Welcome to the new beta version of legal500.com Visit the legacy site

North America - United States • Energy

Bracewell LLP

More informationMore information

Bracewell LLP continues to work on both traditional power and large scale renewable projects, with an increased flow of battery storage and carbon capture instructions coming through the firm’s diverse pipeline of mandates. The group has seen an increased engagement with private equity funds, working with the likes of Arroyo Energy Investment Partners and Rockland Capital on natural gas and oil-fired power facilities. Debt and equity capital markets are another key feature of the firm’s practice, demonstrating a wide breadth of capabilities by advising on the underwriters, issuer, and investor side of multi-million and multi-billion dollar transactions. Team lead Ryan Holcomb operates out of Houston and is predominantly focused on traditional power projects, competently overseeing the transactional, regulatory and commercial aspects of complex, high-value deals. The New York-based trio of practice co-heads Catherine Hood, Todd Eckland and J. Anthony Terrell are integral figures to the firm’s capital markets offering, assisting energy and utility players across the full array of securities offerings. Energy M&A specialist Danielle Varnell is well-versed in both greenfield and brownfield developments and has had a concentrated focus on renewables and energy transition assets over the past twelve months, and is often supported by Laura Sheldon, with the duo advising from the firm’s Washington DC office. Associate Shannon Baldwin acts out of Houston and is noted for her engagement with an impressive breadth of practice matters, whereas associate Stephen McNamara is primarily concerned with capital markets work and sits in New York.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'True experts in electric power/renewables deal work. Both financing and commercial. They do it all very well.'
  • 'They value their client relationships. They are always available for clients, big and small. Partners work hard and are in the weeds and details.'

Key clients

  • Arroyo Energy Investment Partners, LLC
  • Rockland Capital, LP
  • Competitive Power Ventures, Inc.
  • Invenergy, LLC
  • Underwriters for DTE Electric Company
  • PPL Electric Utilities Corporation
  • Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company
  • Investors for DTE Gas Company
  • Underwriters for Spire Inc.

Work highlights

  • Represented Arroyo Energy Investment Partners, LLC in its sale of a 1,080-MW portfolio of dual fuel-fired electric generating facilities, including the Broad River Energy Facility, an 850-MW dual fuel-fired electric generating facility.
  • Representing Invenergy in the sale and development of a portfolio of solar plus battery storage projects to a consortium of three Wisconsin utilities – Wisconsin Electric Power Company D/B/A We Energies.
  • Represented PPL Electric in itspublic offering of $1.35 billion aggregate principal amount of first mortgage bonds.

Lawyers

Leading associates

Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.

Leading partners

The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Danielle M. Varnell

Danielle M. Varnell

Bracewell LLP

Danielle Varnell has extensive experience in energy M&A including with respect to both development stage and operating projects, portfolio acquisitions and divestures, and complex multi-party joint ventures. In addition to her experience with fossil generation assets and onshore wind and solar assets, Danielle has significant experience in carbon capture and sequestration, battery storage and offshore wind. Danielle also has extensive experience on all aspect of energy and infrastructure project development, including the negotiation and drafting of build transfer agreements, EPC contracts, operation and maintenance agreements, construction management agreements, asset management agreements, shared facilities agreements, build out agreements and equipment procurement and supply agreements (including gas and wind turbines, modules and transformers), as well as numerous other project development agreements.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Ryan S. Holcomb, Catherine Hood

Other key lawyers

Danielle Varnell, Todd W. Eckland, J. Anthony Terrell, Laura Sheldon, Shannon Baldwin, Stephen McNamara