Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is pleased to announce that Joseph M. Karp, Lisa A. Cottle, Thomas W. Solomon and Christine A. Kolosov have joined the firm as partners in the Energy, Infrastructure and Project Finance industry team. Karp, Cottle and Solomon will be based in the firm’s San Francisco office and Kolosov will be based in the Los Angeles office. The group joins from Winston & Strawn LLP.
“We continue to see increasing demand from clients who need assistance with renewable energy project agreements and regulatory counsel, and Joe, Lisa, Tom and Christine bring a wealth of experience in these areas,” said Sheppard Mullin chair Luca Salvi. “We have been committed to significantly growing our already nationally renowned Energy team and, with the addition of this new group, we now have the top renewable energy practice in the country.”
Katherine Gillespie, co-leader of the firm's Energy, Infrastructure and Project Finance team, added, “I am thrilled to practice alongside Joe, Lisa, Tom and Christine again. Their reputation and track record for guiding clients through complex renewable energy agreements and regulatory proceedings before the California Public Utilities Commission augments our existing industry-leading capabilities and adds even more depth to our California presence.”
Sheppard Mullin’s Energy, Infrastructure and Project Finance industry team, which includes more than 80 attorneys nationwide, is frequently ranked as one of the leading renewable energy and regulatory practices in the U.S. by Chambers USA, Legal 500 and among the Best Law Firms for Energy Law by U.S. News and World Report and Best Lawyers. In 2021, the team represented Brookfield in the financing of the 845 MW Shepherds Flat wind farm complex, a deal named by Proximo as 2021 Deal of the Year – North America Onshore Wind.
About the New Partners
Karp, who served as co-chair of Winston & Strawn’s Energy practice, focuses his practice on regulatory, transactional and project development matters, primarily in the Energy sector. He handles natural gas and electricity issues in the United States, represents municipal entities in wholesale electricity purchase transactions, and represents electricity generators in connection with electricity sales, fuel supply, interconnection, transmission and other areas. Karp represents developers and power purchasers in matters involving wind, solar, biomass, landfill gas, geothermal and other technologies. He regularly represents the California Wind Energy Association, natural gas fired generators and investor-owned water utilities in regulatory proceedings before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). He is widely recognized for his work in the Energy sector by Chambers USA, Lawdragon, Legal 500 US and Best Lawyers in America. He received his B.A. from Binghamton University and his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School.
Cottle has extensive experience with electricity generation, storage and transmission projects, including negotiating power purchase agreements (PPAs) and the full range of project contracts, obtaining key permits and regulatory approvals, and supporting project finance transactions. Her PPA experience includes energy sales, capacity and resource adequacy agreements, tolling agreements and energy storage agreements, and covers a broad range of technologies, including solar, battery energy storage, geothermal, wind and natural gas. She handles wholesale and retail transactions and has represented sellers and buyers. On the regulatory side, she represents energy companies and project developers in regulatory proceedings before administrative agencies, particularly the CPUC and the California Energy Commission (CEC). She represents developers of transmission projects in obtaining certificates of public convenience and necessity and permits to construct from the CPUC and in compliance matters. She also has obtained CEC certification for large thermal projects in California. Her permitting experience includes review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Cottle is consistently recognized as a leading Energy lawyer by Chambers USA, Legal 500 US, Lawdragon and Best Lawyers in America. She received her B.A., cum laude, from Colgate University and her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Solomon counsels developers and owners of natural gas-fired, wind, solar, biomass and geothermal electric generating facilities in the negotiation of PPAs, master trading agreements, renewable energy credit purchase and sale agreements, interconnection agreements, transmission services agreements, and scheduling coordinator services agreements. In addition, Solomon represents developers and industry associations in regulatory proceedings before the CPUC in connection with electric industry restructuring, transmission development, energy and capacity procurement, and renewable portfolio standard issues. Prior to attending law school, Solomon worked for an electric utility which gives him a unique perspective of the energy sector that he applies to his representations of developers, owners of electric generating facilities, and industry associations in energy transactional and regulatory matters. He earned his B.S., with distinction, from the University of California, San Diego and his J.D. from Georgetown University.
Kolosov, who served as co-chair of Winston & Strawn’s Energy practice alongside Karp, concentrates her practice in energy project development, financing, sales and acquisitions, and in regulatory matters before the CPUC. She represents developers and owners in the negotiation of PPAs, renewable energy credit purchase and sale agreements, engineering, procurement and construction agreements, equipment supply agreements, operations and maintenance agreements, shared facilities agreements, and development services, construction management and asset management agreements, and she oversees project document diligence on behalf of financing parties. Kolosov represents clients in the acquisition and disposition of development stage and operating energy generation and storage projects. She also regularly represents investor-owned water utilities in regulatory proceedings before the CPUC. She received her B.S., cum laude, from Northwestern University and her J.D., Order of the Coif, from the University of California, Los Angeles.
About Sheppard Mullin’s Energy, Infrastructure and Project Finance Industry Team
Sheppard Mullin’s Energy, Infrastructure and Project Finance team comprises more than 80 attorneys, each highly trained in a particular legal discipline and having the requisite electrical power, oil and natural gas, renewables, and biofuels experience to understand our clients’ objectives. Our highly collaborative and client-focused approach sets us apart from other law firms and is the reason some of the largest and most innovative energy industry players – including leading utilities, pipeline operators, municipalities, independent power producers, commercial banks, equity and tax investors, EPC contractors, and energy technology companies – come to us for assistance on their most important energy-related legal matters.