Paulina Sosa Yanez
Counsel
Areas of Focus
- Projects & Energy Transition
- Energy & Infrastructure
- Corporate & Finance
- Renewable Energy
- Tax Structuring & Equity Financing
- Project Debt & Equity Finance
- Project Development
- Infrastructure
- Pro Bono
- Advises clients on U.S. and cross-border project finance, corporate finance and acquisition finance matters.
- Experience in domestic infrastructure and renewable energy project finance.
- Advises both sellers and buyers on acquisitions and sales of energy assets in the U.S.
Paulina is a counsel in the corporate practice. Paulina has experience advising on a variety of U.S. and cross-border project financings, corporate financings and acquisition financings, representing project sponsors, lender groups and export-credit agencies throughout the world. Paulina has also advised on acquisitions of energy assets in the U.S., representing both sellers and potential buyers. She has particular experience with renewable energy projects and gas-fired power plants.
Paulina is strongly committed to pro bono service and international affairs, particularly immigration and human rights. Paulina has represented asylum seekers, immigrants in deportation proceedings, women and children fleeing violence, and acted as guardian ad litem for children in the midst of custody proceedings before the D.C. Superior Court.
Paulina holds a J.D. from Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fisk Stone scholar and received the Parker School Recognition of Achievement in International and Comparative Law. During law school, Paulina was a member of Columbia Law School’s Immigrant Rights Clinic, an extern at the International Affairs section of the General Counsel’s Office for the U.S. Secretary of Defense, an intern for Immigrant Justice Corps, an intern at Church World Service. She also served as the design and layout editor of the Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems. Paulina graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University, where she double majored in Arabic and Political Economy.
Prior to joining Akin, Paulina was a senior associate at a global law firm in Washington DC. Previously, she worked as a paralegal for an immigration law firm in Bethesda, Maryland where she assisted on cases before U.S. immigration courts, INTERPOL, the Inter-American Committee of Human Rights and U.S. consulates.
Domestic Transactions
- Solar Projects Financing: advising an equity fund focused on solar asset development and operation in connection with structuring permanent financing for a portfolio of photovoltaic solar projects to be constructed across the U.S.
- Sixth Street Partners LLC, Tor Investment Management and Corbin Capital Partners, LP: advising private capital lenders on a mezzanine credit facility in connection with the project financing of Trumbull Energy Center, a US$1.2bn 940MW CCGT Ohio power plant (IJGlobal’s 2022 North American Power Deal of the Year).
- Ports America Group, Inc.: advising a group of banks on the acquisition financing of the largest container terminal operator in North America, as well as a subsequent incremental facility financing.
- Elia Group SA/NV: advising on its acquisition, through Elia Group’s wholly owned subsidiary WindGrid USA LLC, of a 35.1% stake in energyRe Giga Projects, a subsidiary of energyRe LLC, the proceeds of which will be used to fund renewable U.S. transmission and energy generation projects, including offshore wind.
- Solar and Storage Developer Acquisition: advising Qualitas Energy, a global investment and management platform specializing in renewable energy, energy transition and sustainable infrastructure, in its acquisition of Heelstone Renewable Energy, a U.S.-based developer of utility-scale renewable energy projects with 15GW of solar and storage projects.
- Advanced Power US Holdings Inc.: advising on a US$100m senior secured revolving letter of credit and loan facility, including a US$25m sublimit for revolving loans and a US$25m sublimit for equipment loans. This supports a portfolio of solar, battery storage and natural gas-fired power generating facilities in the United States, currently operating, under construction and in development, totaling approximately 8,000 MW.
- Wood Pellet Producer Receivables Financing: Advising a wood pellet producer on an asset-based financing to provide working capital for its plant in Arkansas.
LanguagesSpanish
Spanish
EducationJ.D., Columbia Law School, magna cum laude, 2019
B.A., Georgetown University, magna cum laude, 2013
J.D., Columbia Law School, magna cum laude, 2019
B.A., Georgetown University, magna cum laude, 2013
Bar AdmissionsDistrict of Columbia
District of Columbia
- Legal Extern, U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Office of General Counsel – International Affairs, 2018.
