Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP is pleased to welcome tax partner William Freeman and project finance counsel Alex Choinski. Freeman and Choinski, who join the firm from a prominent international energy company, are based in the firm’s Dallas and Houston offices, respectively. The duo both served as counsel for ExxonMobil prior to joining the firm.
“Will and Alex are highly regarded attorneys who add significant depth to our nationally recognized tax and project finance practices in Texas and whose experience advising on complex energy transactions is in high demand,” said Mike O’Leary, co-head of Hunton Andrews Kurth’s corporate team. “We are excited to welcome both of them to our team.”
Both Will and Alex have noteworthy experience tackling some of the most challenging corporate matters for a Fortune 10 vertically integrated oil and gas major with a vast global presence. As a senior counsel for that company’s tax department, Freeman regularly advised on the domestic and international tax implications of strategic mergers and acquisitions, designed tax-optimized structures, planned cross-border financing and engaged in advocacy regarding tax legislation and regulations.
Freeman’s U.S. tax practice includes advising on issues that span the tax code and involve corporate tax, partnership tax and U.S. international tax. His broad international tax experience includes advising on high-value, cross-border matters implicating a complex array of U.S. and foreign tax rules applied to transactions occurring in dozens of countries.
“Will’s sophisticated tax practice at one of the most prominent multinational energy companies in the world makes him a valuable addition to any firm,” said Robert McNamara, co-head of Hunton Andrews Kurth’s Tax and ERISA practice. “He is an outstanding fit for Hunton Andrews Kurth and will add immediate strength to our global corporate tax practice.”
Freeman began his career at Hunton Andrews Kurth as an associate in the firm’s tax group, before he moved in-house in 2007. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and his law degree from Harvard Law School.
Choinski served as lead in-house counsel for that company’s treasurer’s function and was the go-to in-house legal advisor and subject matter expert on some of the company’s most complex projects, financings and other transactions. In addition to his role leading key corporate finance and affiliate governance matters, his work in projects and acquisitions encompassed all aspects of the oil and gas value chain, from exploration, drilling and upstream development through midstream and downstream facilities and products. More recently, Choinski has advised on matters relating to decarbonization and energy transition initiatives as well as compliance with International Finance Corporation performance standards and Equator Principles. The activities Choinski managed have spanned the worldwide footprint of a diversified market leader in the energy sector.
“We are excited to welcome Alex to expand the firm’s substantial capabilities in transactions related to decarbonization,” said Shannon Broome, co-lead of Hunton Andrews Kurth’s Climate Change practice.
Before moving in-house in 2014, Choinski was a partner in McDermott Will & Emery LLP’s energy advisory group, and previously practiced at Milbank LLP and Baker Botts LLP, where he focused his practice on international project finance, project development and acquisition finance in traditional and renewable energy and other industry sectors.
His private practice experience includes serving as lead outside counsel for major investment banks, multilateral and export credit institutions, and governments and multinational developers on a number of complex international finance transactions, of which some have been awarded “Deal of the Year” accolades in Project Finance magazine.
“Alex’s impressive experience aligns well with the work of our multi-practice energy transition team, in particular on carbon capture and alternative energy projects, as well as our traditional energy transactional and project finance practices,” said Jeff Schroeder, head of Hunton Andrews Kurth’s energy and infrastructure practice. “He’s an outstanding complement to our global energy and infrastructure transactional team.”
Choinski earned his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University with high honors and his J.D., magna cum laude, from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif.
Freeman and Choinski are the latest of several recent key hires Hunton Andrews Kurth has made in Texas. In September, the firm welcomed mergers and acquisitions partner J.A. Glaccum in Houston. Earlier this year, banking and financial services partner Josh McNulty and counsel Rachael Craven, along with commercial real estate partner Katy Carmical, joined the firm’s Dallas office.
