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Kaja Niewiarowska

Associate

Kaja's practice concentrates on highly structured, multitranche and public-private partnership matters across the project financing landscape, Kaja advises a broad spectrum of clients on complex financings, project and acquisition matters in the energy, power transmission and infrastructure sectors across the U.S., in Latin America and internationally. Her global clientele includes sponsors, borrowers and lenders from corporations, insurance companies and funds to commercial and development banks, other financial institutions and government and public entities.

Experience

Representative matters

Power & Energy:

ING Capital LLC, as administrative agent, coordinating lead arranger and sole bookrunner, Bank of Montreal, Chicago Branch, Investec Inc. and East West Bank, as joint lead arrangers and lenders and issuing banks in connection with the upsizing and extension of maturity of existing facilities for an aggregate financing of approximately $300 million of CCS Power Finance Co, LLC and its energy-management services business.

AES and InterEnergy in connection with a $790 million senior secured credit facility provided by a syndicate of lenders arranged by Natixis and SMBC, and an approximately $180 million secured credit mezzanine facility provided by an infrastructure debt fund, to finance the acquisition and construction of an approximately 670 MW combined cycle natural gas-fired power plant and two transmission lines, in Panama ("Power Deal of the Year – Latin America" (2021) by IJGlobal; "Project Finance: Energy and Natural Resources Deal of the Year"(2022) by Latin Lawyer).

Leeward Renewable Energy Operations, a wholly owned subsidiary of Leeward Renewable Energy, in the refinancing of its existing credit facilities and establishment of new revolving and letter of credit facilities, concurrent with its Rule 144A/Regulation S offering of $375 million aggregate principal amount of its Green Bond offering.

Cedar Creek Wind Energy, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Leeward Renewable Energy, on its revolving letter of credit facility.

Crédit Agricole as Administrative Agent and Coordinating Lead Arranger on the $150 million financing for an operating approximately 200MW simple cycle dual-fuel electric generating facility located in Medway, Massachusetts owned by West Medway II, LLC.

MUFG Bank, as administrative agent and coordinating lead arranger, and the lenders and issuing banks on the back leveraged financing for a portfolio of six solar projects owned indirectly by Consolidated Edison Development, located in Fresno County, California, Clark County, Nevada and Maricopa County, Arizona.

ENGIE and its affiliates, including Heolios Intermediate 1, Engie Eólica Tres Mesas 3, Eólica Tres Mesas 4, Recursos Solares PV de México IV, BNB Villa Ahumada Solar, Buenos Dias Energia and Engie Abril PV, on the limited-recourse project financing and related interest rate hedging in respect of four solar parks and two wind farms in Mexico with a combined capacity of approximately 721 MW. The transaction includes a construction phase individualized per project financing, an operations phase portfolio holding company financing and, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, the option to finance an additional solar park or wind farm project during the construction or operations phase. The project financing is ENGIE's first green loan financing for renewables projects in the world ("Latin American Sponsor of the Year Deal of the Year" (2019) by IJGlobal).

ENGIE on its joint venture with Tokyo Gas to own, develop and operate four solar parks and two wind farms in Mexico with a combined capacity of 721 MW.The projects were awarded to ENGIE in the Second and Third Long-Term Electricity Auction held by CENACE in Mexico.

Infrastructure:

MUFG, CIBC, KeyBank and SMBC as joint lead arrangers for the senior secured credit facilities in connection with the development, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of two student housing facilities at the University of Massachusetts.

Société Générale, as administrative agent, and the lenders on the approximately $710 million senior secured credit facilities to Midwest Fiber Acquisition for the $1 billion refinancing of Everstream Fiber ("North America Digital Infrastructure Deal of the Year" by Proximo).

Lead Arrangers in a financing for the Los Alamitos microgrid project with a Power Purchase Agreement with a California utility. Project included a microgrid, comprised of approximately 31MWdc of photovoltaic solar, a 20MW/40MWh (two-hour duration) battery energy storage system and 3.125 MW reciprocating engine gensets.

Nomura Securities International, Inc., as Lead Arranger, on the $185 million secured credit facilities for a portfolio of three data centers.

Acquisition Financing:

PSA Supply Chain Solutions in the $470 million senior secured credit facilities to finance a portion of its $1.8 billion acquisition of BDP Intermediate.

Banking & Finance:

American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. (AAM), as borrower and a wholly owned subsidiary of American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc., on the refinancing of an approximately $675 million senior secured credit facility for AAM.

HSBC Bank, as administrative agent, and Bank of America, Citibank, HSBC Bank, Itau BBA International and Mizuho Bank, as joint bookrunners and as lenders in connection with a $250 million senior unsecured credit facility for Natura & Co. Luxembourg Holdings, as borrower, and Natura Cosméticos and Natura & Co Holding, each as a guarantor.

Mizuho Bank, Ltd., as administrative agent on the $650,000,000 Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Agreement for AerCap Ireland Capital Designated Activity Company.

Fenway Sports Group Holdings, LLC (FSG), as borrower and certain of its subsidiaries in connection with the $1.3 billion senior secured credit facility for FSG.

Crédit Agricole as lender on a Credit & Guaranty Agreement between Alpek, S.A.B. de C.V. and DAK Americas LLC for a $75 million revolving credit facility.

HSBC Bank USA, N.A., as administrative agent, and the initial lenders in connection with the partial refinancing for Mexican aluminum extruder Cuprum.

Qualifications

Admissions

Attorney-at-Law, New York

Academic

New York University B.A., magna cum laude

New York University School of Law J.D.

Articles Editor, Journal of International Law and Politics

Languages

Polish, French
Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.