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Climate and Energy Expert in Wide-Ranging M&A Transactions
Elise Zoli is a partner in Wilson Sonsini's energy and climate solutions practice, where she represents leading companies and investors in groundbreaking transactions, particularly first-in-kind initiatives advancing the energy transition and sustainable economy. Her M&A work focuses on strategic alliances, where Elise has pioneered the use of novel P3 (public-private partnership) instruments, including government grants, loans, concessions, and incentive-based structures. She recently has supported the awardees and investors in successful DAC Hub, Hydrogen Hub, CCUS, and advanced nuclear demonstration projects, estimated at more than $8B (projects at full build out) to $25B (hubs at full build out). She is currently supporting global applications, JVs, and investments across the spectrum of climate solutions with values of more than $20B (unleveraged, full build out) to $110B (leveraged, full build out). Elise has worked on a variety of groundbreaking climate solution technologies and projects, including fission, fusion, hydrogen, fuel cell (PEM and SOF/EC), DAC and CCUS, EV, geothermal, molecules, and de-salination and water technologies, as well as the associated financing, securitization, and market development for (S)RECs, ARCCs, CO2e, biodiversity, and governmental incentives.
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Global Sustainability, Biodiversity Conservation, Peace and Prosperity Advocate
Elise serves on the board of directors at the Stimson Center, a leading, nonpartisan think tank advancing climate solutions, peace, and prosperity, where she co-founded and serves on the Board of Counselors for the Alliance for a Climate Resilient Earth. She is a Special Adviser to the Bhutan Foundation, the Guestbook Project, H2OVortex, and Imprint, and a founding donor of the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary (South Africa) and the Global Sanctuary for Elephants (Brazil). Elise’s pro bono work is focused on wildlife conservation and the humane treatment of animals.
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A Recognized Practitioner
Among her recent honors, Elise was selected as a “Power Player and Distinguished Advisor, Global Top 10, Project Finance & Infrastructure” by Financier Worldwide (2021), a National trailblazer in Clean Energy and Sustainability Intellectual Capital by the National Law Journal (2021). Chambers USA describes her as “absolutely phenomenal, an intellectual powerhouse and an amazing person” (2022). Prior to joining Wilson Sonsini, Elise was a partner and the global head of the Future of Energy, Renewables+ and Sustainability initiative at Jones Day. Previously, she led the energy practice and was a partner at Goodwin Procter.
Elise Zoli is a partner in the energy and climate solutions practice at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where she focuses on advancing strategic alliances in the clean energy, water, agriculture, and de-carbonized sectors.
Elise has worked extensively on a variety of groundbreaking technologies, transactions, and projects, including with nuclear, solar, wind, fuel cell (PEM (polymer electrolyte membrane) and SOF/EC (solid oxide fuel cells)), storage, micro- and smart-grid, CCUS, de-salination, and water technologies, as well as the associated securitization and markets for carbon, fuels, land, and ecological attributes. In conjunction with her transactional work, which focuses on strategic alliances, Elise has pioneered the use of novel P3 (public-private partnership) instruments, including U.S. Department of Energy grants, loan guarantees, and incentives.
Prior to joining Wilson Sonsini, Elise was a partner and the global head of the Future of Energy, Renewables+ and Sustainability initiative at Jones Day. Previously, she led the energy practice and was a partner at Goodwin Procter.
Elise is a co-founder of the Alliance for a Climate Resilient Earth and serves on the board of directors of the Stimson Center, a leading, nonpartisan global think tank. She is currently obtaining her global M.B.A. from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.
Elise Zoli is a partner in the energy and climate solutions practice at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where she focuses on advancing strategic alliances in the clean energy, water, agriculture, and de-carbonized sectors.
Elise has worked extensively on a variety of groundbreaking technologies, transactions, and projects, including with nuclear, solar, wind, fuel cell (PEM (polymer electrolyte membrane) and SOF/EC (solid oxide fuel cells)), storage, micro- and smart-grid, CCUS, de-salination, and water technologies, as well as the associated securitization and markets for carbon, fuels, land, and ecological attributes. In conjunction with her transactional work, which focuses on strategic alliances, Elise has pioneered the use of novel P3 (public-private partnership) instruments, including U.S. Department of Energy grants, loan guarantees, and incentives.
Prior to joining Wilson Sonsini, Elise was a partner and the global head of the Future of Energy, Renewables+ and Sustainability initiative at Jones Day. Previously, she led the energy practice and was a partner at Goodwin Procter.
Elise is a co-founder of the Alliance for a Climate Resilient Earth and serves on the board of directors of the Stimson Center, a leading, nonpartisan global think tank. She is currently obtaining her global M.B.A. from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.
- M.B.A., Tufts University
- J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School
- B.A., Duke UniversityMagna Cum Laude
- Member, Board of Directors, Stimson Center
- Member, Board of Trustees, Desert Research Institute (Nevada System of Higher Education/Western Regional Climate Center)
- Advisory Board Member, Bhutan Foundation
- Co-founder, Alliance for a Climate Resilient Earth
- Co-founder, ADI Wildlife Sanctuary (South Africa)
- Founding donor, Global Sanctuary for Elephants (Brazil)
- Recognized in Financier Worldwide's Project Finance & Infrastructure 2021 under "Power Players: Distinguished Advisers"
- Selected to The American Lawyer's "New England Trailblazers" list, 2021
- Recognized on the "Legal Power List" by Word About Wind, 2020
- Selected to Law360's "Ten Influential Women in Energy Law," 2018
- Honored as "Groundbreaking Attorney of the Year in Cleantech" by Public Utilities Fortnightly, 2011
- Recognized in Best Lawyers in America, 2011-2019
- Frequently recognized in Chambers USA, 2007-2023
- State Bar of Massachusetts
- State Bar of New York
- U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
- M.B.A., Tufts University
- J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School
- B.A., Duke UniversityMagna Cum Laude
- Member, Board of Directors, Stimson Center
- Member, Board of Trustees, Desert Research Institute (Nevada System of Higher Education/Western Regional Climate Center)
- Advisory Board Member, Bhutan Foundation
- Co-founder, Alliance for a Climate Resilient Earth
- Co-founder, ADI Wildlife Sanctuary (South Africa)
- Founding donor, Global Sanctuary for Elephants (Brazil)
- Recognized in Financier Worldwide's Project Finance & Infrastructure 2021 under "Power Players: Distinguished Advisers"
- Selected to The American Lawyer's "New England Trailblazers" list, 2021
- Recognized on the "Legal Power List" by Word About Wind, 2020
- Selected to Law360's "Ten Influential Women in Energy Law," 2018
- Honored as "Groundbreaking Attorney of the Year in Cleantech" by Public Utilities Fortnightly, 2011
- Recognized in Best Lawyers in America, 2011-2019
- Frequently recognized in Chambers USA, 2007-2023
- State Bar of Massachusetts
- State Bar of New York
- U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Select Matters
Renewable Energy, Alternatives Fuels, and CCUS
- Represented a leading EU-based global offshore wind and wind-to-hydrogen pioneer in its hydrogen, alternative fuel, and CCUS (cementitious materials) technology development (including with U.S. Department of Energy), strategic alliances, acquisitions, and investments*
- Represented a leading U.S.-based natural resources company (over one million acres) in the nationwide development of large-scale integrated solar and battery systems*
- Represented a leading automobile manufacturer in its global electrification efforts, including commercial and retail integration, in the U.S., Canada, and Europe*
- Represented a leading utility in its development of micro-allocations of renewable energy capacity and credits*
- Represented a leading U.S.-based life sciences pioneer in its strategic development and execution of solar-integrated, battery-storage-based micro-grids*
- Represented multiple, leading EU-based renewables component manufacturers in restructuring their U.S. solar and wind project subsidiaries*
Represented a leading global maritime construction company in its U.S. expansion and offshore wind project work* - Represented a leading, U.S.-based commercial property developer, owner, and manager in its integration of solar projects and a pioneering form of virtual power purchases of renewable energy*
- Represented a leading waste management company in its industrial fleet electrification, including joint development of technology and fleet conversion*
- Represented a U.S. project development company in a transaction involving the conversion of landfill gas in connection with a major redevelopment and landfill conversion initiative*
- Represented a leading U.S. wind developer in its negotiation of among the first U.S. Department of Energy loan guarantees; this pioneering transaction included among the first scale storage facilities*
- Represented multiple innovation companies and investors in public-private partnerships (P3s), including those involving U.S. DOE, California, New York, and Massachusetts grants*
Water
- Represented a pioneering de-salination innovation company in its maritime initiative*
- Represented a leading global water and wastewater innovator in its U.S. expansion, focused on wastewater-to-energy and fuels conversion*
- Represented a pioneering P3 to restructure and repurpose municipal water infrastructure, integrating renewables and energy storage at municipal facilities, including with respect to tax optimization*
- Represented a leading U.S. innovation company in its water and wastewater treatment operational and maintenance agreements, in which it assumed operational control over municipal systems*
- Represented an EU-based integrated energy company on its assessment of graywater-based, energy project development, including for specific projects*
- Represented multiple corporate and financial entities in the allocation, priority, and usage of water in substantial quantities, with total volumes greater than 12 trillion gallons per day*
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG); Socially Responsible Investing (SRI); and Greenhouse Gas (GHG)
- Represented a leading integrated energy company, as well as multiple financial institutions and funds, in the development of sustainability policies, metrics, verification models, and disclosures*
- Represented a U.N. Secretariat in its development of a GHG aggregation and trading platform and solar financing initiatives*
- Represented a leading non-governmental organization (NGO) in its pioneering green labeling initiative*
- Represented a leading integrated energy company in its development of a GHG initiative and its pioneering participation in U.S. and regional carbon trading organizations*
- Represented a leading U.S. integrated energy company in its pioneering support of carbon regulation (Mass v. EPA)*
Fission and Fusion
- Represented a leading U.S.-based integrated energy company in its multiyear, multiple gigawatt (GW) acquisition campaign of nuclear power plants*
- Represented a leading U.S. innovation company in its advanced nuclear technology, including in nuclear export considerations*
- Represented multiple leading U.S. integrated energy companies and educational institutions in the strategic investment in innovative nuclear technologies and decommissionings; several of these efforts involved U.S. Department of Energy grants*
- Represented a leading global financial institution in its exploration of nuclear-based investment*
Other Transactions of Note
- Represented a leading Asian foundation in the strategic alliance for the second global SuperFabLab to advance innovation in the developing world; this strategic alliance has unique ESG attributes
- Represented a leading integrated energy company in its charitable donations, including reportedly the largest corporate donation of natural resource-based data, information, and biological material in U.S. history, to the State University of New York, Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences; the donation includes more than 50 million specimens representing the largest ichthyology collection*
- Represented multiple U.S. corporations on waste-to-energy facilities transactions, development, and operation*
- Represented multiple leading entities on major first-in-kind infrastructure project initiatives, ranging from offshore wind to the "Big Dig"*
*Denotes experience prior to joining Wilson Sonsini in 2022.
Select Matters
Renewable Energy, Alternatives Fuels, and CCUS
- Represented a leading EU-based global offshore wind and wind-to-hydrogen pioneer in its hydrogen, alternative fuel, and CCUS (cementitious materials) technology development (including with U.S. Department of Energy), strategic alliances, acquisitions, and investments*
- Represented a leading U.S.-based natural resources company (over one million acres) in the nationwide development of large-scale integrated solar and battery systems*
- Represented a leading automobile manufacturer in its global electrification efforts, including commercial and retail integration, in the U.S., Canada, and Europe*
- Represented a leading utility in its development of micro-allocations of renewable energy capacity and credits*
- Represented a leading U.S.-based life sciences pioneer in its strategic development and execution of solar-integrated, battery-storage-based micro-grids*
- Represented multiple, leading EU-based renewables component manufacturers in restructuring their U.S. solar and wind project subsidiaries*
Represented a leading global maritime construction company in its U.S. expansion and offshore wind project work* - Represented a leading, U.S.-based commercial property developer, owner, and manager in its integration of solar projects and a pioneering form of virtual power purchases of renewable energy*
- Represented a leading waste management company in its industrial fleet electrification, including joint development of technology and fleet conversion*
- Represented a U.S. project development company in a transaction involving the conversion of landfill gas in connection with a major redevelopment and landfill conversion initiative*
- Represented a leading U.S. wind developer in its negotiation of among the first U.S. Department of Energy loan guarantees; this pioneering transaction included among the first scale storage facilities*
- Represented multiple innovation companies and investors in public-private partnerships (P3s), including those involving U.S. DOE, California, New York, and Massachusetts grants*
Water
- Represented a pioneering de-salination innovation company in its maritime initiative*
- Represented a leading global water and wastewater innovator in its U.S. expansion, focused on wastewater-to-energy and fuels conversion*
- Represented a pioneering P3 to restructure and repurpose municipal water infrastructure, integrating renewables and energy storage at municipal facilities, including with respect to tax optimization*
- Represented a leading U.S. innovation company in its water and wastewater treatment operational and maintenance agreements, in which it assumed operational control over municipal systems*
- Represented an EU-based integrated energy company on its assessment of graywater-based, energy project development, including for specific projects*
- Represented multiple corporate and financial entities in the allocation, priority, and usage of water in substantial quantities, with total volumes greater than 12 trillion gallons per day*
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG); Socially Responsible Investing (SRI); and Greenhouse Gas (GHG)
- Represented a leading integrated energy company, as well as multiple financial institutions and funds, in the development of sustainability policies, metrics, verification models, and disclosures*
- Represented a U.N. Secretariat in its development of a GHG aggregation and trading platform and solar financing initiatives*
- Represented a leading non-governmental organization (NGO) in its pioneering green labeling initiative*
- Represented a leading integrated energy company in its development of a GHG initiative and its pioneering participation in U.S. and regional carbon trading organizations*
- Represented a leading U.S. integrated energy company in its pioneering support of carbon regulation (Mass v. EPA)*
Fission and Fusion
- Represented a leading U.S.-based integrated energy company in its multiyear, multiple gigawatt (GW) acquisition campaign of nuclear power plants*
- Represented a leading U.S. innovation company in its advanced nuclear technology, including in nuclear export considerations*
- Represented multiple leading U.S. integrated energy companies and educational institutions in the strategic investment in innovative nuclear technologies and decommissionings; several of these efforts involved U.S. Department of Energy grants*
- Represented a leading global financial institution in its exploration of nuclear-based investment*
Other Transactions of Note
- Represented a leading Asian foundation in the strategic alliance for the second global SuperFabLab to advance innovation in the developing world; this strategic alliance has unique ESG attributes
- Represented a leading integrated energy company in its charitable donations, including reportedly the largest corporate donation of natural resource-based data, information, and biological material in U.S. history, to the State University of New York, Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences; the donation includes more than 50 million specimens representing the largest ichthyology collection*
- Represented multiple U.S. corporations on waste-to-energy facilities transactions, development, and operation*
- Represented multiple leading entities on major first-in-kind infrastructure project initiatives, ranging from offshore wind to the "Big Dig"*
*Denotes experience prior to joining Wilson Sonsini in 2022.
Select Speaking Engagements
- Panelist, "Hydrogen Market Update," VerdeXchange Conference, Los Angeles, California, May 14, 2024
- Speaker, Strategic Intelligence Outlook 2023 (World Economic Forum)
- Speaker, "Energy Transition Landscape and Emergence of Government Subsidies: What Does It Mean for Re/Insurers on the Ground?" Geneva Association Summit 50, Zurich, Switzerland, November 29, 2023
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Speaker, "Scoring a Bankable Investment," Monaco Hydrogen Forum, Monte-Carlo, Monaco, November 28, 2023
- Speaker, "Fireside Chat - Hydrogen's High Hopes," CoMotion LA, Los Angeles, California, November 16, 2023
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Speaker, “Mobilizing Innovation to Advance Climate Resilience in the Water Sector,” Reservoir Center for Water Solutions, Washington D.C., June 21-22, 2022
Select Speaking Engagements
- Panelist, "Hydrogen Market Update," VerdeXchange Conference, Los Angeles, California, May 14, 2024
- Speaker, Strategic Intelligence Outlook 2023 (World Economic Forum)
- Speaker, "Energy Transition Landscape and Emergence of Government Subsidies: What Does It Mean for Re/Insurers on the Ground?" Geneva Association Summit 50, Zurich, Switzerland, November 29, 2023
-
Speaker, "Scoring a Bankable Investment," Monaco Hydrogen Forum, Monte-Carlo, Monaco, November 28, 2023
- Speaker, "Fireside Chat - Hydrogen's High Hopes," CoMotion LA, Los Angeles, California, November 16, 2023
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Speaker, “Mobilizing Innovation to Advance Climate Resilience in the Water Sector,” Reservoir Center for Water Solutions, Washington D.C., June 21-22, 2022
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