Pillsbury is pleased to welcome Veronica Relea, a highly rated energy and infrastructure projects lawyer with particular experience in Latin America, as a partner in the firm’s global Finance practice. She joins the firm from Latham & Watkins and will be based in Pillsbury’s New York office.
“We are seeing incredible demand from energy sector clients, especially in connection with project financing and development, and are thrilled to welcome a proven talent as impressive as Veronica to our growing team,” said Finance Practice Leader Mark Lessard. “She is collaborative and pragmatic, with an impressive skillset and entrepreneurial drive that strengthen and complement our existing energy- and infrastructure finance-related capabilities. She’ll be a formidable asset for our clients, further enabling them to adapt to the ongoing energy transition and fully embrace renewable energy sources.”
Energy and Infrastructure Projects co-leader Mona Dajani added: “Pillsbury has established itself as one of the true innovators in the energy, financial and technology sectors, with broad experience that ranges from wind, solar and other renewable power generation and storage facilities to those utilizing clean energy technologies like hydrogen to fossil fuel-based energy production facilities that sequester carbon. With stellar experience and deep connections at the Department of Energy and in the energy business community, Veronica is well-positioned to further expand our energy and infrastructure work globally,” said Dajani. “I’m so excited to have another dynamic woman join our market-leading team to further solidify that reputation and bring the industry’s most exciting and innovative projects to fruition.”
Relea, a Harvard Law school graduate, who has been recognized as a “Next Generation Partner” by The Legal 500, has significant experience representing project developers and lenders in highly structured and complex finance transactions, primarily in the energy and infrastructure space. She represents commercial and investment banks, sponsors, developers, and private equity firms in the development, construction, operation and financing of energy, oil and gas, and infrastructure projects, including LNG projects, fuel storage facilities, renewable energy assets, and mining assets. She also has extensive experience in leveraged finance transactions, including acquisition financings, asset-based facilities, private equity transactions, mezzanine facilities, and cross-border financings. A fluent Spanish speaker—and proficient in Portuguese—she has been lauded as one of Latin America’s Top-100 female lawyers by Latinvex every year since 2017.
“Pillsbury offers an exceptional multi-disciplinary, industry-focused platform from which to serve clients, a talented roster of project finance and other lawyers with whom I can collaborate, and a culture that truly values partnership, innovation and diversity,” Relea said. “I look forward to working with my new colleagues to further advance the firm’s already strong position in the context of the energy transition.”
Relea is just the latest energy-focused hire to join Pillsbury as part of an ongoing effort to expand its offering to clients at a time of unprecedented change in the energy sector. Earlier this year, the firm added Robert Nelson, one of the world’s foremost international energy and infrastructure lawyers, in San Francisco and oil & gas litigators Tony Guerino and Liz Klingensmith in Houston. Other notable energy-focused arrivals include environment and natural resources partner Anne Austin in Washington, DC and Austin, emerging growth and venture capital transactions partner Stan Lewandowski in Silicon Valley, insolvency and restructuring partner Hugh McDonald in New York, insolvency and restructuring partner Joshua Morse in San Francisco, renewable energy and financing transactions tax partner Jorge Medina in Los Angeles, energy and sustainable finance partner Gavin Watson in London, and energy and infrastructure finance partner and leader, Mona Dajani in New York and London.
Pillsbury advises clients around the world and across industries as they evolve and adapt to the challenges of the energy transition. From helping to advance new energy technologies to providing established companies with guidance on meeting decarbonization goals, Pillsbury provides energy stakeholders with comprehensive industry experience and a track record of innovation and success. The firm helps clients build and modernize all types of power generation projects; develop decarbonization strategies that account for carbon sequestration, utilization and storage; deploy new fuels and clean technologies such as biofuels, hydrogen and advanced nuclear reactors; leverage sustainable sources of financing; capitalize on government incentives and loan programs; provide public policy support regarding evolving government programs and initiatives; navigate environmental compliance requirements; design and implement ESG programs; and prevail in energy-related litigation and international arbitrations.
