Laurae Rossi
Partner
With more than 20 years of experience, Laurae represents both lenders and sponsors in energy project financings, energy tax equity partnerships, tax credit transfer purchase transactions, and energy acquisitions, particularly in connection with projects involving renewable energy and storage. She is not only consistently recognized for her ability to lead highly sophisticated and novel debt transactions, but also for the sheer volume of deals she undertakes.
She has worked on a number of renewable energy projects involving wind, solar, and geothermal power and storage projects throughout the country. She is a prominent player in renewable energy and storage project finance and is highly regarded for her work representing lenders, institutional investors, and sponsors in not only energy and storage project financings, but also energy tax equity partnerships throughout the country.
She also has experience in complex transactions involving back-leverage financings (including hybrid financings that contain a floating and fixed rate tranche of debt), tax equity financings, inverted leases, sale-leaseback transactions, holdco and mezzanine financings, portfolio financings, solar distributed generation asset financings, community solar financings, storage financings, equipment safe harbor loans, residential solar portfolios, bridge financings for the Investment Tax Credit and financings regarding the Production Tax Credit. Laurae has represented solar developers, sponsors, and lenders (including financial institutions and institutional investors). She has also represented lenders with respect to some of the first solar hedge transactions done in the market. She can create structural solutions in financing transactions to allow parties to successfully close deals in an efficient manner.
Laurae has been recognized by The Legal 500 US since 2017, including as a “Leading Lawyer” from 2020–2024 for Energy: Renewable/Alternative Power. She was additionally recognized by The Legal 500 US for Project Finance - Energy and Power - Infrastructure and PPP from 2020–2024, including as a “Key Lawyer” in 2024. She has also been recognized in Chambers USA and Global guides from 2018–2024 for her work on project financings in the renewables sector. She has been recognized in Who’s Who Legal as a recommended “Global Leader” for Project Finance in 2022 and 2024. Market sources describe Laurae as a “a good problem-solver; where there is something unusual she can access her breadth of experience in transactions to propose a solution that will work for all parties.” According to peers, Laurae is “commercially minded and gets deals done” and an “exceptional” attorney. It has also been reported that she “has an incredibly comprehensive grasp of the details and never forgets anything; she has the memory of five elephants.” Another commentator said “she’s really sharp and good at knowing which points are important."
Laurae was recognized on the 2022 Lawdragon “500 Leading Dealmakers in America” list and the 2024 Lawdragon “500 Leading Energy Lawyers” list. She was named the “Project Finance Attorney of the Year” in 2016 and 2020 by Power Finance & Risk. In addition to her individual accolades, several deals on which Laurae has led have been recognized as “Deals of the Year” by prominent ranking associations, including IJGlobal and Proximo.
Laurae is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and a former member of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
Laurae’s ability to manage incredible complexity with machine-like efficiency is truly awe-inspiring.
Chambers USA 2023
Credentials
Education
Laurae received her B.S. from California State University at San Bernardino and she received her J.D. from Southwestern Law School in 2002.
Admissions
- California
Related Insights & News
Laurae spoke at the Infocast Wind Power Finance & Investment Summit of 2015 on the topic of minimizing transaction risks in wind project acquisitions.
Winston Advises on Four Winning Deals for Proximo America’s 2023 “Deals of the Year”
May 21, 2024
March 14, 2024
Winston Attorneys Featured on the 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Energy Lawyers List
February 16, 2024