Kari S. Larsen is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and is based in the Firm's Washington, D.C. office. She is co-founder of the Firm’s Global Renewable Energy, Emissions and New (GREEN) Products group, where she focuses her practice on transactional, regulatory and risk management matters relating to U.S. and EU commodity and energy markets, with a particular concentration on emissions allowance/offset and renewable energy sales, projects and trading.
Kari represents investment banks, hedge funds, energy and commodity companies and trade associations in a wide variety of commodity trading, structured commodity and derivatives transaction and energy-related acquisition matters. She has considerable experience drafting and negotiating agreements concerning commodities such as emissions allowances, coal, renewable energy certificates, natural gas, power and agricultural products. Kari also represents clients in connection with energy, environmental and commodity regulatory and legislative matters. Kari previously seconded in McDermott’s London office, where she assisted clients with climate change and renewable energy projects and structures, carbon trading issues and documentation, and the associated regulatory requirements.
Kari has authored a number of articles and speaks regularly regarding energy legal issues, and emissions and REC markets. In addition, Kari has authored numerous articles on CFTC and FERC regulatory issues.
Prior to joining the Firm, Kari was international operations counsel for the Enforcement Division of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. At the CFTC, she handled international litigation and policy issues, negotiated and drafted Commission Memoranda of Understanding with foreign jurisdictions, provided assistance to foreign jurisdictions in connection with investigations and litigation, and represented the commission to international securities organizations.
At the Washington College of Law, Kari served as articles editor on the Administrative Law Review. Kari is admitted to practice in New York and the District of Columbia.
Representative Experience
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Represent a leading derivatives industry association in drafting and updating the current industry standard U.S. emissions trading agreement
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Advise clients on regulatory treatment of novel environmental commodity products
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Advise U.S. and EU investment banks and hedge fund clients in the initiation of their emissions allowance, renewable energy and coal trading desks, and draft and negotiate the related trading documentation
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Advise investment bank and hedge fund clients on structured energy transactions involving the acquisition of power assets and complex issues relating to emissions allowances and carbon trading (relating to current and future U.S. emissions programs, the Kyoto mechanisms and the EU ETS)
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In 2008, represented a voluntary carbon offset registry in drafting and negotiating their Terms of Use, Policies and Procedures, project attestations and service provider contracts
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In 2008, represented a large renewable energy project developer in drafting and negotiating a long-term sales agreement for power and environmental attributes, including drafting the related environmental policies and procedures for recordkeeping, tracking, transfer and associated regulatory requirements
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In 2007, assisted a large U.S. retailer in implementing their global green energy strategy by negotiating procurement contracts for energy from various renewable sources and other environmental attributes
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In 2006, represented a financial institution in negotiating a financially-settled hedge in connection with an acquisition of competitive generation assets in the Northeast
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In 2005, represented a financial institution in its acquisition of the power and gas derivatives trading portfolio of a major power marketer
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In 2004, represented an investment bank in connection with its purchase of the equity of a large Houston-based energy trader and, with respect to certain affiliates, their trading assets, together valued at over one billion dollars, and assisted the client in securing regulatory approvals, third-party consents and novation agreements
Education
- American University-Washington College of Law, J.D. (magna cum laude), 1998
- State University of New York-Binghamton, B.A., 1995
