  • Equity investors in the acquisition by Complete Energy of the Batesville Power Project
  • GE Energy Financial Services in its acquisition of a local gas distribution business from Kinder Morgan
  • GE Energy Financial Services in the disposition of its equity interest in the Cross Country Natural Gas Pipeline

Renewables and Sustainable Development
  • A lender to a solar project developer in connection with the construction and operation of solar rooftop systems
  • Mubadala Development Company in connection with its framework agreement entered into with GE that provides for a global partnership between Mubadala and GE in areas including clean energy and water research and development
  • Power marketing group of a major investment bank in the negotiation of hedges for wind projects in the United States
  • GE Energy Financial Services in the formation of its joint venture with the AES Corp. relating to carbon reduction strategies
  • GE Energy Financial Services in the acquisition of equity investments in the Kumeyaay and Forest Creek Wind Farms
  • Seawest in the development, financing and sale of the Foote Creek IV Wind Farm
  • GE Energy Financial Services in the development of the Serpa Solar Project in Portugal
  • GE Energy Financial Services in the acquisition of several wind farms in Germany from RePower, Denker & Wulf and EAB

Development and Power Marketing
  • Morgan Stanley Capital Group Inc. in the execution of the initial secured commodity hedges in connection with the conversion and upgrade of three Topaz Power Group power plants
  • Power marketing group of a major investment bank in the structuring and negotiation of commodity hedges for a group of merchant assets and a wind project in the Northeast U.S.
  • Lender group in the solicitation for power marketers and the design of an energy management risk criteria for restructured merchant assets in the Southeast U.S.
  • Petrobras and ABB Equity Ventures in the development and construction arrangements for the TermoBahia Thermal Power Project in Brazil
  • Petrobras in the construction arrangements for the TermoRio Thermal Power Project in Brazil


Selected Professional & Business Activities

  • Member, New York State Bar Association


Publications

  • Co-author, “Putting the Wind (Back) to Work: Fostering Project Development in a Credit Crisis,” New York Law Journal, July 6, 2009
  • Co-author, “Energizing Green Energy Financing: Analyzing the Stimulus Package’s Jolt to the Green Energy Sector,” Bloomberg Law Reports, Sustainable Energy, October 2009


Bar Admissions/Qualifications

New York