Greater New Orleans Region
Trading Counsel Solutions provides advisement to clients on energy trading transactions including Master Agreements and structured transactions. Drafting and Negotiation of LEAP, ISDA, NAESB, EEI and EFET documentation. Expertise in emissions trading including RINs and LCFS. Experience with trade finance, project finance, corporate governance, power purchase agreements, tolling agreements and joint ventures. Multi-commodity wholesale and retail experience includes crude, refined products, natural gas liquids, natural gas, power and emissions. Regulatory advisement includes EPA, DOT, CFTC, CARB and FTC. Knowledgeable midstream advisement on natural gas, crude, refined product and natural gas storage, power transmission, crude and products pipelines, transportation of product by truck and rail and vessel transportation.
Responsible for legal interface with distillates and gasoline trading desks. Transactional support for RINs, benzene and sulfur credits. Support operations and demurrage teams in resolution of transportation, quantity and quality, shipping and other matters. Provide advice on pipeline regulatory matters involving FERC and state tariffed oil and products pipelines. Lead for provision of legal advise globally for transportation of petroleum products and crude by rail.
Responsible for all legal functions for North American subsidiary of large oil trading company including governance, employment, commercial negotiations, infrastructure support and litigation. Provide support to upstream, midstream and downstream oil businesses. International restructurings, financing, acquisitions and divestitures. Contracting for waterborne (including charter party review and negotiation), pipeline and truck and rail movements of oil, bio-diesel, distillates and crude oil products. RINs negotiation and invalid RINs settlement. Contamination claim support.
Provided advice and guidance on start-up and business development of new physical natural gas business. Negotiated NAESBs and ISDAs to support trading liquidity. Created compliance program involving Trading Guidelines and FERC Capacity Release Guidelines. Monitored and reported on changing regulatory (CFTC, FERC, FTC) framework and participated in ISDA and IECA working groups to respond to changing governmental policy landscape. Structured suite of documentation supporting new business development of N2O Voluntary Carbon Standard Emission Reduction Credits trading business. Guided client through financial crisis by advising on bankruptcy implications of contractual terms, close-out mechanics and methodology and credit terms restructuring. Settled two bankruptcy claims with two separate bankruptcy estates allowing for dollar for dollar recoveries of large portions of claims. Worked closely with London office in order to create administrative alignment.
Supported rapidly expanding power and natural gas trading business in Northeast United States. Managed team of two lawyers and one contract analyst to negotiate large volume of retail and wholesale master agreements, including, but not limited to NAESBs, EEIs, requests for proposal, services and operating agreements, precedent and construction agreements, confidentiality agreements, renewable energy credit agreements, demand response agreements and tolling agreements. Restructured legal support of retail business and rolled out enhanced support model to regional offices through a series of “road shows”. Negotiated agreements surrounding potential LNG projects including confidentiality and joint development agreements Member of the Executive Management program and Leadership Essentials program for company-wide development of talent.
Development and management responsibilities over team of three lawyers and two interns to accomplish negotiation of large portfolio of domestic and international oil, natural gas, and power Master Agreements including ISDAs, EEIs, EFETs, CPMAs, NBPs, ZBTs, NAESBs. Supported six internal trading operations ranging from oil and refined products, European natural gas, freight, equities, and domestic and international natural gas and power. Established compliance program including anti-boycott, antitrust, OFAC, politically exposed persons, emerging markets and anti-money laundering review, MiFid, NYMEX compliance (including position limit management and exemption filings), FERC compliance, CFTC compliance and FSA compliance. Integral in hiring of senior compliance officer and establishment of cohesive company-wide compliance program. Responsible for establishment of bankruptcy and risk mitigation documentation including clearing member relationship, risk participations on large oil cargos and exchange relationships, including the Dubai Mercantile Exchange. Supported business development of bunker desk. Settled large bunker contamination claim including full release of claims. Supported growth of domestic natural gas and power business by researching and advising on FERC issues, negotiating natural gas storage and transportation agreements and structured products negotiation including capacity and tolling arrangements. Project management lead over establishment of new London trading operation. Participated in industry working groups at ISDA and LEAP. Member of the Executive Management program and Leadership Essentials program for company-wide development of talent.