Robert F. Shapiro

Partner

Practice Description

Bob Shapiro’s practice focuses on the areas of project finance and energy. Mr. Shapiro represents industrial firms and developers that build, finance, own, operate, sell and use the energy output from renewable resources, conventional independent power facilities, and transmission and distribution facilities in the United States and abroad, as well as lenders and investors to those facilities. He also has extensive experience in the defense of long-term power contracts before regulatory agencies as well as courts.

He has represented firms in the purchase and sale, and financial restructuring of electric generating assets in the United States. Mr. Shapiro also negotiates (and evaluates for lenders and investors) power purchase agreements, tolling agreements, power marketing agreements, various financial instruments related to power supply arrangements, operating and maintenance agreements, and fuel supply agreements, and regularly advises on the evolving power markets throughout the United States. He has also worked on numerous international power project developments, financings and privatizations, mostly in Latin America, with an emphasis in Brazil. Mr. Shapiro has substantial experience in the development and financing of large hydroelectric projects.

Representative Matters

• Representing an international consortium in the development and financing of the 250 megawatt (MW) Bujagali project in Uganda. 
• Represented Brazilian consortia in the development and financing of the 1450MW Itá and the 1100MW Machadinho hydroelectric projects. 
• Represented an affiliate of the AES Corporation in the development of the 600 megawatt gas-fired Uruguaiana project in Brazil. 
• Represented IFC in financing of the 120MW La Higuera hydroelectric project in Chile. 
• Represented an affiliate of UPC Wind in the negotiation of a 200MW power contract with several California cities for a wind-powered facility in Utah. 
• Briefed and argued the successful appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Freehold Cogeneration Associates v. Board of Regulatory Commissioners (holding that state’s attempt to revisit approved Qualifying Facility (QF) contract rates with a utility is preempted by the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act). 
• Defended several other cogeneration projects and power marketers with long-term power contracts against challenges by several utilities before state and federal agencies and courts. 
• Represented Tenaska in the acquisition of 6 gas-fired power projects from Constellation. 
• Represented the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) before the Supreme Court in defense of avoided cost rules for qualifying facilities (American Paper Institute v. American Electric Power).

Honors

Publications

Speeches and Events