Energy and Infrastructure

Akerman’s Energy and Infrastructure Team provides an integrated solution to the complex, multidisciplinary requirements of clients operating in a dynamic and rapidly evolving sector. Delivering counsel for transactional, regulatory, and dispute-related matters, we represent sponsors, financial institutions, investment funds, developers, and government entities across the entire asset class, including transportation, digital, social, and energy infrastructure assets. We support our clients as the definition of infrastructure broadens and is continually redefined, and we provide tailored advice to help clients achieve their objectives and deliver on their business plans.

We are equipped to handle energy and/or infrastructure-related matters in several core areas listed below:

Data Centers and Digital Infrastructure

Akerman’s Data Center and Digital Infrastructure Practice delivers to investors, developers, operators, and users the targeted experience and knowledge necessary to address all aspects of the data center ecosystem. Our unified team is versed in the many facets – technological, operational, and legal – of financing, planning, construction, and operation of data centers; the real estate-related issues, including permitting, environmental, leasing, co-location, and licensing agreements; and the regulatory, tax, and power purchase and power procurement strategies and agreements of this unique asset class.

Renewable Energy and Electric Power

We have significant experience in the power sector, helping clients on important matters. In both conventional and renewable power, we collaborate across practices and jurisdictions to serve sponsors, financial institutions, investment funds, developers, and government entities. Attorneys in our group have handled deals involving conventional power generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure, renewable energy (including wind power as well as utility and distributed solar power), energy storage, nuclear power siting and other traditional and evolving electric power technologies.

Telecommunications, Fiber, and Wireless Facilities Infrastructure

Akerman’s Telecommunications Infrastructure Team is comprised of attorneys with decades of experience advising clients on telecommunications infrastructure and network services transactions. We counsel clients in connection with dark fiber, wavelength circuit, and subsea cable system builds, leases and purchases, distributed antennae system and WiFi deployments, in addition to counseling on the provision and procurement of additional network services to include co-location, tower leases, ethernet, multiprotocol label switching (MPLS), private line, dedicated internet access, Internet exchange and peering, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) mitigation, voice over internet protocol (VOIP), e911, caching node, content delivery network services and various others. Our attorneys have represented international carriers, hyperscale cloud platform providers, Fortune 100 telecommunications providers, global financial services institutions, subsea cable system operators, equipment vendors, investors, lenders, landlords, and countless enterprise customers. Our team has additional experience as in-house counsel for leading global carriers, including Sprint and Tata Communications International, and as dedicated outside counsel for other leading carriers.

Electric Vehicle and EV Infrastructure

Akerman’s Electric Vehicle and EV Infrastructure (EVI) Team provides its clients with the multidisciplinary legal services needed for the coming transportation transformation for automated, connected, and electric vehicles. Spurred by technological innovation, the transportation industry is undertaking dramatic changes, including development and deployment of self-driving, electric, and connected vehicles. These unprecedented changes require a skilled and adept legal team capable of navigating these unique legal issues and challenges. Our EVI team is well-equipped to assist businesses in anticipating, understanding, and meeting those legal challenges, and can help them thrive in this new environment.

Oil and Gas

We have experience advising clients on complex transactions across the entire oil and gas value chain – from well-head to liquified natural gas, refining, and petrochemicals. We have a comprehensive understanding of the oil and gas business, given our work advising a wide range of industry participants, including upstream, midstream, downstream, and OFS companies, along with sponsors, financial institutions, investment funds, and government entities active in the industry. We also have experience assisting clients with pipeline projects planned to traverse various U.S. jurisdictions.

Achieving winning results demands comprehensive knowledge of all facets of this complex sector. Our lawyers combine extensive technical, business, and operational knowledge gained from decades of experience representing clients in the energy sector with a wealth of experience acquired within leading energy sector companies to deliver valuable advice with an insider perspective.

We provide multidisciplinary legal services including opportunity assessment and strategic planning. Our solid track record in protecting client interests is built not only on our vigorous advocacy in federal and state courts, but also on our success in resolving energy-related disputes through arbitration and mediation across the Americas and around the world. We regularly guide clients through energy-related transactions, including private equity deals, mergers and acquisitions, capital market transactions, and financings. In addition, with longstanding relationships at administrative and regulatory agencies, we counsel clients on complex compliance matters.

Project Finance and Development

Akerman's Project Finance and Development team is a diverse team of professionals having experience with electrical power, oil and natural gas, renewables, biofuels, as well as digital infrastructure, telecommunications, and transportation. We understand our clients’ objectives and our client-focused approach sets us apart from other law firms. That is the reason industry players, including utilities, infrastructure and private equity funds, data center operators and developers, telecommunications companies, municipalities, independent power producers, commercial banks, equity and tax investors, EPC contractors, and energy technology companies all come to us for assistance.