Clean Tech and Alternative Energy

Given Gould & Ratner’s longtime experience in serving clients involved in the traditional energy sector, it’s not surprising that we have grown to also offer sophisticated and strategic advice to investment firms, private equity funds, venture capital funds, entrepreneurs and family offices, as well as middle-market businesses, in the emerging and dynamic area of clean tech and alternative energy.

Our lawyers assist a wide array of clients in the various areas of renewable and alternative energy spaces, including energy storage, biofuels, solar, wind and others. We are strategic advisors for their needs in corporate, tax, real estate, regulatory, construction, intellectual property and litigation matters.

Some of our more recent successful transactions involving private equity and venture capital investments in technology companies include:

Assisting family offices in clean energy technology investments or ESG funds, with an investment valuation of over $100 million
Structuring/forming a syndicate investment group for purpose of deploying approximately $100 million of capital into clean energy projects
Managing three rounds of cross-border investments of $30-40 million into a high value lithium-ion battery technology company with a planned IPO in 2022.
Helping several family offices, funds and entrepreneurs make cryptocurrency investments ranging between $50-100 million, primarily in the decentralized finance space
Represented a venture capital fund as the the lead investor in a $50 million Series C round in a nickel-zinc battery technology company

Our distinctive and holistic approach to providing counseling and advice on all aspects of clean tech investments and other related matters helps our clients succeed in an extremely competitive environment. We have a team that brings an interdisciplinary approach to this space, including multiple partners with a background in policy analysis, investment banking, financial analysis and environmental regulation.

This “all-sides” view is unique to firms like ours, offering value and efficiency that larger law firms cannot; Gould & Ratner can be truly our clients’ outside “in-house” counsel.

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Related Practices

Corporate

Environmental

Family Offices, Businesses and Entrepreneurs

Intellectual Property

Litigation

Private Equity and Venture Capital

Real Estate

Tax Planning and Structuring

Construction

Our Team

Robert

Chidester

Partner

Chair, Corporate Practice

Vice Chair, Corporate Practice

Chair, Real Estate Practice

Chair, Construction Practice

Chair, Tax Planning and Structuring Practice

Chicago

Representative Matters

Represented a syndicate investment group for nearly a decade in the formation and structuring of the organization, as well as the deployment of ~$100 million of capital into the clean energy space.
Represented the lead investor in the $20 million investment into a nickel-zinc battery technology company, and the transaction had a pre-money valuation of ~$200 million.
Represented a client who was the lead investor in two sequential rounds of a lithium ion battery technology company, where the client invested $15 to $30 million.
Led the investment and restructuring of a waste heat recapture company, including making a $5 million investment and restructuring the company to account for new circumstances.
Represented a client in three discrete rounds of investments (over five years) in a solar technology company, and the transaction included both equity and convertible debt, for a total investment amount of between $15 to $20 million.
Represented a cross-border client in three rounds of investment of $30 to $40 million into a lithium-ion battery technology company (with a pre-money value of $150 million) over the past four years.
Represented a company that converts waste materials into carbon tax credits, both in the United States and internationally, in various carbon tax markets.
Represented an investor who invested $5 million in a unique LED technology that alters the wavelength emitted by LED technology to improve agricultural yields.
Represented several family office clients in clean energy technology investments, or ESG funds, with a valuation of $100 million invested in various funds.
Represented a shipping company that transports goods and various products using clean waterways in the Northeast United States, using electric vehicle barges as a way of reducing emissions.
Acted as project counsel for the nation’s leading manufacturer of heavy transit buses in the design and construction of a $100 million office, warehouse and manufacturing facility. Gould & Ratner also represented the company in the design and installation of a solar project, electrical vehicle charging stations and eBus charging stations. The work included drafting numerous contracts and the successful mediation of delay, defect claims and warranty issues.
Negotiated $22.5-million solar panel supply agreement for privately held alternative energy supplier.

Publications

Gould & Ratner's distinctive and holistic approach to providing counseling and advice on all aspects of clean tech investments and other related matters helps our clients succeed in an extremely competitive environment.