O’Melveny Worldwide

Junaid Chida offers counseling, structuring, negotiating and deal management guidance on M&A and financing transactions in the domestic and international markets for a wide range of energy, infrastructure, and transportation assets.

With a dominant position in the renewable and clean energy space, Junaid has represented tax-equity investors and other clients in a significant portion of all clean and renewable energy deals done in the United States in the past fifteen years. In addition, he has handled numerous highly structured and complex financings, as well as M&A transactions, including through leveraged leases, partnerships, and other structures. Asset classes have included:

  • Wind, solar, fuel cell, geothermal, biomass, and other clean and renewable energy technologies 
  • Coal-fired, gas-fired, nuclear, and hydroelectric projects
  • Industrial projects
  • Oil and gas projects
  • Water and waste treatment facilities 
  • Aircraft, ships, rail, intramodal facilities, and other transportation systems and assets 
  • Satellites and transponders

Constantly vigilant and utterly dedicated to serving his clients, Junaid makes himself available on a 24/7 basis, 365 days a year, as does his team. A creative problem solver and strategic counselor, he is valued for his skill at addressing and anticipating his clients’ issues while, at the same time, building bridges and developing solutions that work for all parties in a deal.

Junaid has been recognized by IFLR 1000: The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms as a leading lawyer in the field of project finance; Super Lawyers for New York-Metro; Chambers USA - America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, as a leader in the field of projects; Legal 500, as a leader in asset finance and leasing, project finance (Lender) and project finance (Sponsor); and Chambers Global - The World’s Leading Lawyers as a leader in the field of project finance. Junaid has also been recognized by New York Law Journal as a “Distinguished Leader.”

Read More

Get to Know Junaid

Get to Know Junaid

Domestic Renewable and Clean Energy Transactions:

  • Mitsui & Co., Ltd. in its investment in LanzaJet, a new company that will produce and sell sustainable aviation fuels. In a subsequent project financing, O’Melveny represented Mitsui as one of the lead lenders in the non-recourse (and pari passu with existing senior debt) loan facilities provided to the project company.
  • Citicorp North America and Berkshire Hathaway Energy in their:
    • acquisition of preferred equity interests in the 160 MW Rattlesnake wind power project developed by Goldwind Americas in McCulloch County, Texas
    • acquisition of preferred equity interests in the 300MW South Plains II wind power project developed by Sun Edison in Floyd County, Texas
  • Citicorp North America in its acquisition of preferred equity interests in the 52 MW Mississippi Solar project developed by D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments in Lamar County, Mississippi
  • Citicorp North America in connection with its commitment to acquire preferred equity interests in the approximately 55 MW Gray Hawk solar power project being developed by D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments in Kingman, Arizona
  • Leading financial institution in its:
    • acquisition of preferred equity interests in, and project financing of, three wind power projects located in California, Indiana, and Nebraska
    • acquisition of preferred equity interests in the White Pine and White Oak solar power projects, collectively worth approximately US$349 million. The projects are being developed by NextEra Energy, Inc. in Georgia
    • acquisition of preferred equity interests in the approximately US$403 million Live Oak, River Bend, and Chaves solar power projects being developed by NextEra Energy, Inc. in Georgia, Alabama, and New Mexico, respectively
    • commitment to acquire approximately US$200 million in preferred equity interests in the Cotton Plains, Old Settler, and Phantom Solar power projects being developed by Apex Clean Energy Holdings, LLC in Texas
  • John Laing Group plc in its:
    • acquisition of preferred equity interests in the Sterling Wind power project being developed by Akuo Energy USA, Inc., a French developer of renewable energy projects, in Lea County, New Mexico
    • $100 million investment in the 149 MW Rocksprings wind project in Texas.
  • Leading financial institution in connection with the Bloom Wind power project developed by Capital Power in Ford and Clark Counties, Kansas
  • The acquisition by Goldman Sachs and one of its wholly-owned subsidiaries from BayWa r.e. Wind, LLC of the Anderson Wind Project consisting of two wind projects located in Chaves County, New Mexico 
  • The approximately US$287 million Osage wind power project being developed by Enel Green Power North America Inc.
  • The acquisition by Macquarie Infrastructure Company of ownership interests in Idaho Wind Partners 1, LLC, a project company that owns a 183 MW portfolio comprised of eleven wind power projects in Idaho 
  • The acquisition by Macquarie Infrastructure Company from BayWa r.e. Wind, LLC of the Brahms wind power project in New Mexico 
  • The approximately US$180 million Route 66 wind power project being developed by First Wind Energy
  • The approximately US$314 million Panhandle II wind power project developed by Pattern Energy Group 
  • The approximately US$455 million Buffalo Dunes wind power project developed by Enel Green Power North America Inc. 
  • The establishment of a joint venture to provide solar energy services to large-scale solar power projects and the acquisition of various solar power projects for Building Energy S.p.A. as part of its entry into the U.S. renewable energy market 
  • The approximately US$476 million Canadian Hills wind power project developed by Atlantic Power Corporation 
  • The approximately US$419 million Chisholm View wind power project developed by Enel Green Power North America Inc. 
  • The approximately US$355 million Prairie Rose wind power project developed by Enel Green Power North America Inc. 
  • The approximately US$158 million Rocky Ridge wind power project developed by Enel Green Power North America Inc. 
  • The approximately US$1.7 billion Alta II-V and Alta I wind power projects developed by Terra-Gen Power, which were the first leveraged lease financings of a wind power project 
  • The US$240 million Rail Splitter wind power project, one of the first power projects to use Treasury grants in lieu of ITCs as an integral part of the project’s capital structure 
  • The US$200 million Lost Lakes wind project 
  • The financing by an affiliate of a major U.S. utility of several portfolios of solar power projects developed by Solar City 
  • The financing by an affiliate of a major utility of a portfolio of solar power projects developed by Sun Run
  • The approximately US$325 million Peace Garden wind power project portfolio 
  • The approximately US$275 million Dixie Valley geothermal project developed by Terra-Gen Power 
  • The approximately US$250 million Armenia wind power project, which was the first leveraged renewable energy project to utilize Treasury grants in lieu of ITCs 
  • The acquisition and related project financing of a utility scale solar power project developed by Sunpower 
  • The financing, on behalf of different clients, of several portfolios of solar power projects developed by Sun Edison 
  • The acquisition by the affiliate of a major Japanese conglomerate of an interest in the Stanton wind power project 
  • The approximately US$1.3 billion Horizon wind power project portfolio 
  • The US$723 million Aelous II wind power project portfolio, which was one of the largest energy projects to utilize a PAYGO structure 
  • The investments by a Canadian private equity fund in several U.S. clean tech companies 
  • The US$1 billion Coso geothermal power project leveraged lease financing, the largest geothermal project financing completed to date 
  • The US$1 billion Frontier Wind wind power project portfolio, which included the largest equity investment in a wind power project portfolio completed to date 
  • The US$869 million Aeolus I wind power project portfolio 
  • The Nevada Solar One solar project, at the time the largest solar project completed in the U.S. in 15 years 
  • The Locust Ridge wind power project 
  • The Camp Springs I and Camp Springs II wind power projects 
  • The Burney Forest biomass project 
  • The Buffalo Gap I and Buffalo Gap II wind power projects 
  • The Bear Creek and Atlantic City wind power projects 
  • The Sand Bluff wind power project 
  • The Puna geothermal project in Hawaii 
  • The Sweetwater II and Sweetwater III wind power projects 
  • The US$510 million Cedar Creek wind power project 
  • The Combine Hills wind power project 
  • The Caprock wind power project 
  • The Oasis wind power project 
  • The Sweetwater I Wind Farm project, which was the first wind power transaction to be financed by institutional equity investors 
  • The Blue Canyon I wind power project 

Other Domestic Energy Transactions

Junaid’s experience in the domestic energy sector includes: 

  • The Bear Swamp transaction, which established the template for the so-called "genco" financings done in this sector 
  • The Calpine Geysers transaction, which established the template for a sponsor-supported pure merchant project financing done through a leveraged lease 
  • The Attala transaction, which established the template for a project financing done through a leveraged lease on the strength of a related party tolling contract 
  • The Southern Energy Mid-Atlantic genco transaction, which was the largest genco financing in the leveraged lease market 
  • The landmark US$2.5 billion Homer City transaction, which is the largest project financing of a single-asset merchant project done to date and the first to be consummated through a leveraged lease 
  • The Calpine Peakers transaction, which utilized an innovative partnership structure together with Rule 144A financing to finance a power purchase agreement with the California Department of Water Resources 
  • The acquisition financing of the Arroyo gas-fired project in Colorado 
  • The Calpine Pasadena gas-fired power plant financing 
  • The PPL Montana coal-fired power project financing 
  • A major oil products pipeline expansion on behalf of one of the leading U.S. oil pipelines 
  • The lenders in the El Dorado merchant power project (the project, which sold power to the California power exchange, was located in Nevada and was the first successfully syndicated pure merchant power project financing consummated in the United States)

International Transactions

Junaid is proficient in Portuguese and has participated in transactions in Latin America, Europe and Asia for more than 20 years. His experience includes representing:

  • The lenders in the Itajai Port project in Santa Catarina State, Brazil 
  • The lenders in the Jacui project, which was the first attempt at a pure non-recourse power project financing in Brazil 
  • The underwriters in the Marlim Oilfield project, an offshore oil field development in Brazil, which was the first Brazilian infrastructure project financing to be successfully consummated in the international capital markets. This financing established the template for subsequent similar projects completed in the Brazilian market by other international lenders 
  • The sponsor in the proposed development of the Santa Branca project, one of the largest independent power projects proposed to be developed in Brazil 
  • The sponsor in the proposed development of the Norte Fluminense power project in Brazil
  • A syndicate of international banks in the financing of a major expansion of the metro underground rail system in Santiago, Chile
  • The sponsor in the Cabiunas gas pipeline project in Brazil
  • The sponsor in the proposed development of the Pinamucan power project in the Philippines
  • The sponsor in the proposed development of the Mangalore power project in India

Aircraft, Ships and Other Transactions

Junaid has represented clients in transactions involving virtually every one of the world's major airlines as well as in complex ship and other vessel financings, rail financings and financings of satellites and transponders. Airlines and other companies in these transactions have included:

  • American Airlines 
  • Amtrak 
  • Burlington Northern 
  • British Airways 
  • Continental Airlines 
  • Delta Airlines 
  • KLM Royal Dutch Airlines 
  • Korean Air Lines 
  • Lufthansa 
  • NBC 
  • Northwest Airlines 
  • PanAmSat 
  • Qantas 
  • United Airlines 
  • U.S. Lines

Languages

  • Hindi
  • Portuguese
  • Urdu

Admissions

Bar Admissions

  • California
  • New York

Education

  • University of Wisconsin, J.D.: cum laude; editor, Law Review
  • University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, B.B.A.: cum laude

Honors & Awards

  • Ranked by Chambers USA for Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (2022-2024)
  • Recognized by Chambers Global for Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (2016-2023)
  • Recognized as a “Leading Lawyer” in Energy: Renewable/Alternative Power (2020-2024), and recommended in Project Finance (2018-2020, 2023-2024) and Energy Transactions: Oil and Gas (2023-2024) by The Legal 500 US 
  • Recognized as a “Notable Practitioner” by IFLR1000 in Mergers & Acquisitions; Industry Sectors: Energy, Oil & Gas, Transport, and Utilities (2019 - 2021)
  • Distinguished Leader, The New York Law Journal
  • Asset Finance and Leasing, Project Finance (Lender), Project Finance (Sponsor), and Energy (Renewable/Alternative), The Legal 500 US
  • New York-Metro, Super Lawyers 
  • Project Finance, IFLR 1000: The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms
  • Trailblazers - Energy & Environmental, National Law Journal
  • Project Finance Expert, Who’s Who Legal