Lynn Parins focuses his practice on the intersection of finance, clean infrastructure, and renewable energy development. He assists sponsors, developers, and investors as they navigate the project financing of predominantly solar, wind, energy efficiency, EV charging infrastructure, and other sustainability improvements to the built environment. He is a partner in the firm’s Finance & Financial Institutions Practice and Energy Sector, co-lead of the Electrified Mobility and Infrastructure Team, and an active member of the firm’s Renewables Team.
Lynn’s focus is on project finance, where he has extensive experience leading sponsors through complex credit and project development structures for large renewables projects involving critical development and financing milestones. His project finance experience also extends to early-stage project development issues, including negotiating and structuring construction, procurement, land acquisition, and shared facilities agreements. Lynn also represents tax equity investors in renewables project financings.
In addition to his project finance experience, Lynn regularly represents clients in the buying and selling of renewables projects. He has worked with clients buying and selling projects at every stage of the project life cycle, from early-stage development assets, assets at full-notice-to-proceed, post notice-to-proceed and pre- operation projects, and operating projects. In many cases, his work in the sales and acquisitions of projects is coupled with project financing. Lynn also assists clients in joint venture and joint investment structures focused on the full suite of technologies and services that come up in his sustainability practice.
Prior to law school, Lynn handled the expansion initiative of the international nonprofit AIESEC to the Sultanate of Oman, where he managed relationships with government and business leaders. Upon his return, he worked in trade association management in Madison, Wisconsin. His prior experience positions Lynn advised government, lending, and building owner clients interested in renewable energy and energy efficiency finance.
Representative Experience
- Worked on construction and bridge debt financings bridging to both committed and uncommitted tax credit sales for two Louisiana solar projects of 50 MW and 62.5 MW
- Negotiated a PTC transfer facility for an 80 MW solar project in Utah, including construction financing bridging to PTC sales
- Advised sponsor in the restructuring of a solar plus storage project from ITC to ITC plus PTC financing.
- Work as sponsor counsel for a 140 MWac portfolio of Michigan solar projects.
- Advised seller of a 500 MWdc solar portfolio.
- Negotiated utility purchase of a 100 MW wind project in Oklahoma.
- Worked on joint venture negotiation for an electrified mobility platform.
- Acted as sponsor counsel for a 300 MWac solar and 600 MWh battery storage project in New Mexico involving nearly US$1bn in combined capital commitments.
- Worked as sponsor counsel for a portfolio of six projects in Utah and Michigan of over 600 MWac involving nearly US$1bn in combined capital commitments.
- Acted as sponsor counsel in the financing of a 239 MW, three-phase solar project in Michigan involving over US$160m in tax equity commitments and US$380m in debt financing.
- Advised developer in the sale of a 4 GW development-phase project portfolio.
- Advised a PACE capital provider with respect to a US$13m PACE financing for a mixed-use development in downtown Detroit.
- Worked on behalf of a developer of over 200 MW in community solar projects in financings involving over US$100m in tax equity commitments and US$200m in debt.
- Counseled a tax equity investor on investments of over US$60m for over 100 MWs in New York community solar projects.
- Advised a tax equity investor on a US$56m commitment for a 100 MW utility scale solar portfolio in Nevada.
- Advised strategic investor in the acquisition of a multi-facility district energy system.
- Acted as bond counsel for a conduit bond issuer in a private placement of nearly US$10m in bonds secured by a PACE lien.
- Acted as PACE program counsel for US$8.75m PACE financing for a hotel redevelopment in Wisconsin.
- Worked as part of the team that design and implemented the PACE Wisconsin program for counties across Wisconsin.
- Worked on PACE authorizing legislation, program and bond documentation and general program for PACE programs in Illinois.
- Acted as issuer’s counsel for a conduit bond issuer for separate securitizations involving PACE loans made in Connecticut and
- Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds made in New York.
- Assisted with the placement of close to US$200m in sponsor equity investments in over 150 MWs of utility-scale solar projects in California and North Carolina.
- Acted as sponsor counsel for the acquisition and development of utility scale projects in Oregon and North Carolina, including term debt financing and tax equity financing.
- Acted as sponsor counsel for the acquisition, debt and tax equity financing of a 200 MW solar project in Southern California with over US$500m in capital invested.
- Assisted with private placement debt financings, including rated and non-rated, collectively over US$100m and secured by 200 MW of solar project assets in California and Nevada.
Awards and Recognition
- Wisconsin Super Lawyers® Rising Star – Business/Corporate (2023)
Affiliations
- Member, PACE Nation
Presentations and Publications
- Presenter, “Back to the Future: Tax Credit Transfers and Debt Structuring,” Foley Webinar (November 2023).
- Panelist, “Managing Delinquencies in a Crisis,” PACENation Summit (June 2023).
- Presenter, “Drafting and Negotiating Power Purchase Agreements,” National Business Institute CLE Program (June 2023).
- Panelist, “Renewable Energy and Power Purchase Agreements,” Illinois State Bar Association 21st Annual Environmental Law Conference (May 2023).
- Presenter, “Mobilizing Into the Future: Migrating to Electric Vehicles on Both Sides of the Border,” Foley & INA Mexico City Conference (April 2023).
- Panelist, “Environmental Law & ESG: What Environmental Lawyers Need to Know and Practical Implications for our Practice,” Wisconsin State Bar Environmental Law Section (September 2022).
- Presenter, “Renewable Energy Law and Incentives under the Biden Administration,” NBI CLE Program (April 2022).
- Panelist, “Energy Decarbonization Objectives, Opportunities, and Obstacles,” Wisconsin Public Utilities Institute Public Utilities Law Update (March 2022).
- Panelist, “Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Interparty Issues in a Financing,” PACENation Summit (June 2021).
- Panelist, “Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing Underwriting and Closing Process,” PACENation Summit (May 2020).
- Moderator, “Trends in Renewable Financing, Solar Power Midwest by SEIA,” (November 2019).
- Panelist, “Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing in the Upper Midwest, SEIA and SEPA,” PV Conference & Expo –Chicago (November 2016).
Infocast Solar + Wind Finance & Investment Summit
Back to the Future: Tax Credit Transfers and Debt Structuring
Foley Attorneys Named 2023 Wisconsin Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
Electrified Industrial Policy: IRS Proposed Regulations on Section 30D EV Tax Credits & EV Manufacturing Grants