Norton Rose Fulbright grows in Chicago with seven projects-focused real estate lawyers from Clean Law PC

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright today announced that seven lawyers, including partners John F. Young and Christine Fernandez Owen, and three paralegals have joined its real estate practice. The team previously comprised Clean Law PC, a Chicago-based boutique renewables real estate firm representing leading and emerging developers and operators of clean energy projects in the United States and globally.

Along with partners Young and Fernandez Owen, the projects-focused real estate team includes counsel Kacie Bevers, Kayce Kasten Borders, Theresa Carroll, Damola Omisore and Lauren Shapiro as well as senior paralegal Kathy Wenger and paralegals Ali Berry and Kelsei Peppler. Young, Fernandez Owen, Borders, Carroll, Berry and Peppler all join the Chicago office. Bevers and Omisore will be based in Houston, with Shapiro in Austin and Wenger in Minneapolis.

Jeff Cody, Norton Rose Fulbright’s US Managing Partner, said:

“Projects and real estate are two cornerstones of Norton Rose Fulbright’s business practice, which we have prioritized as a growth area for the firm. I am pleased to welcome John, Christine and the rest of this dynamic team as we continue our commitment to bringing on top talent dedicated to excellence in client service.”

Daniel Farris, Norton Rose Fulbright’s Chicago Partner-in-Charge, said:

“We are thrilled to welcome John, Christine and their team to Norton Rose Fulbright’s growing Chicago office, which has as a mainstay innovation and next generation technology in all of the key industries. With hundreds of lawyers focused on renewable energy across the firm, this forward-thinking team further strengthens our position as leaders in this space.”

Young advises renewable energy developers and operators on an extensive array of real estate and other matters. He previously served as in-house counsel to a global renewable energy developer where he was responsible for handling all legal aspects of the company’s North American real estate development, as well as serving as primary counsel for Department of Defense initiatives. Young has experience with joint venture relationships, project acquisition and divestiture, construction projects, purchasing/supply chain master service arrangements, corporate governance issues and compliance matters.

Young, who founded Clean Law PC in 2017, said:

“I am delighted to join Norton Rose Fulbright, which advises on some of the most significant real estate and projects deals in the world. My team and our clients will benefit from the firm’s talented legal practitioners as well as its unmatched global reach and roster of projects clients.”

Fernandez Owen provides legal services to developers, owners and operators of wind, solar and energy storage projects. Her practice is focused on the support of development efforts of renewable projects, including negotiation of site control documents, title and other real estate review, environmental diligence, negotiation of commercial contracts used in the development and construction of renewable energy projects, and diligence in support of acquisitions and financing of renewable energy projects. Prior to private practice, Fernandez Owen was assistant general counsel at one of the world’s largest developers and owners of renewable energy projects, where she also worked as a wind developer.

Fernandez Owen, who has more than 13 years of experience in the renewable energy industry, said:

“The clean energy market is booming, and our team has been at the forefront of its evolution with our clients. I am excited to join Norton Rose Fulbright’s premier real estate team and collaborate with its projects practice group, which is widely recognized as the best by clients and industry experts.”

Norton Rose Fulbright has more than 200 real estate lawyers globally advising clients across the full range of real estate matters, including urban regeneration projects, direct and indirect investment transactions, real estate financing, equity investment structuring, portfolio deals, corporate occupier matters, dispute resolution and development projects.

The firm has more than 220 projects lawyers around the globe acting on some of the world’s most innovative, complex and challenging deals. Norton Rose Fulbright sees a large share of the project finance market. In the last four years, the firm’s projects lawyers advised on more than 400 significant transactions with a total value of more than $200 billion (IJGlobal Q3, 2022).

On April 12, Norton Rose Fulbright announced the opening of its Chicago office, with the firm becoming the first major law firm to establish its home base in the vibrant Fulton Market District. The firm’s 12^th US location and 53^rd office worldwide opened with 11 lawyers serving tech and tech-enabled businesses in transformative sectors across a range of practices, including projects, employment and labor, technology transactions, intellectual property and privacy and data security.