Joshua W. Marnitz advises clients on the environmental and energy regulatory aspects of complex corporate and finance transactions in the energy, infrastructure, and industrial sectors.

Mr. Marnitz combines a sophisticated understanding of the environmental and energy regulatory landscape with extensive transactional experience to provide private equity firms, financial institutions, project developers, and corporate clients strategic guidance on matters involving the:

  • Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund)
  • Clean Air Act
  • Clean Water Act
  • Endangered Species Act
  • National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
  • National Historic Preservation Act
  • Federal Power Act
  • Natural Gas Act
  • International lender standards, including the International Finance Corporation’s Environmental and Social Performance Standards (IFC Performance Standards) and the Equator Principles

He has more than a decade of experience advising clients with respect to the development and financing of cutting-edge energy and infrastructure projects in the US and around the world, including wind (both onshore and offshore), solar, battery storage, hydrogen, and liquefied natural gas projects.

Mr. Marnitz also counsels clients on environmental issues and liabilities that arise in the context of transactional due diligence and helps them develop strategies to mitigate associated risks. In addition, he advises clients regarding compliance with federal and state environmental and energy regulatory laws as they navigate a constantly evolving regulatory landscape.

He maintains an active pro bono practice and currently serves as a member of the Legal Council for the Williams Institute.

Mr. Marnitz is a former member of the firm’s Recruiting Committee and Training and Career Enhancement Committee. Before joining Latham, he was a Law Fellow at the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, DC. 

Mr. Marnitz’s experience includes advising:

Corporate/M&A 

  • ArcLight Capital Partners on acquiring a 6,750-megawatt fossil generating portfolio from Public Service Enterprise Group, a diversified energy company
  • Contour Global on acquiring Western Generation Partners, a portfolio of natural gas-fired and combined heat and power assets totaling 1,502 MW in the US and Trinidad and Tobago
  • TotalEnergies on acquiring:
    • The Commercial & Industrial Solutions business of SunPower Corporation, a manufacturer of silicon photovoltaic cells and solar panels
    • An interest in Clearway Group, a privately held renewable development company
  • Ares Management on acquiring a controlling interest in Ford Ridge Wind, a 121 MW nameplate capacity wind-powered electricity generating facility to be located in Ford County, Illinois 
  • Quanta Services on acquiring Blattner Energy, a provider of utility-scale renewable energy infrastructure solutions
  • Denham Capital, a global energy transition investment firm, on acquiring Solops, a premier developer, financier, and owner and operator of photovoltaic solar projects in the US commercial and industrial sector 

Project Finance 

  • TotalEnergies on the project financing of an integrated upstream and midstream gas and LNG project in the Republic of Mozambique, which garnered recognition as Proximo’s 2020 Global Multilateral Deal of the Year by the Project Finance International Awards and Middle East Africa Multi-Sourced Deal of the Year
  • Nine international and US-based banks on the project financing of the Vineyard Wind offshore wind project, a joint venture by Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, which will be the first large-scale offshore wind project in the US
  • MUFG Union Bank on project financing in connection with the construction, operation, and maintenance of a 145-MW wind farm in Weld County, Colorado
  • Natixis on project financing in connection with the construction of a 300-MW photovoltaic solar electricity generating facility and 140.25-MW battery storage facility in Kings County, California
  • Ares Management on project debt and tax equity financing of Ford Ridge Wind, a 121-MW wind project to be located in Ford County, Illinois 

Capital Markets

  • Rivian Automotive, an electric vehicle company, on its US$11.9 billion initial public offering, the largest IPO globally in 2021
  • Harley Davidson on the environmental aspects of the US$1.77 billion business combination between LiveWire, Harley Davidson’s electric motorcycle division, and AEA-Bridges Impact Corp., a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), making LiveWire the first publicly traded EV motorcycle company in the US
  • Enlight Renewable Energy, a global renewable energy platform, on its US$252 million IPO
  • 10X Capital Venture Acquisition Corp. III on its de-SPAC merger with leading power infrastructure restoration services provider Sparks Energy (now listed on the NYSE)
  • GoGreen Investments, a SPAC, on a business combination with Lifezone Metals, the first nickel resource and green technology company to list on the NYSE

Bar Qualification

  • California
  • District of Columbia
  • New York
  • Texas

Education

  • JD, University of Virginia School of Law, 2009
  • BA, University of Pennsylvania, 2004
  • BS, University of Pennsylvania, 2004