Senior Counsel - New Leaf Energy, Inc.

Calling all "deal junkies"! New Leaf Energy is seeking a Senior Counsel, Transactions to support our growing project development business. In this role you will serve as Senior Counsel for the purchase and sale of our renewable energy projects, and will provide legal counsel across multiple departments, including project finance (mergers and acquisitions), project development, interconnection, and policy. This position reports to the Associate General Counsel, Transactions

This position may be filled out of our Lowell, MA, Boston, MA, Troy, NY, Chicago, IL, or Oakland, CA offices. We value in-person collaboration and offer a hybrid work environment. Hybrid employees work in the office at least two out of every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and are free to work from the office or from home on other days.

Position Responsibilities will include but not be limited to: 

• Independently counsel and advise project finance professionals on structuring transactions to acquire and dispose of renewable energy assets;
• Independently draft, review, and negotiate membership interest purchase agreements (MIPAs), asset purchase agreements (APAs), and ancillary documents for the acquisition and disposition of renewable energy projects;
• Proactively and independently identify, counsel, and advise New Leaf of the risks arising in connection with purchase and sale transactions and develop plans for mitigating such risks.  
• Effectively collaborate with, counsel, and advise cross-functional stakeholders (including legal, real estate, project development, project finance, interconnection, and policy) on matters relating to purchase and sale transactions;
• Proactively and independently identify, design, implement and modify measures to improve the quality and efficiency of New Leaf Energy's tools and processes relating to origination, due diligence, negotiation, and closing of renewable energy transactions.  Draft, update, and maintain template documents and standard operating procedures;
• Independently draft, review and negotiate other commercial agreements, including joint venture agreements, power purchase agreements (PPAs), and interconnection agreements;
• Provide legal support and assist with various other project development matters, including energy regulatory matters, energy procurement RFPs, and emerging issues affecting New Leaf Energy's business;
• Supervise and optimize work between in house and outside counsel as needed.

Desired Qualifications:

While no one individual will possess them all, the successful candidate will bring many of the following experiences, skills, and attributes. If you're unsure whether you meet enough of the qualifications below but believe that your experience and skill set is a good match for this position, we invite you to apply!

• Law degree and strong academic record from a leading ABA-accredited law school;
• At least six to eight years of substantial, relevant legal experience at a top-tier law firm, sophisticated corporate legal department, or combination of the two;
• Demonstrated renewable energy experience in solar, wind and/or storage;
• Expert knowledge with respect to the legal issues and key deal points in mergers and acquisitions transactions, specifically MIPAs and APAs;
• Extensive experience in independently structuring, drafting, and negotiating purchase and sale agreements for renewable energy projects, specifically MIPAs and APAs;
• Ability to independently structure, draft, review, and negotiate other project/commercial contracts;
• Refined business acumen, exceptional judgment, and the ability to identify and implement practical solutions to complex business and legal problems;
• Hardworking, responsive, and adaptable to what the situation dictates, including possessing the ability to advance matters independently, combined with the strong interpersonal skills necessary to work effectively in a team;
• Ability to independently handle competing deadlines and shifting priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Exceptional communication skills;
• Excellent organizational, time management, and project management skills, including effective cross-team collaboration and coordination of legal workload with colleagues;
• Passion for accelerating the adoption of renewable energy;
• Licensed to practice law or registered as in house counsel in the State where the applicable New Leaf Energy office is located.

Compensation

New Leaf Energy compensates all employees in three ways: market-competitive base salary, plus above-market variable compensation, plus an equity-like program such that all employees experience the benefits of ownership.  We use a data-driven and transparent methodology to calibrate compensation that is externally competitive and internally equitable, guided by the New Leaf Energy compensation manual, which is available to all employees.

Under our compensation framework, the likely base salary range for this position in Chicago, IL is $198,250 - $229,100. The on-target annual cash bonus associated with this position is an additional 20% percent of base salary. Your actual salary may be above, in, or below this range, depending on your location and experience. We value transparency and can share more during the interview process.