Profile
Robert J. Downing has more than 35 years’ experience in domestic and international business transactions. He focuses on corporate, mergers and acquisitions and finance matters, with an emphasis on energy, infrastructure and project development. Robert began his legal career in New York City as a securities and mergers and acquisition attorney. More recently, he served as Associate General Counsel at Duke Energy International, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, the largest electric utility in the United States and Senior Counsel at the Cisneros Group of Companies. He worked throughout Latin America and Europe. He holds an LL.M. in Energy, Environmental and Natural Resources Law and is Board Certified in International Law by The Florida Bar.
主要执业方向
主要执业经验
- Texas corporate and regulatory counsel for independent power producer/development company selling a 250 MW wind farm in West Texas.
- Representation of a developer/project company on 525 MW wind farm in Texas.
- Representation of Florida-based construction company on the 148-mile Trans-Pecos (West Texas) natural gas pipeline project.
- Representation of Florida-based construction company on the 195-mile Comanche Trail (West Texas) natural gas pipeline project.
- Representation of Florida-based solar company on matters related to the Florida Power Plant Siting Act.
- Representation of Florida-based development group on residential and commercial applications of solar technology in Florida.
- Representation of Northeast-based utility on acquisition of 14.4 MW solar facility under construction located in New Jersey.
- Representation of New Jersey commercial establishment on utilization of solar technology and fuel storage facilities.
- Representation of Northeast-based utility on acquisition of 25 MW wind power project in Montana.
- Representation of an international oil and gas entity on matters relating to multiplex Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) contracts.
- Representation of Northeast-based utility on potential acquisition of 21 small hydro projects located in five U.S. states.
- Representation of California-based power (electricity) trader on cross-border sales of power from CAISO and ERCOT (California-Mexico and Texas-Mexico).
- Representation of Texas-based power (electricity) generator on cross-border sales of power from ERCOT (Texas-Mexico).
- Representation of Northeast-based power (electricity) trader on cross-border sales of power from ERCOT (Texas-Mexico) and CAISO (California-Mexico).
- Representation of Florida trust on leasing rights for shale oil and gas operations in Northern Florida.
- Representation of European mobile LNG company on acquisition of interest in 1,000+ acre shale gas operation in Pennsylvania.
- Representation of Texas-based convenience store company on lending transactions and land deeds in Texas, Colorado, New York and Kansas.
- Representation of Texas-based aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul company on acquisition of a company in North Carolina.
- Representation of Texas-based aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul company on corporate governance matters and contracts with major airline carriers and owners in the U.S. and Europe.
- Representation of Texas manufacturing facility on cross-border maquiladora project.
- Representation of U.K.-based company on potential acquisition of water & wastewater facility in Pennsylvania.
- Lead in-house counsel on two 16.5 MW greenfield hydroelectric projects in Brazil.°
- Lead counsel for negotiating equipment, parts, materials and service contracts in the power (electricity) sector in Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala in multiple sectors of the energy industry: hydroelectric, gas-fired combined cycle, diesel, heavy fuel oil, and coal.°
- Representation of Florida-based renewable energy company (solar; wind) on power (electricity) trading in Mexico.
- Representation of New York-based energy fund on financing related to hydroelectric facilities in Suriname.
- Representation of a Canadian renewable energy company in an international public bid for a 300 MW solar farm power generation facility in Mexico.
- Representation of Texas-based consortium seeking to invest in development-stage solar projects in Central America.
- Represented Spanish development group in preparation and negotiation of Joint Development Agreement and Asset Purchase Agreement for development-stage run-of-the-river 122 MW hydro project in Colombia.
- Representation of a Canadian renewable energy company in an international public bid for a 350 MW wind farm power generation facility in Mexico.
- Representation of a Canadian renewable energy company on potential acquisition of development stage, wind farm power generation facilities in Northern Mexico.
- Representation of a U.S.-based consumer products company as off-taker on a wind farm development project and power purchase agreement for six factories in Mexico.
- Representation of U.S.-Mexico consortium on construction and operation of petrochemical storage facility in the Port of Progreso, Yucatan, Mexico.
- Representation of U.S. – Mexico consortium on construction of compressor stations for pipeline projects in western Mexico.
- Representation of international consortium in two international public bids for 780 MW combined cycle, gas-fired power generation facilities in Mexico.
- Representation of Central American lending institutions in the financing of a 140 MW gas-fired “flexicycle” power generation facility in the state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico with power purchase agreements in Guatemala and importation of natural gas from Texas.
- Representation of international electric company providing engineering and design services in an international public bid for 600 MW combined cycle, gas-fired facility at Valle de Mexico II (Mexico) and a 770 MW combined cycle, gas-fired facility at Empalme I (Mexico).
- Lead in-house counsel on cogeneration electric project in Nuevo Leon, Mexico.°
- Lead in-house counsel on dedicated (self-supply development) combined cycle, gas-fired electric generation facility in Northern Mexico.°
- Representation of U.S.-Canadian companies seeking to enter the Mexican market in the transmission and distribution power sectors.
- Lead counsel on potential acquisition of hydroelectric and gas-fired facilities in Colombia.
- Representation of Public Service Company of New Mexico on two natural gas pipeline privatization projects in Mexicali and Chihuahua, Mexico.
- Lead in-house counsel for gas-fired development facility project in northern Peru.°
- Lead in-house counsel on for "reserve energy" (black start) project in Peru.°
- Lead in-house counsel on acquisition of 25% equity interest in gas/electricity entity (gas to power project).°
- Lead in-house counsel and Board Member of major Saudi petrochemical company based in Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia working on Shared Facilities Agreements, Substations and EPC contracts.°
- Lead in-house counsel on divestiture of gas distribution subsidiary in Athens, Greece.°
- Lead in-house counsel for South American and European international conglomerate on restructuring global assets in the media, entertainment and commodity industries.°
°The above representations were handled by Mr. Downing prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, P.A.
- Associate General Counsel, Duke Energy International, LLC, 2009-2014
- Senior Counsel, Finser Corporation/Grupo Cisneros, 2001-2008
荣誉和领导力
- Listed, Chambers USA Guide, Energy & Natural Resources, Band 1, 2021-2024
- Listed, The Legal 500 Latin America Guide, 2021-2023, 2025
- "Projects and Energy," 2022, 2025
- "City Focus: Miami," 2021-2023
- Listed, The Legal 500 United States, "Industry Focus - Energy: Renewable/Alternative Power," 2020-2021
- Team Member, "International Counsel in Latin America, Corporate & Finance – Florida Based," Chambers Latin America Awards, 2016-2017
- Team Member, "Corporate/M&A – Law Firm of the Year," Chambers Latin America Awards, 2014
- Recipient, David Oliver Memorial Scholarship Award, Gulf Coast Power Association, 2013
资历
教育
- LL.M., Energy, Environmental and Natural Resources Law, University of Houston Law Center
- J.D., Columbia Law School
- M.B.A., Columbia Business School
- B.A., Columbia University
获准执业地区
- Florida
- New Mexico
- Texas
- 纽约
语言
- Spanish, 流利