James A. Schneider

JAMES SCHNEIDER represents lenders, administrative agents, borrowers, and sponsors in a wide range of commercial and project finance transactions. He advises banks, public and private companies, and other market participants on domestic and cross-border financings across a variety of industries, with a particular focus on renewable energy and sustainability.

Jim has significant experience with syndicated and single-lender credit facilities, private placements, acquisition financings, and other secured and unsecured debt transactions. His practice includes asset-based and cash flow facilities, bridge financings, project finance facilities, and note purchase agreements. He also regularly advises on intercreditor and subordination arrangements involving mezzanine and junior creditors and tax equity investors, as well as letter of credit facilities, standby letters of credit, and related guarantees.

In the energy sector, Jim represents administrative agents, lenders, sponsors, and borrowers in financings supporting the development, acquisition, construction, and operation of energy and infrastructure assets. His experience includes renewable energy projects involving wind, solar, and battery storage, as well as utilities, pipelines, and mineral extraction projects. He has advised on secured and back-levered financings involving both individual projects and portfolios of generating facilities, including transactions supported by power purchase agreement revenues and the sale or transfer of project-generated tax credits.

Renewable Energy

• Two related portfolio company borrowers and their project companies in more than US$1.5 billion of project financings for utility-scale solar and wind projects totaling more than 2.75 GW of renewable generation capacity, supported by PPA revenues and proceeds from Section 45 and 45Y production tax credits.
• A large U.S. energy company and its portfolio and project companies in more than US$8.5 billion of project and back-leveraged financings involving portfolios of more than 75 utility-scale solar, wind, and battery projects totaling more than 12 GW of renewable generation and 2.5 GW of storage capacity.
• A large U.S. energy company and its portfolio and project companies in private placements of more than US$850 million of back-leveraged senior secured notes involving utility-scale solar, wind, and battery projects.
• A borrower and project company in an approximately US$620 million project financing of a 250 MW solar facility and related 230 MW/920 MWh battery energy storage system.
• A borrower and project companies in an approximately US$420 million project financing of four wind energy facilities totaling approximately 580 MW of nameplate capacity.
• Administrative agents and lenders in project financings for wind power projects involving construction loans, PTC bridge loans, back-leveraged term loans, and letter of credit facilities totaling more than US$60 million.
• Administrative agents and lenders in more than US$120 million of construction and ITC bridge financings for two related solar projects and the subsequent back-leveraged refinancing.
• A borrower in a US$350 million syndicated back-leveraged term loan facility involving its ownership interest in a 250 MW solar generation facility.
• Portfolio companies of a large U.S. energy company in connection with related financings of over US$1.5 billion in term loans in respect of safe-harbored inverters, solar modules, and wind turbines.

Energy and Infrastructure

• An issuer in a private placement of more than US$1 billion of senior secured limited-recourse notes involving indirect ownership interests in U.S. electricity transmission assets.
• Issuers in more than US$1.75 billion of senior secured limited-recourse notes in back-leveraged financings involving indirect ownership interests in natural gas pipelines in the southeastern United States.
• An issuer in a private placement of approximately US$100 million of senior notes secured by its ownership interest in a natural gas pipeline in the southeastern United States.
• A borrower in a US$205 million back-leveraged term loan and US$270 million revolving credit facility involving a jointly owned portfolio of pipelines.
• A large U.S. energy holding company in a US$5.5 billion syndicated senior unsecured revolving credit and letter of credit facility and a US$3.25 billion 364-day senior unsecured credit facility.
• A large U.S. energy holding company in senior unsecured bilateral loan and letter of credit facilities totaling more than US$10 billion.
• A large U.S. public utility in a US$2.9 billion syndicated senior unsecured revolving credit and letter of credit facility.
• A large U.S. public utility in senior unsecured bilateral loan agreements totaling more than US$1.5 billion.
• A large U.S. energy holding company in a US$2.5 billion syndicated senior secured revolving credit and letter of credit facility.
• The borrower in a construction and term financing guaranteed by the Department of Energy in respect of the borrower’s long-distance methane monitoring network for U.S. oil and gas producing regions.

Commercial Finance

• An administrative agent and lead lender in US$1.45 billion of syndicated unsecured term and multicurrency revolving credit facilities supporting a health insurance company’s acquisition of a retail business.
• Administrative agents and lenders in asset-based and quasi-asset-based financings involving borrowers across the manufacturing, chemical, consumer, healthcare, financial, technology, and agricultural sectors.
• Administrative agents and lenders in secured term, capital expenditure, and revolving credit facilities supporting leveraged buyouts by private equity sponsors.
• A dairy cooperative in a US$150 million asset-based revolving credit facility.
• An administrative agent and lead lender in US$85 million of syndicated secured term and revolving credit facilities for U.S. and Canadian borrowers supporting an international acquisition.
• An administrative agent and lead lender in a US$150 million syndicated asset-based revolving credit facility for an international aluminum products business.
• An administrative agent and lead lender in a US$80 million syndicated senior secured revolving credit facility for a U.S. aircraft industry borrower.
• An administrative agent and lead lender in more than US$400 million of syndicated senior secured term and revolving credit facilities for a casino.

The above matters were handled prior to joining Sidley.