Matt Archer is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and is based in the Firm’s Houston office. He focuses his practice on project development and finance and mergers and acquisitions in the energy industry.
Matt has a very active renewable energy practice and regularly advises clients on a wide range of issues relating to wind, landfill gas, solar, energy storage and other alternative energy projects. His extensive experience in renewable energy includes each stage from early development, construction, offtake agreements (including power purchase agreements) through commercial operation, financing, repowering and disposition. Matt also represents clients in connection with the development, structuring, construction, purchase and sale of traditional power projects, midstream oil and gas pipeline projects and other energy infrastructure projects.
Matt has significant experience in structuring and financing energy projects and in negotiating and documenting the contractual support for these transactions. His experience encompasses all manner of revenue contracts (e.g., power purchase, tolling and energy marketing agreements; steam host and supply agreements; service agreements; leases; and capacity and transportation agreements); construction contracts; equipment supply and warranty agreements, long-term parts and services agreements; operating and maintenance agreements; electric interconnection and transmission agreements; fuel supply and transportation agreements; and ownership, joint venture and equity participation agreements.
Matt has been honored four times as a Texas Rising Star by Law & Politics and has been recognized by Chambers USA 2011 as one of the leading lawyers in his field. He is a member of the Houston Bar Association, the Houston Young Lawyers Association and the Order of the Coif.
Matt is admitted to practice in Texas.
Representative Experience
M&A and Joint Ventures
- Served as buyer’s counsel in connection with the acquisition of a 50 percent interest in a natural gas pipeline
- Served as seller’s counsel in connection with the disposition of a major wind development company
- Served as buyer’s counsel in the acquisition of the late stage development assets for two separate 200 MW wind projects in Texas
- Served as seller’s counsel in the disposition of the late stage development assets for a 227 MW wind project in Washington
- Served as seller’s counsel in the disposition of the late stage development assets for a 50 MW wind project in Kansas
- Served as counsel to an international manufacturer in connection with the sale of a 50 percent interest and joint venture arrangement for the development of a wind turbine tower manufacturing facility in Texas
- Served as counsel to a leading owner, operator and developer of industrial real estate in North America, South America, Europe and Asia in its cross-border tender offer, joint venture and investment in a Mexican corporation
- Served as counsel to a consortium of global energy companies in connection with the joint venture structuring and development of a $3 billion oil pipeline project extending from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea
- Served as counsel to a consortium of global energy companies in connection with the joint venture structuring and development of a gas pipeline running from Azerbaijan through Georgia
- Served as counsel to a national waste disposal company in connection with a joint venture for the commercial development of a new waste to energy technology
- Served as counsel to a private equity fund in connection with its bid for a portfolio of landfill gas power projects located across the United States
Project Development and Finance
- Served as buyer’s counsel in connection with the purchase of over 3,500 MWs of wind turbine generators from GE, Vestas, Acciona, Gamesa, Nordex and Clipper
- Served as project counsel in connection with wind projects in over 13 states and Mexico, including representing clients in connection with turbine procurement, power purchase agreements, balance of plant construction contracts, joint venture arrangements and asset acquisitions and dispositions
- Served as counsel to a manufacturer of an advanced grid storage system in connection with the supply of a 10 MW storage system to a wind project in Hawaii
- Served as project counsel to a solar developer in connection with a 14 MW solar project in Texas
- Served as counsel to a major rooftop solar developer in connection with numerous issues related to its business
- Served as counsel to the power purchaser in connection with a landfill gas power project in Texas
- Served as counsel to a large industrial company in Mexico in connection with the development and equipment supply for a 50 MW wind project located in Oaxaca, Mexico, that will deliver power under the CFE’s self supply regime
- Served as counsel to a major refiner in connection with cogeneration facilities located on its premises
- Served as counsel to the owner of a cogeneration project located in Texas in connection with the negotiation of a tolling agreement
- Served as counsel to a large bakery in Mexico in connection with a wind power purchase agreement under the CFE’s self supply regime
- Served as counsel to a major professional sports franchise in the naming rights agreement for a large sports and entertainment facility
- Served as counsel to an international petroleum company in connection with the project financing of a floating production, storage and offloading vessel; the unwinding of vessel and airplane synthetic leases; and the amendment of liquefied natural gas joint venture project documents
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Served as counsel to a retail electric provider in connection with a credit sleeve financing and Master ISDA
Education
- University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D. (cum laude), 2001
- Texas A&M University, B.B.A. (magna cum laude), 1997
