IRVING ROTTER is co-leader of the firm’s Energy practice. He has represented sponsors, lenders, equity participants, contractors and offtakers in project finance and infrastructure transactions and buyers and sellers in mergers and acquisitions.
Irv’s project finance experience includes representing the construction contractor and provider of contingent subordinated indebtedness for the FLAG project, the first project financing for a transoceanic fiber-optic telecommunications network, and representing a consortium of developers of two lignite-fired electric generating facilities using a structure that resulted in the project debt being off balance sheet to both the developer and the utility acquiring the facilities. Irv has also represented developers, lenders and equity investors in traditional and alternative energy solar, wind and biomass projects, biofuels projects and natural resources projects, and lenders and equity participants in industrial project finance projects. Irv also has extensive experience representing lenders and borrowers in restructuring energy, alternative energy and biofuels projects.
Irv’s merger and acquisitions experience includes representing acquirers and sellers in domestic and cross-border transactions in a host of industries, including energy, telecommunications, software, semiconductor, fiber-optic, automotive, cable television, paper and food. Irv represented AIG in the acquisition of Kinder Morgan Inc., AIG Highstar and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board in the acquisition of InterGen N.V., which owned 10 power plants located in six countries and AIG Highstar in the subsequent sale of its 50 percent interest in InterGen N.V., a transaction that was named India Deal of the Year by the India Business Law Journal. Other transactions in which Irv has been involved include representing Energy Capital Partners and General Electric Financial Services in their investment in Southcross Holdings, MAP Royalty in various wind generation projects, Alaska Communications Systems in the creation of The Alaska Wireless Network,a joint venture between Alaska Communications Systems and GCI; Anixter International in the sale of its fasteners business; Avaya in its acquisition of Radvision Inc., CMS Energy in its acquisition of the Zeeland Power Generation Facility, CMS Energy in the sale of its interest in the Midland Cogeneration Venture, Lucent Technologies’ acquisition of Chromatis Inc., Lucent Technologies’ acquisition of Ortel Corporation and AT&T’s disposition of AT&T Submarine Systems.
Irv frequently lectures on project finance and has taught seminars on project finance in the United States, China, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, Italy, Greece and Israel. He served as a consultant to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in connection with the development of Principles of Conduct for Nuclear Exporters, a code of social responsibility adopted by the major exporters of nuclear power plants.
Irv served as a law clerk to the Honorable William C. Canby, Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In 2008, he was named by BTI Consulting on the basis of a survey of Fortune 1000 companies, as a member of the BTI Client Service All-Star Team for Transactional Lawyers, and in 2007, he was named by BTI Consulting as a member of the BTI Client Service All-Star Team for law firms. Irv is consistently selected for inclusion in Chambers Global and Chambers USA, which notes that “clients praise him, saying: ‘He has a wealth of knowledge on these transactions and is a good negotiator with a lot of experience.’” He has been recognized in the 2014 and 2015 editions of the IFLR1000 as a “Leading Lawyer” in Project Finance in the United States, as well as the 2016 edition of The Legal 500 US for Project Finance and Energy: Renewable/Alternative. In 2017, The Legal 500 US recommended Irv for Energy Transactions: Conventional Power, Oil and Gas, Energy Litigation: Conventional Power, and M&A: Large Deals ($1 bn+). He has been recognized in Who’s Who for Project Finance since 2015.