Advises on project development, acquisitions, divestitures and strategic joint ventures involving a range of energy assets.
Significant experience in the energy and infrastructure arenas, particularly involving midstream, downstream and traditional and renewable power transactions.
Co-head of the firm’s projects & energy transition practice.

Matt guides energy and infrastructure clients through all phases of drafting and negotiating agreements for the purchase, sale, development and financing of energy and infrastructure projects.

His experience spans a range of energy assets, including:

Upstream, midstream and downstream assets
Renewable and traditional power
Oilfield services
Liquefied natural gas (LNG)
Petrochemical
Related engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) matters.

Prior to practicing law, Matt spent five years on active duty as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army with the 82nd Airborne Division and the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment. His service included combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Representative Work

Represented a midstream company in all aspects of a joint venture to develop and operate a crude oil pipeline.
Represented a midstream company in all aspects of a joint venture to develop and operate a natural gas gathering and extraction facility.
Represented multiple clients in the development of LNG export and import facilities throughout North America.
Represented an owner in drafting, request for proposal (RFP) issuance, bid analysis, negotiations and contract execution management with international and domestic suppliers for the purchase of generating and manufacturing equipment and associated service agreements for multiple power plants and industrial facilities.
Represented numerous public and private companies (developers, sponsors and financial investors) in the purchase, development and project financing of numerous solar-powered generation facilities throughout the United States.

Advised a client in the project financing of more than 1 GW of wind-powered generation that included both debt finance and tax equity funding.
Counseled an investor-owned utility on the drafting, RFP issuance, bid analysis, negotiation and contract execution management of an EPC contract for a new construction nuclear generation facility, a natural gas export facility and multiple natural gas combined and simple cycle power plants.
Worked with an owner of multiple merchant generation power stations on multiple carbon reduction and pollution control projects.
Advised an investor-owned natural gas transmission company in the drafting, RFP issuance, bid analysis, negotiations and contract execution management for the development, construction and purchase of multiple natural gas interconnection and extraction and fractionation processing facilities in the Marcellus and Utica Shale regions.
Revamped the supply chain management system for a natural gas transmission company in the Eastern United States.
Worked with a publicly traded company in the development of numerous renewable natural gas (RNG) production and generation projects.
Counseled an international equipment manufacturing company on the purchase of multiple companies in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
Represented an investor-owned utility in the mid-Atlantic region in the execution and contract management of all aspects of their supply-chain management.
Represented a sponsor in the development of a U.S. Gulf Coast petrochemical facility.
Represented an owner in the development of multiple renewable natural gas (RNG) to energy projects.

List may include matters worked on prior to joining Akin.

Education
J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 2008
Bachelor of Science in History, U.S. Military Academy, 2001

Bar Admissions
Texas
Virginia

Recognitions

The Legal 500 US, Energy: Renewable/Alternative Power, 2022–2024; Energy Transactions: Electric Power, 2023–2024; Project Finance, 2024.
The Legal 500 Latin America, Projects and Energy, 2022.
The Legal 500 US, Leading Lawyer, Project Finance: Advice to Lenders, Texas, 2017–2018.
The Legal 500 US, Leading Lawyer, Energy Transactions: Conventional Power, Texas, 2017.
Virginia Business, Legal Elite, Construction, 2017.
Virginia Business, Legal Elite, Young Lawyer (under 40), 2015.
Virginia Business, Legal Elite, Legal Services/Pro Bono, 2014.
Style Weekly, Richmond’s Top 40 under 40, 2013.
Virginia Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division, Emerson G. Spies Award for Outstanding Service to the Bar, 2010.

Affiliations and Public Service

Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation.
Advisory committee, Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy.
Member, Board of Advisors, Veterans Benefits Clinic of the Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary, 2012 to 2016.
Member, Pro Bono Council, Virginia Bar Association, 2012 to 2016.

Speeches and Publications

“Structuring Section 45Q and Other Energy Transition Investments,” Akin Deal Maker’s Boot Camp, Houston, Texas, December 8, 2021.
“State of the LNG Markets and Emerging Models,” ABA Project Finance and Development Committee Meeting, Webinar, September 21, 2020.
“Global LNG Project Considerations,” Akin Deal Maker’s Boot Camp, Houston, Texas, January 30, 2020.
“Renewables in the Oil & Gas Industry,” Akin Energy Briefing, Houston, Texas, January 15, 2020.
“Structuring Renewable Energy Projects & Investments,” Akin Deal Maker’s Boot Camp, Houston, Texas, November 20, 2019.
Moderator, “What You Need to Know When Representing Veterans, SCRA, USERRA and the Rest of the Alphabet Soup,” 122nd Summer Meeting, The Virginia Bar Association, Hot Springs, Virginia, July 2012.
Moderator, “Serving Virginia’s Warriors: Our Obligations for Our Returning Servicemembers,” 121st Summer Meeting, The Virginia Bar Association, Hot Springs, Virginia, July 2011.