Linklaters continues expansion of US energy transition and renewables platform with addition of partners Marius Griskonis and Judy Kwok in New York and senior counsel Diana Jeschke in Washington, DC

Linklaters is pleased to announce that Marius Griskonis and Judy Kwok have joined the firm’s New York office as partners in the Energy & Infrastructure Group. Marius joins as Co-Head of Energy & Infrastructure in the Americas alongside Ron Erlichman, who joined the firm in November. Diana Jeschke will also join Linklaters’ Energy & Infrastructure Group as a senior counsel based in the firm’s Washington, DC office as of March 13.

Daniel Tyrer, Head of Linklaters’ Global Energy & Infrastructure Group, commented:

“Marius, Judy, and Diana round out what is now a full-service, powerhouse energy transition and renewables team in the US, complementing our market leading Europe and Asia teams to create an unparalleled global offering. Marius is one of the preeminent renewables lawyers in the US and adds significant heft to our existing Energy & Infrastructure team, even further strengthened by Judy’s vast tax equity knowledge and Diana’s regulatory skillset.”

Tom McGrath, Head of Linklaters’ U.S. Global Practice, added:

“Expanding our bench of talent in the US is a top priority of the firm. Our US energy clients in particular are facing immense opportunity, competition, and complexity, all recently bolstered by $370 billion in incentives for renewables and transition projects under the Inflation Reduction Act. Marius’ finance and asset-level M&A expertise, Judy’s specialization in tax equity funding, and Diana’s experience working with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission significantly bolster our offering for clients navigating this rapidly evolving market.”

Ron Erlichman, Co-Head of Energy & Infrastructure in the Americas, said:

“I am thrilled to welcome Marius, Judy, and Diana, each fulfilling key milestones in our US Energy and Infrastructure strategy. The depth of specialized talent on our team is now unmatched in the US, and I look forward to working alongside Marius as co-heads as we continue to expand our best-in-class client offering.”

Marius is a highly regarded energy lawyer with over 20 years’ experience in the development, financing, acquisition, and sale of renewable energy infrastructure. He has represented developers, sponsors, investors, underwriters, commercial banks, investment banks, export credit agencies, and other multilateral agencies in major projects across an array of sectors, including renewable energy (solar, onshore and offshore wind), alternative and renewable fuel, conventional power generation, power transmission, oil and gas, petrochemical, infrastructure, and telecommunications. Marius joins Linklaters from White & Case and is Band 1-ranked for Power & Renewables by Chambers Global.

Judy is intimately familiar with the unique perspectives of both developers and tax equity investors, bringing clients a deep technical and commercial knowledge of the complex tax issues and structured arrangements arising from renewable energy investments, including investment tax credit and production tax credit qualification, flip partnerships, repowerings, sale-leasebacks, debt-equity, and depreciation. Judy joins Linklaters from Troutman Pepper, and previously held senior roles at GE Energy Financial Services and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Diana focuses on regulatory matters affecting clients before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). She advises clients on wholesale electric market rules, generator interconnections, enforcement investigations regarding alleged market manipulation, market-based rates, transfers of FERC-jurisdictional assets, and other critical regulatory issues. Diana joins Linklaters from Crowell & Moring, and previously held roles at FERC and at the California Air Resources Board.

Linklaters is at the forefront of the market advising on the development and financing of complex, large-scale projects, highly structured transactions, and mergers and acquisitions in the energy and infrastructure sector across the globe, particularly in connection with renewable and carbon transition projects. The firm is ranked Band 1 for Projects & Energy in Chambers Global 2022, and was recently recognized with IJ Global’s Climate Adaptation Award and Americas Renewable Energy ESG Award, IJ Investor’s Americas Conventional Power and Grid Infrastructure Deal of the Year Award, PFI’s Americas Hydrogen Deal of the Year Award, and IFLR Europe’s Project Finance Deal of the Year Award.

Marius, Judy, and Diana continue a string of significant hires for Linklaters in the US. In addition to the recent Energy & Infrastructure arrivals, the firm has also in the past year added Structured Finance and Derivatives partners Peter Williams and Joseph Gambino in New York, U.S. Head of Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Andrew Gaines in New York, and Financial Regulation partner Don Waack in Washington, DC.