Sunita Paknikar
Senior Counsel
Sunita Paknikar is a senior counsel and business lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP. She is a member of the firm’s Finance Practice and the Energy Industry Team. Sunita focuses her practice on energy, project finance, project development, and tax equity finance. Sunita has helped to finance numerous community solar and other distributed generation portfolios, and managed diligence efforts, financing negotiations, and documentation for large utility-scale renewable and conventional fuel projects.
Awards and Recognition
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch recognition for Energy Law, Commercial Litigation and Project Finance Law (2023-2024)
- Recognized in IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners (2024)
Foley Represents KeyBank as Sole Lender in $75M Lightshift Energy Project Finance Facility
Foley & Lardner LLP served as legal advisor to KeyBanc Capital Markets, the corporate and investment banking arm of Cleveland based KeyCorp, for the $75 million credit facility to support Lightshift Energy’s expanding fleet of battery projects.
Foley Advises MUFG in First Financing with Dimension Energy
Foley & Lardner LLP advised to MUFG Bank Ltd. in its capacity as lead debt syndicator for Dimension Energy’s $412 million community solar project financing package that will support a new 134 MWdc portfolio of 25 community solar projects in Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Foley Represents Deutsche Bank in $200M Debt Facility for Catalyze
Foley & Lardner LLP represented Deutsche Bank AG, New York Branch, a leading global investment bank and financial services company, in connection with a $200 million debt facility provided to Catalyze Holdings, a national Independent Power Producer (IPP) and fully integrated developer of distributed renewable energy assets. Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas served as agent.
Foley Represents First Citizens Bank in $360M Financing for Dimension Energy
Foley & Lardner LLP represented First Citizens Bank as lead debt syndicator in Dimension Energy’s (Dimension) recent $360 million construction and term financing, the company’s largest to date. The financing will support a 112 MWdc portfolio of 28 community solar projects located in New Jersey, Illinois, Delaware, Virginia, Maine, and Pennsylvania.
Foley Represents First Citizens Bank in $284M Financing for Dimension Energy
Foley & Lardner LLP represented First Citizens Bank as lead debt syndicator in Dimension Energy’s (Dimension) recent $284 million construction and tax equity bridge loan. The financing will support a 122 MWdc portfolio of 30 community solar projects across seven states.
Infocast Projects & Money – 2024 Conference on Financing of Energy Projects
A large number of key players in the renewable energy industry kicked off their 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana for the Annual Infocast Projects & Money event.