Overview
Robert da Silva Ashley focuses his practice on complex cross-border and domestic project finance and corporate lending transactions, particularly in energy, infrastructure, hospitality and industrials. Robert advises international and domestic financial institutions, project sponsors and developers, investment funds and multinational corporations on the structuring and negotiating of complex project and corporate financings and other fundamental corporate events such as asset purchase and dispositions, recapitalizations, and workouts and restructurings. He also represents multilateral financing institutions, state-controlled development banks and export-credit agencies.
Robert is a highly recognized advisor in the Latin American region amongst project sponsors, international banks, investment funds and multinational corporations. He counsels clients on high-value financings of energy and infrastructure projects and other corporate business interests across the most important markets in Latin America. Robert serves on the Firm’s Latin America Practice leadership committee.
Throughout both North America and Latin America, Robert has led the financing of utility-scale wind and solar projects, distributed solar generation, conventional power plants, carbon capture and sequestration facilities, midstream assets, onshore and offshore oil and gas exploration and production, chemical plants, resorts and hotels, and multinational corporates and conglomerates with regional and global business interests.
Results
- Represented Doral Renewables and its affiliated companies in a series of complex and layered financing transactions aggregating $685 million for the development, construction and operation of the 400MW Mammoth North solar project located in Starke County, Indiana, the first of three phases of what will become the 1.3GW Mammoth Solar Farm, the largest integrated photovoltaic solar electricity generating facility in the US
- Represented Grupo Kuo, S.A.B. de C.V. (Grupo Kuo), a Mexico-based industrial and commercial global holding company, and its affiliates, in obtaining a $300 million revolving credit facility from a club of leading international commercial banks
- Represented Banco Santander, S.A., New York Branch (“Santander”) in connection with the structuring, negotiation and documentation of the omnibus amendment, extension and reaffirmation of a $24 million senior secured term loan facility provided to Transportadora de Gas del Sur S.A. (“TGS”) and its affiliate Telcosur S.A. (“Telcosur”)
- Represented a prominent sponsor and its affiliated companies in the negotiation and documentation of a construction loan facility and a letter of credit facility needed for the development of an Illinois-based 259.8-megawatt wind project
- Represented Engie SA and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) on the US$6.45 billion hybrid acquisition and project financing of the US$8.6 billion acquisition of 90% of Transportadora Associada de Gás SA (TAG), the largest natural gas transmission network owner in Brazil, from Brazilian state-owned oil company Petróleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras)*
- Represented Banco Santander on the US$140 million multi-draw senior secured term loan financing to Argentine state-owned energy company YPF SA*
- Represented Iberdrola Generación México, SA de CV, on the US$500 million senior syndicated term loan financing led by BBVA Bancomer as agent and arranger*
- Represented NRG Energy, Inc. on numerous project financings for the development and construction, refinancing, acquisition and disposition of conventional power plants, utility-scale and distributed solar plants, wind farms, carbon capture and sequestration facilities; and the financing aspects of enterprise-wide transactions including the formation and eventual sale of NRG Yield, Inc.*
- Represented KeyBank NA on numerous project financings of utility-scale wind projects located throughout North America*
- Represented Southern Power Company on the stapled project bond financing package offered in connection with the US$1.175 billion sale of a 33% minority interest in its solar portfolio to Global Atlantic Financial Group Limited*
- Represented Grupo Kuo, SAB de CV, on numerous widely syndicated and bilateral senior term and revolving loan financing transactions aggregating over US$650 million provided by numerous international banks including Bank of America, NA, HSBC Bank, NA, and The Bank of Nova Scotia*
- Represented an American-based multinational power generation development and operations company on the financing aspects of the build-transfer sale of several wind projects*
- Represented Acciona, SA on a secured swap financing transaction with Bank of America Merrill Lynch for the development, construction and operation of the 93 MW San Roman Wind Farm located in Cameron County, Texas and the subsequent closing of the corresponding tax equity investment*
- Represented Banco Santander (Mexico); Natixis; Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi; Citibank/Banamex; Intesa SanPaolo New York; and Banobras on the US$607 million hybrid acquisition and project financing provided to First Reserve (now BlackRock) for the acquisition of an ultra-low sulfur gasoline refining facility located in Tamaulipas, México from Mexican state-owned oil company Petroléos Mexicanos (Pemex)*
- Represented Citibank NA; Banco Bilbão Vizcaya Argentaria; and The Bank of Nova Scotia on multiple syndicated multi-draw term loan financings for an aggregate US$230 million to ENAP Sipetrol Argentina SA, a subsidiary of Chilean state-owned oil and gas company Empresa Nacional del Petróleo (ENAP), for the expansion of offshore exploration and production facilities*
*Matter handled prior to joining McDermott.
Recognitions
- Chambers & Partners (Latin America-Wide)
- Recognized as a “notable practitioner” and “key client contact”, 2019 to 2020
- New York Metro Super Lawyers “Rising Star”, 2012 to 2017
- Legal 500 Latin America
- Banking & Finance International, 2013 to 2019
- Banking & Finance Mexico, 2016 to 2017
- Projects & Energy International, 2019
- Legal 500 US, Commercial Lending, 2017
Community
- Schools That Can, Board Member, 2015 to Present
- Acting Communications Director, Binational Liaison (US-México), US House of Representatives (CA-51), 2002 to 2003
Credentials
Education
University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, JD, 2006
University of California, San Diego, BA, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 2001
Admissions
New York
Languages
English
Portuguese
Spanish
