Sam Saunders

Since joining Kirkland, Sam has been involved in the following matters:

• Blackstone Infrastructure Partners in its approximately $1 billion investment in a portfolio of wind and solar projects with NextEra Energy Resources.
• The borrower in an approximately $1 billion project financing of a gas gathering and CCS project.
• The borrower and PE sponsor on a development financing facility for a utility-scale battery storage project developer.
• Northleaf Capital Partners in the $815 million project financing of Tillman FloridaCo to support build-out of fiber networks in Florida.
• KKR on a development financing facility for Avantus, a U.S. developer of large utility-scale solar and solar-plus-storage projects.
• SunPower Corporation in its liability management matters and Chapter 11 cases.

Prior to joining Kirkland, Sam was involved in the following matters:

Solar, Wind, Battery Storage

• A government lender on proposed financings of multiple solar + battery storage projects
• An onshore wind and battery storage developer on proposed debt financing consisting of a warehouse facility and opco bond
• HELLENiQ Energy in connection with its proposed JV with RWE for offshore wind development
• The coordinating committee of bank creditors in the global financial restructuring of renewables sponsor Abengoa, covering $20 billion in outstanding debt
• Bank and ECA lenders in a confidential restructuring of a wind farm
• SVB Financial Group (in bankruptcy) in respect of its solar tax equity investments

Hydrogen, CCUS, Critical Minerals and Other Energy Transition

• Chevron U.S.A. Inc., through its Chevron New Energies division, in its acquisition of a controlling interest in the ACES Delta, LLC joint venture, which is developing a green hydrogen project in Utah financed by a Department of Energy loan guarantee
• Advice to a direct air capture (DAC) developer on bankability considerations for DAC projects
• Advice to several lithium producers on US DOE funding and US tax credits
• Advice to an auto manufacturer on RECs
• Structuring advice to an oil & gas major on a proposed US clean ammonia, hydrogen and CCS JV
• A lithium producer on a lithium offtake arrangement with a major North American auto manufacturer
• A major investment bank on a proposed carbon credit-linked bond
• A major industrial manufacturer on their proposed low carbon product certification
• Debut ESG bonds and loans for Brazil, Colombia, CMPC, Jacobs Engineering, Coca-Cola HBC, CyrusOne Inc., Enbridge, Goldman Sachs, United Mexican States, Alibaba, Royal Philips, Cementos Argos, Cheniere Energy and Aflac

LNG, Petchem, Oil & Gas

• Golden Triangle Polymers Company, a joint venture between Chevron Phillips Chemical Company and QatarEnergy, in the project financing of an $8.5 billion integrated polymers facility in Orange, Texas
• The project company and sponsors on a $2+ billion North American LNG project financing
• Advice to the sponsor of a U.S. LNG project on its proposed project financing and construction equity
• The sponsors of Rovuma LNG on the proposed project financing of a $30 billion LNG liquefaction project in Mozambique

Mining and Infrastructure

• Centerra Gold, Inc. in its comprehensive settlement with the Government of Kyrgyzstan of outstanding claims regarding its seizure of the Kumtor gold mine project
• A credit fund on its subordinated loan to FlixMobility
• CyrusOne Inc., a U.S. data center REIT, on its inaugural €500 million benchmark CSPP-eligible green-bond issuance
• First Quantum Minerals Ltd. and its Zambian subsidiaries in an agreement with the Government of Zambia to resolve matters involving the Kansanshi and Sentinel copper projects
• The super senior bank lenders of a mobility company on an amend and extend

The ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) in drafting an ECOWAS directive on gender assessments for energy projects

Led trainings on project financing for government officials in Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia

Fair Trade USA on legal structures for certificate beneficiary (worker) committees

A local NGO supporting slum dwellers on slum redevelopment schemes in Nairobi, Kenya

An English charity on funding for its African forest protection activities

An English charity operating a forest protection scheme in Bolivia on its corporate reorganization