Sevren R. Gourley

As a member of the firm’s energy and infrastructure team, Sevren advises clients on sophisticated, market-leading international projects, financing, and investment transactions involving global commercial and regulatory issues. He counsels governments, international financial institutions, sponsors, lenders, investors, and other project participants on all aspects of energy and infrastructure project development, construction, and financing, as well as on the acquisition, divestiture, and restructuring of project portfolios.

Sevren is also a member of the firm’s national security practice and assists international investors with cross-border investments in the US. He helps clients with the acquisition of US portfolios and investments in emerging technology, US renewable energy projects, critical infrastructure, and real estate investments subject to review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), as well as with international trade matters relating to economic sanctions, export controls, tariffs, and data transfers.

Prior to joining the firm, Sevren served in the US Peace Corps in Zambia, where he coordinated agricultural and energy initiatives. At Hunton, he is active in the firm’s veterans and immigration pro bono programs.

• Assisting the World Bank, the Government of Uzbekistan, and the Kyrgyz Republic with developing multiple utility-scale photovoltaic solar power and battery storage projects, with more than 800 MW total capacity, as innovative public-private partnerships in Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic.
• Advising multiple private utility clients on US federal grant cooperative agreement award matters for innovative energy projects funded by the US Department of Energy and the US Environmental Protection Agency under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, including innovative hydrogen fuel projects.
• Assisting a US government agency and the Government of Kazakhstan with the negotiation of power purchase agreement and government support terms for a 1 GW wind and battery storage project.
• Assisting the Government of Kosovo with the structuring and development of a 450 MW power plant project including advice related to issues of European Union state aid law compliance raised by the Energy Community Secretariat with respect to attracting foreign investment in the power plant project.
• Assisting international investors with cross-border investments in the US, including investments in sensitive technology, US renewable energy projects, critical infrastructure, and real estate subject to review by CFIUS. Advising both sellers and investors on diligence, structuring, and deal documentation, and acting as counsel for parties in filings with CFIUS and related negotiation with US Department of Treasury personnel, achieving clearance for numerous transactions involving the sale of project portfolios, large investments in wind, solar, battery storage, and geothermal projects, as well as other sensitive industries, and achieving clearance for investments by foreign government-owned enterprises in the US.
• Advising various US and foreign multi-national companies on matters related to cross-border transactions implicating US sanctions administered by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in the global energy sector, including: diligence and compliance advice; navigating the application of US sanctions in jurisdictions with domestic blocking legislation; the development and implementation of sanctions compliance programs, policy documents, and internal training resources consistent with OFAC’s compliance framework; the submission of voluntary disclosures to OFAC; and license applications.
• Advising various US and multi-national companies on the scope of national security tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), compliance with export controls administered by the US Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and other trade control matters impacting the US energy sector.
• Assisting the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) on multiple investments, including the provision of political risk insurance for a $500 million sovereign- debt-for-nature swap in Gabon and equity investments in West Africa, as well as providing global support advising the agency on sanctions compliance matters.
• Advising a US foreign aid agency on matters related to financing and managing infrastructure investments in emerging markets with respect to hydropower projects in Malawi and Sierra Leone, an undersea transmission cable project in Senegal, commercial agriculture infrastructure in Lesotho, and long-sea shipping port development in The Gambia, as well as providing global support advising the agency on matters related to data privacy, cybersecurity protocols, cooperative grant agreements, engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts, and public procurement matters.
• Advising parastatal entities in Greece and Thailand, among others, on the development of regional liquified natural gas (LNG) trading hubs, including terminal access code and terminal use agreement development, and associated regulatory reform.
• Advising US and various foreign government agencies and parastatal entities on international best practices and legal frameworks for hydrocarbon field exploration and development; LNG trading and transport; data management; investments in the energy transition; and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS).
• Advising both owner- and sponsor-side parties on matters related to international project development, including liquidity support arrangements with international financial institutions and the use and negotiation of international documentary letters of credit (UCP 600) and demand guarantees (URDG 758); power purchase agreements, direct agreements, government support agreements, and tax-equity investment documentation; construction, supply, and consultant contracts; and legal due diligence.
• Advising US investors on investment treaty protections and related structuring considerations in cross-border investment transactions and acting as counsel in the negotiation of cross-border outsourcing, supply, and EPC contracts for complex energy, infrastructure, and industrial projects.
• Representing the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) in the negotiation of interconnection agreements and project documentation for numerous large renewable energy projects, including the South Fork and Sunrise Offshore Wind Projects and utility scale battery storage.
• Representing government-side defendants in international dispute resolution under applicable treaties and international agreements, including securing a favorable dismissal and an award of $4.1 million in costs on behalf of the Government of Romania in an intra-EU investment arbitration (ICSID Case No. ARB/18/30) and securing a favorable settlement for a parastatal entity of the Government of Malawi against contractor claims brought in UNCITRAL arbitration and various court proceedings in Denmark related to hydropower investments in Malawi.
• Advising a West African government on the structuring and development of competitive markets to privatize the utilization of public natural gas resources and attract international investment.
• Representing parties in litigation in the energy sector including, representing a multibillion dollar power company in litigation to settle the interpretation of applicable electricity retail competition law; advising a large international petroleum investor on ICC arbitration matters with respect to a Middle Eastern oil field concession; and representing various utilities in contentious regulatory proceedings before FERC and state energy regulatory authorities.

• E. Randolph Williams Pro Bono Award (2018-2019, 2020-2024)

• Member, International Law Section, American Bar Association
• Member, Infrastructure and Regulated Industries Section, American Bar Association