Senior Counsel

Senior Legal Counsel, Project Development & Finance

We're partnered with a global renewable energy developer looking to add a Senior/Managing Counsel to join their San Diego-based leadership team. With a growing portfolio of projects and investments, the company is adding a senior transactional attorney to its in-house legal team. As one of the more established firms in the industry, they are utilizing their strong backing to accelerate pipeline execution in several markets.

Reporting to the General Counsel, and managing an experienced Counsel, the Senior Counsel will be the key legal partner to the development, finance, commercial, and investment teams, leading the structuring, negotiation, and execution of project development, financing, and strategic transactions. This role suits a commercially minded attorney who can independently run significant legal workstreams and balance risk against project economics and deal timelines.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a principal legal resource across the project lifecycle, from site control through permitting, interconnection, offtake, financing, and construction readiness.
• Draft and negotiate key project agreements, including land and site control agreements, development services and co-development agreements, interconnection agreements, PPAs and tolling agreements, EPC and equipment supply contracts, and O&M agreements.
• Lead the legal workstream on project-level financings (construction, term, back-leverage, and portfolio debt) from term sheet through financial close.
• Support tax equity, tax credit transfer, tax credit bridge, and preferred and sponsor equity transactions alongside the finance team and tax advisors.
• Draft and negotiate credit agreements, security documents, guarantees, intercreditor agreements, and direct agreements.
• Support project and portfolio M&A, joint ventures, and strategic investments from structuring and diligence through closing.
• Advise on bankability, development risk, and permitting, land use, and regulatory issues.
• Manage outside counsel and transaction advisors efficiently and cost-effectively.

Required Qualifications

• JD degree from an accredited law school
• Active California bar admission in good standing, or eligibility for California Registered In-House Counsel status
• 7+ years of relevant experience in project development, project finance, energy, infrastructure, or complex commercial transactions
• Demonstrated experience drafting, negotiating, and executing development, commercial, and financing agreements
• Direct involvement in financing structuring, documentation, diligence, and closing
• Strong understanding of renewable energy development and financing
• Ability to manage multiple complex workstreams with minimal day-to-day supervision

Preferred Qualifications

• In-house experience at a renewables/energy storage developer, IPP, or infrastructure platform
• Experience with utility-scale solar, wind, BESS, and/or hybrid projects
• Familiarity with construction-to-term financing, back-leverage, HoldCo debt, tax equity, and transferable tax credits
• Experience with project acquisitions, development-stage asset sales, JVs, and portfolio transactions
• Experience working directly with lenders, tax equity investors, and external financing counsel