Christy Rivera

Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP

New York
United States
T:+1 212 408 5530
New York
United States
T:+1 212 408 5530
Christy Rivera

Christy Rivera

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Biography

Christy represents developers, investors and lenders in a range of project development and financing transactions, with a focus on renewable energy. She has significant experience negotiating debt and tax equity financings, hedging and off-take arrangements, acquisitions and project documents.  Christy also has extensive workout and financial restructuring experience, both in and out of court. She has represented agent banks and lenders in out-of-court restructurings, secured and unsecured creditors in Chapter 11 cases, and buyers in sales and other asset dispositions both in and outside chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.


Professional experience

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JD, New York University School of Law, 2001
BA, University of Michigan, 1998

  • New York State Bar

Energy Experience:

  • Represented the senior lenders in the financing of the $11 billion SunZia 550-mile transmission line and related renewable generation projects sponsored by Pattern Energy Group.
  • Represented the sponsor in connection with the construction debt and tax equity financing of three solar projects totaling approximately 500 MW across three states. 
  • Represented the lender in connection with the term financing on a renewable natural gas (RNG) facility in Missouri converting landfill gas to RNG.
  • Represented the lenders in connection with the construction financing of an anaerobic digestion facility in New York converting food waste into RNG and fertilizer.
  • Represented the sponsor in connection with the construction to term financing of four dairy manure based RNG plants located in Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa.  This is the first transaction where dairy manure based RNG facilities received commercial construction financing.
  • Represented the lenders in the financing of 1,182 MW natural gas-fired generation project in Ohio. 
  • Represented the lenders in the financing of 700 MW natural gas-fired generation project in Ohio.
  • Represented sponsors in the negotiation of physically and financially-settled secured and unsecured commodity hedging and offtake arrangements, including wind and solar hedges, renewable energy credit (REC) agreements and heat rate call options, for multiple projects, including:
    • 264 MW wind energy project in Grant County, West Virginia
    • 345 MW wind energy project in Callahan County, Texas
    • 160 MW wind energy project in Tom Green County, Texas
    • 336 MW wind energy project in  Knox County, Texas
    • 476 MW solar energy project in Fort Bend County, Texas
  • Represented sponsors in negotiation of project contracts, including energy management agreements.
  • Represented the hedge provider in negotiating proxy revenue swaps and proxy generation power purchase agreements for multiple wind projects throughout Texas.
  • Represented the project in the $2.3 billion debt financing for the 800 MW Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind project off the coast of Massachusetts.
  • Represented Belltown Power in the sale of an approximately 180 MW development-stage solar power generation project located in Cameron County, Texas.
  • Represented the lenders in connection with the Freeport LNG and Sabine Pass LNG liquefaction and export projects located in Freeport, Texas and Cameron Parish, Louisiana, respectively.
  • Represented issuers in multiple securitizations of cash flows from distributed solar generation systems.

Energy Restructuring Experience:

  • Represented the lenders in connection with the restructuring of the $2 billion financing of the 531 MW Alto Maipo Hydro Project in Chile, sponsored by AES Gener.
  • Represented the lenders in connection with refinancing construction debt provided to portfolio of battery storage projects in Texas. 
  • Represented the lenders to various SunEdison projects in connection with the SunEdison bankruptcy cases.
  • Represented NextEra Energy in its attempted acquisition of Oncor Electric from chapter 11 debtor Energy Future Holdings.
  • Represented a gas supplier in Imerys Talc America bankruptcy cases and in Empire Generating bankruptcy cases. 

Restructuring Experience:

  • Represented the indenture trustee/member of the creditors' committee in the iHeartMedia bankruptcy cases, the CHC bankruptcy cases and the Savient Pharmaceuticals bankruptcy cases.
  • Represented multiple customers in the MF Global bankruptcy cases and in the Refco bankruptcy cases. 
  • Represented a large insurance company in litigation relating to the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy cases.
  • Represented an indenture trustee in the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy cases.
  • Legal 500, Recommended lawyer: Energy: Renewable/alternative power, The Legal 500, 2024
  • Acritas Star, Acritas, 2021
  • IFLR1000 – United States, Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC, 2021
  • Legal 500 US, recommended lawyer, Finance - Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate, The Legal 500, 2018
  • New York Metro Super Lawyer, Energy and Resources, Thomson Reuters, 2018 - 2024
  • "Rising Star," New York Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2015
  • "Carbon Offsets as a Potential Source of Revenue", Project Finance Newswire, February 28, 2022.
  • "How to Construct a 'Ring-Fence'", Project Finance Newswire, October 9, 2020
  • Co-Author, "Rights to Block Bankruptcy Filings in Doubt", Project Finance Newswire, June 16, 2020
  • "Second Circuit Provides Clear Guidance to Market on Scope of Permissible Acts under Trust Indenture Act Section 316(b)," Client Alert, January 30, 2017
  • "Lessons from the SunEdison Bankruptcy", Norton Rose Fulbright "Currents" Podcast, December 14, 2016
  • "The Trust Indenture Act: What is all the Fuss About?," International Restructuring NewsWire (Republished in Law360), Winter 2016
  • “Federal Court Strikes Down Puerto Rico’s Recovery Act as Unconstitutional,” Client Alert, February 11, 2015
  • "Puerto Rico Claims Authority to Nonconsensually Restructure Public Corporation Debt," Client Alert, July 7, 2014
  • "Second Circuit Makes Challenging Implemented Plans More Difficult," International Restructuring NewsWire, March 2013
  • "Can A Claims Purchaser Acquire Claims Free of Defects?," International Restructuring NewsWire, June 2012
  • "Another Derivatives Dispute Resolved In Favor Of Lehman," Pratt's Journal of Bankruptcy Law, July/August 2011
  • "Lehman Brothers: Limiting the Safe Harbors," (co-author), International Restructuring NewsWire, April 2010
  • "Under'standing' a Creditor's Rights to Bring Actions Against Corporate Officers and Directors," International Restructuring NewsWire, September 2007
  • "Recent Decision Puts Added Disclosure Pressure on Unofficial Committees," (co-author), International Restructuring NewsWire, September 2007
  • "Are There Any Limits to Mandatory Subordination Under Section 510(b) of the Bankruptcy Code?," (co-author), Pratt's Journal of Bankruptcy Law, March 2007
  • "Are Subsidiaries Really Bankruptcy Remote?," Project Finance NewsWire, (co-author), October 2005
  • Moderator, Bank Panel, NRF Energy Finance Conference, Deer Valley, Utah, June 15, 2023.
  • Moderator, Electricity Storage Panel, NRF Energy Finance Conference, Bluffton, South Carolina, June 16, 2022.
  • Safe-Harbor Issues After Lehman, Panel Member at American Bankruptcy Institute's 2018 Winter Leadership Conference.
  • Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) Webinar, New York, NY, July 12, 2016
  • "Tips for Trustees: Out of Court Restructuring and the Trust Indenture Act," New York, NY, March 9, 2016
  • Puerto Rico's New Public Corporation Debt Enforcement and Recovery Act – Restructuring Legislation for Commonwealth Instrumentalities Webinar, New York, NY, July 28, 2014
  • Ms. Rivera is a member of Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energies (WRISE) and the National Association of Women Lawyers.