Paulina Sosa

Paulina is a senior associate in the Energy & Infrastructure practice. Paulina has experience advising on a variety of U.S. and cross-border project financings, corporate financings and acquisition financings, representing project sponsors, lender groups and export-credit agencies throughout the world. Paulina has also advised on acquisitions of energy assets in the U.S., representing both sellers and potential buyers. She has particular experience with renewable energy projects and gas-fired power plants. Paulina is fluent in Spanish.

Paulina is strongly committed to pro bono service and international affairs, particularly immigration and human rights. Paulina has represented asylum seekers, immigrants in deportation proceedings, women and children fleeing violence, and acted as guardian ad litem for children in the midst of custody proceedings before the D.C. Superior Court.

Work highlights

Relevant matters on which Paulina has advised include:

U.S.

• Solar Projects Financing: advising an equity fund focused on solar asset development and operation in connection with structuring permanent financing for a portfolio of photovoltaic solar projects to be constructed across the U.S.

• Sixth Street Partners LLC, Tor Investment Management and Corbin Capital Partners, LP: advising private capital lenders on a mezzanine credit facility in connection with the project financing of Trumbull Energy Center, a US$1.2bn 940MW CCGT Ohio power plant (IJGlobal’s 2022 North American Power Deal of the Year).

• Ports America Group, Inc.: advising a group of banks on the acquisition financing of largest container terminal operator in North America, as well as a subsequent incremental facility financing.

• Elia Group SA/NV: advising on its acquisition, through Elia Group’s wholly owned subsidiary WindGrid USA LLC, of a 35.1% stake in energyRe Giga Projects, a subsidiary of energyRe LLC, the proceeds of which will be used to fund renewable U.S. transmission and energy generation projects, including offshore wind.

• Solar and Storage Developer Acquisition: advising Qualitas Energy, a global investment and management platform specializing in renewable energy, energy transition and sustainable infrastructure, in its acquisition of Heelstone Renewable Energy, a U.S.-based developer of utility-scale renewable energy projects with 15GW of solar and storage projects.

• Advanced Power US Holdings Inc.: advising on a US$100m senior secured revolving letter of credit and loan facility, including a US$25m sublimit for revolving loans and a US$25m sublimit for equipment loans. This supports a portfolio of solar, battery storage, and natural gas-fired power generating facilities in the United States, currently operating, under construction, and in development, totaling approximately 8,000 MW.

Cross-Border

• BNP Paribas / SACE: advising SACE and a group of international banks led by BNP Paribas in connection with a €300 million SACE-guaranteed green loan for Raizen Energia SA, the third largest Brazilian energy company by revenue and the fifth largest in Brazil (TXF Energy Export Finance Deal of the Year).
• Norte II Project: advising the sponsors on the refinancing of a power plant and ancillary facilities in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico.
• SACE Covered Push Facility: advising the lender and Italian export credit agency on untied SACE-covered term loan facility to a Mexican chemical and textiles company.
• Wind Farm and Hydroelectric Power Plants: advising a Chilean sponsor and its Chinese shareholders on the refinancing of a wind farm and several hydroelectric power plants in Chile held by a number of project companies.
• Atacama Wind Project: advising a consortium of banks and financial institutions on the refinancing and expansion of this wind farm located in the Atacama region in Chile.
• Kelar Gas-Fired Combined Power Plant: advising Samsung C&T Corporation and Korea Southern Power Co., Ltd. in the equity bridge and senior secured credit facilities to finance the development and construction of the Kelar gas-fired combined power plant in the Mejillones region of Chile.
• Cabo Leones 1: advising EDF Energies Nouvelles S.A. and lberealica Renovables on the project financing, as well as the subsequent US$450m refinancing and expansion.
• A Dissolving Wood Pulp (DWP) Plant in Brazil: advising Lenzing AG and Duratex S.A. as sponsors and LD Celulose S.A. as borrower on a US$8bn development and financing of a dissolving wood pulp plant in Brazil.
• Wind Farm and Hydroelectric Power Plants in Chile: advised a Chilean sponsor and its Chinese shareholders in the refinancing of a wind farm and several hydroelectric power plants held by a number of project companies.

Paulina was a member of Columbia Law School’s Immigrant Rights Clinic, an extern at the International Affairs section of the General Counsel’s Office for the U.S. Secretary of Defense, an intern for Immigrant Justice Corps, an intern at Church World Service, and the Design and Layout editor for Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems.

She previously worked for an immigration law firm in Bethesda, MD where she assisted on cases before INTERPOL, Inter-American Committee of Human Rights, and U.S. consulates.

Paulina holds a Juris Doctorate from Columbia Law School, where she was Harlan Fisk Stone scholar and received the Parker School Recognition of Achievement in International and Comparative Law. Her article “The Regulatory Leach of the One-year Refugee Travel Document” was published in the Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems in 2019.

Paulina graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University, where she double majored in Arabic and Political Economy.