ROBERT STEPHENS, as a member of the Energy and Global Finance groups, represents financial institutions and energy companies in a wide range of energy financings, investments and commodity and hedging transactions, focusing on those that require a deep understanding of energy assets and the use of project and structured finance techniques to maximize credit potential and value. These representations involve natural gas, wind, biomass, and geothermal power generation facilities; upstream, midstream and downstream oil and gas and gas liquids facilities; and trading companies and power and gas retail companies. Many of these transactions involve secured credit and bankruptcy planning structures, and he is experienced in handling corporate restructurings and reorganizations.

Robert’s experience prior to joining Sidley includes the following representations:

Represented Bank of America, as lead arranger, in a $427 million senior secured syndicated financing facility for La Paloma Generating Company, LLC, which owns and operates an approximately 1,022 MW four-unit combined cycle power plant located in McKittrick, Southern California, owned in part by Rockland Capital and EIG.
Represented American Renewables in the development and $500 million debt and equity project financing for Gainesville Renewable Energy Center, LLC, a 100-megawatt biomass power plant located in Gainesville, Florida.
Represented Mercuria Energy Group Limited, a global energy and commodities trading company, in its acquisition of JPMorgan’s physical energy and commodities business for $3.5 billion.
Represented Exelon Corporation in the acquisition of Integrys Energy Services, Inc., for $319 million. Integrys Energy Services Inc., was a competitive retail electricity and natural gas subsidiary serving approximately 1.2 million commercial, industrial, public sector and residential customers across 22 Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states and the District of Columbia.
Represented Merrill Lynch Commodities, Inc. in a power hedging program for La Fronterra Generation, LLC and NextEra Power Marketing, Inc. (“PMI”), of 37 million megawatt hours of physical electricity hedging arrangements supporting loans for the 1,000 MW combined-cycle Lamar power plant and ancillary assets located in Paris, Texas, and 1,792 MW combined-cycle Forney power plant and ancillary assets located in Forney, Texas.
Represented Citigroup Energy Inc. in the negotiation and structuring of a 14-year wind physical purchase ending November 2027 for Pattern Panhandle Wind LLC, to hedge a 218 megawatt (MW) wind power project located in the Texas Panhandle being developed by Pattern Energy Group LP.

Robert has been recognized since 2005 in energy law by Chambers USA, and is currently listed as one of the leading lawyers in the United States in energy law by that publication. Robert is also listed in Chambers Global for his Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional) practice.