Overview
Justus Britt is a business lawyer and associate with Foley & Lardner LLP. Mr. Britt focuses on real estate and the development, financing, purchase, and sale of energy and infrastructure projects, with a primary concentration on solar, wind, and energy storage transactions in the United States. His real estate practice includes advising clients with respect to all types of commercial and residential real estate transactions and issues, including acquisitions, dispositions, construction, lending and finance, development, and leasing. Mr. Britt’s project development experience includes advising clients on real estate, permitting, and construction matters, including negotiating supply, EPC, and O&M agreements. Mr. Britt regularly represents financial institutions and developers in a variety of complex project financings, including construction and term debt financings, partnership flips, and sale/leasebacks. Mr. Britt’s acquisition experience includes leading due diligence efforts and negotiating stock, membership, and asset purchase agreements as well as joint venture agreements. He is a member of the firm’s Energy Industry Team, the Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) Team, and the Finance, Real Estate, and Transactional & Securities Practices.
Prior to joining Foley, Mr. Britt was a real estate litigation attorney for Hart, King & Coldren, P.L.C. where he managed dozens of active cases, ranging from construction defect litigation to class action lawsuits, and advised clients on day-to-day operations relating to property management issues. He was also an environmental litigation attorney for Michel & Associates, P.C., where he participated in successful defenses of multimillion dollar C.E.R.C.L.A. claims related to ground contamination. He also coordinated novel Endangered Species Act defenses and collaborated on California Public Records Act litigation.
Recognition
Mr. Britt received Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch recognition for Real Estate Law (2023). He was also selected for inclusion in the 2014 - 2016 Southern California Super Lawyers – Rising Stars® lists.
Education
Mr. Britt is a graduate of Chapman University School of Law (J.D., 2009) where he also earned an environmental, land use, and real estate law certificate, as well as a tax law emphasis certificate. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California (B.A., 2005), where he was on the Dean’s List and received the Order of the Troy Award, which is awarded to five percent of the graduating class for philanthropic and academic excellence.
Admissions
Mr. Britt is admitted to practice in California, and before the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Eastern, Central and Southern Districts of California.
Representative Experience
- Represented a developer in the construction and financing of a 20MW utility solar project located in California that included bi-facial panel technology.
- Represented developer in EPC Agreement negotiations for a 300MW solar project in California.
- Represented various buyers and sellers of over a dozen portfolios of distributed generation solar and storage projects located in Massachusetts, California, New York, Minnesota, Rhode Island and Colorado.
- Represented an international infrastructure fund in the acquisition of a 200MW wind energy project in Texas and the acquisition of five utility scale solar energy projects in North Carolina.
- Represented bank lender in connection with the debt financing of portfolios of utility scale solar energy projects in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and New Jersey.
- Represented an independent power producer with the acquisition, debt financing and tax equity financing of portfolios of eight utility scale solar energy projects in North Carolina and four utility scale solar energy projects in Oregon.
- Represented an international investment fund in the acquisition of a 150 MW solar energy project in California.
- Represented an appliance manufacturer and distributor in the leasing of warehouse and distribution properties across the United States
- Represented an independent power producer in the acquisition and development of several utility scale solar energy projects in Massachusetts in connection with the SMART program.
- Represented a restaurant company in the leasing and build out of a restaurant in Santa Monica, California.
- Represented investment fund in connection with the acquisition, development, financing and sale of a 50MW solar energy project in Idaho.
- Advised Canadian Solar Inc., one of the world's largest solar power companies, in its acquisition of Recurrent Energy LLC, a leading North American solar energy developer, from Sharp Corporation for approximately $265 million.
- Represented Goal Zero, a leading manufacturer of portable solar power products, in its acquisition by NRG Energy Inc., a Fortune 250 company and one of the country’s largest solar power developers. Goal Zero has grown by more than 16,000 percent in the past three years, ranking #9 on Inc. 500’s 2013 list of fastest-growing private companies in the United States, and will continue to create innovative solar power systems that make portable solar power more accessible to consumers.