Michael Williams
Dallas,TX
Summary
Detail-oriented legal counsel & accomplished corporate executive with both large law firm & extensive in-house advisory experience. Proven track record in successfully advising company leaders and decision-makers on important legal, financial & strategic matters through sound legal advice and effective communication. Proactive in delivering efficient processes, ensuring high standards, and maintaining a collaborative approach, both as a team leader and contributor. Excels in M&A, renewable & conventional energy, and project finance; driving significant growth and profitability for clients and sponsors. Tenacious in using best-in-class strategic & analytical approaches to solve client challenges and enhance commercial opportunities.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief Commercial Officer & General Counsel
IsoCarbon Corporation
03.2019 - Current
- Serving as corporation director, lawyer & executive responsible for general legal counsel, commercial strategy, M&A, sustainability, compliance and corporate governance for renewable energy (RE) developer.
- Advising directors, senior staff & shareholder-sponsors on the real-time risk-reward dynamics which may be associated with the corporation's identified investments in the renewable energy sector.
- Have negotiated and drafted, as both Buyer and Seller, various RE development, M&A, project finance, and commercial off-take agreements, including but not limited to, Edison Electric Institute (EEI), power purchase, energy management, sponsor equity, tax equity, JV, credit, hedge, and EPC contracts.
- Recent examples include:
- Contracted development of three (3) wind-solar hybrid facilities in ERCOT totaling 705MW for European RAIF Buyer
- Purchase of 20-year energy supply and environmental products from 414MW as-gen solar facility in WECC
- Development & pseudo-tie of 200MW x 5 hour energy storage system for energy delivery from WECC to CAISO
- Acquisition of 270MW wind facility in ERCOT from Investment Grade Asset Owner/Utility
- Contracted development of 185MW as-gen solar facility for Regional Utility Buyer in ERCOT
- Sale & delivery of hedged 15-year fixed shape 150MW 7x16 product to Investment Grade CAISO LSE
- Have delivered complex commercial transactions to successful completion within tight deadlines across cross-functional teams and through uncertainty.
- Actively coordinating efforts with senior staff, consultant SMEs, and participating counterparties across multiple concurrent projects and transactions.
- Leading all legal, financial and commercial due diligence efforts, utilizing both forward pricing models, market & opportunity analysis, and associated contract collateral to assess viability.
- As an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP), co-creating realizable sustainability goals for each portfolio opportunity in collaboration with both senior staff and participating stakeholders.
Chief Legal & Business Officer
AlphaHawk Group
01.2015 - 03.2019
- As Chief Legal & Business Officer, managed strategic business relationships, including but not limited to, the negotiation, drafting and execution of key Group investment, procurement and operational contracts.
- Supported day-to-day operations by working efficiently and productively with the Group's 160+ team members.
- Developed key operational initiatives to drive profitability and maintain substantial business growth.
- Key milestones included:
- Co-authored a novel approach to field-deployable, industrial-scale carbon capture & utilization systems (CCUS) via a filed WIPO patent (WO 2019/060844).
- Launched a carbon offset management program for on-site distributed generation assets, which lowered historical operating cost by greater than 35%.
- Assisted Group & affiliates in raising $400 million for investment in targeted CCUS-related holdings.
- Group issued $170 million of capital distributions to co-investors and managed derivative holders.
- Peak pre-exit LTM revenue of $145 million & third-party valuation of CCUS-related holdings in excess of $850 million.
- All CCUS-related holdings were successfully exited in CY 2020.
Group Vice President, Corporate Development
Velocys Plc
01.2014 - 01.2015
- Served as Group Vice President in charge of Corporate Development for London Stock Exchange-listed clean technology spin-out from Oxford University & the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
- Reported directly to the Chief Executive Officer.
- Led successful commercial engagement programs focused on expansion of the Company's proprietary technology into the North American market.
- Advised on the formation of Envia Energy, a collaborative joint venture led by Velocys and Waste Management (NYSE: WM), which produced one of North America's first commercial-scale waste-to-liquids projects.
- Led and completed the acquisition of Pinto Energy and its anchor of $500 million development project.
- Established and maintained strong relationships with customers, vendors and strategic partners.
- Analyzed industry trends and tracked competitor activities to inform decision making.
- Devised and presented business plans and economic forecasts to senior staff & the board of directors.
Americas Team Lead, Development & Strategy
Royal Dutch Shell Plc
01.2011 - 01.2014
- Led all strategy and market development activities for Shell's North American LNG, Wind and Gas Monetization Businesses, at the time, a $2.4 billion portfolio.
- Originated, co-negotiated and executed commercial transactions to enable project delivery, supply availability and infrastructure development in excess of $750 million.
- Performed effectively in self-directed work environment, managing day-to-day operations and decisions.
- Created and managed project plans, timelines and budgets.
- Managed team of 40+ technical, commercial and non-market staff working on two continents.
- Conducted regular reviews of operations and identified areas for improvement.
- Achieved company-defined business development goals while receiving special recognition awards and exceptional performance ratings.
Education
MBA -
Stanford University
Palo Alto, CAJ.D. -
Columbia University
New York, NYMaster of Arts - Ethics
Yale University
New Haven, CTBachelor of Arts - Sociology
Morehouse College
Atlanta, GASkills
- Team leadership
- Strategic thinking
- Contracts & Contract law
- Corporate transactions
- Mergers & acquisitions
- Negotiation
- Project development & finance
- Environmental law
- Real estate law
- Due diligence
Accomplishments
Senior Counselor, WGC PLLC, Dallas, Texas
Associate, Weil, Gotshal & Manges, Houston, Texas & San Francisco, California
Law Clerk, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, New York, New York
Luce Scholar, The Henry Luce Foundation, Law and International Development
Visiting Professor of Law, China Europe International Business School
Visiting Professor of Law, Renmin University School of Law
Adjunct Professor of Law, University of Houston Law Center
Adjunct Professor of Law & Business, Jones School of Business, Texas Southern University
Languages
Chinese (Mandarin)
Limited Working
Timeline
Chief Commercial Officer & General Counsel
IsoCarbon Corporation
03.2019 - Current
Chief Legal & Business Officer
AlphaHawk Group
01.2015 - 03.2019
Group Vice President, Corporate Development
Velocys Plc
01.2014 - 01.2015
Americas Team Lead, Development & Strategy
Royal Dutch Shell Plc
01.2011 - 01.2014
MBA -
Stanford University
J.D. -
Columbia University
Master of Arts - Ethics
Yale University
Bachelor of Arts - Sociology
Morehouse College