Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

See the Big Picture.
Mintz Levin understands how expanding energy markets and developing policies create important opportunities. As the appetite for energy continues to grow globally, so does the demand for change in the way it is delivered and consumed. Concerns about climate change and a unique alliance of government, industry, and financial institutions will continue to promote renewable energy and technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Whether your company is pioneering new energy sources (hydrokinetic, photovoltaic, wind, solar, thermal, fuel cells, biofuels, clean coal), finding ways to make more efficient use of existing resources, or integrating new technologies into an existing energy portfolio, you need legal counsel that understands your industry, your business, and the issues and opportunities that mean the most to your success. Mintz Levin understands the interplay of politics, policymaking, public and private financing, intellectual property, and high-stakes disputes—among other things. Our attorneys have been involved in the industry since inception and we have the resources to see the big picture through the lens of experience.

We have provided legal services for the successful development, financing, and construction of over 8,300 MWs (approximately $9 billion) of energy generating facilities. Mintz Levin’s attorneys have closed over 220 transactions in this sector since January 2006, including more than 100 since 2009 alone. These include venture capital transactions (representing companies and investors), initial public offerings and follow-on offerings, private placements, M&A deals, and technology licensing and joint venture transactions, totaling approximately $3.2 billion in transaction value.

With over 300 energy and clean tech clients, we provide comprehensive advice to mature companies and innovative pioneers. International in scope, our lawyers and government relations specialists offer the critical experience needed to help investors, energy providers, and clean tech entrepreneurs manage risks and create, achieve, and exceed their ambitious goals. Mintz Levin offers you a view into the best practices and lessons learned by those on all sides of the changing energy landscape.

Tap Deep Resources.
Until new energy strategies emerge, pressure will intensify to find more efficient and responsible ways to produce, distribute, and consume existing energy resources. As you adapt to this changing environment, your business will face challenges that are multidimensional—touching many areas of the law and calling for a coordinated, interdisciplinary approach. Our energy and clean technology clients turn to our cross-disciplinary team for our deep expertise in energy, corporate and securities, environmental, real estate, intellectual property, project development, finance, tax, and regulatory matters, including climate change. They also rely on our team-based service model to connect them to the right resource in the right place at the right time.

Move Ideas to Market.
When you’re starting a clean technology company or expanding an established enterprise, there is one direction you want to go and that’s up. Our clients need to protect and optimize IP, raise capital, manage operations, build and expand facilities, recruit and retain talent, resolve disputes, and enter into joint ventures. Often, all at the same time. To work through these and other related challenges, clients turn to high-performing, interdisciplinary Mintz Levin teams that provide the business-building counsel they need to quickly move their ideas to market.

Case Example A:
The Northeast Gateway LNG Project is a safe and reliable means of satisfying New England’s growing demand for natural gas. Excelerate Energy’s LNG port, located just outside Boston Harbor, will deliver gas to New England markets from offshore buoys through a new sub-sea pipeline. Mintz Levin’s lawyers led the successful effort to obtain all approvals for the pipeline required from regulators in Massachusetts and in federal regional offices.

Case Example B:
EnerNOC, Inc. helps utilities and grid operators reduce the risk of blackouts by controlling usage of major electric customers—substantially lowering peak demand. Users voluntarily curtail consumption when the grid is stressed, thus avoiding escalating electricity costs and uncertain grid reliability. Mintz Levin assisted EnerNOC from idea to financing to development and marketing—culminating in the launch of a $97 million IPO and a $108 million follow-on offering.

Case Example C:
GreatPoint Energy, Inc. is a leading developer of technology to convert coal, petroleum coke, and biomass into clean natural gas—bluegas™. GreatPoint Energy is developing a demonstration facility and R&D Center of Excellence at the Brayton Point Generating Facility in Somerset, Massachusetts. Mintz Levin assisted the GreatPoint team in its efforts to develop this significant facility. We also represent GreatPoint Energy in corporate and financing matters.

Publications
Mintz Levin’s monthly e-communication, Energy and Clean Tech Connections, gathers recent information from a wide variety of sources in an effort to keep you abreast of what’s new in the world of clean tech. We also include the latest industry developments, news from Capitol Hill, grant opportunities and upcoming events.

Sponsorships and Memberships
Mintz Levin‘s commitment to energy and clean technologies includes sponsorship of events and pro bono services to organizations such as:

• CLEAN-tech Investor Summit 2012, Palm Springs - sponsor
   
• EnerNOC EnergySmart Conference 2011, Boston – sponsor, presenter
   
• Cleantech Open Northeast 2011, Boston – sponsor, mentors
   
• MIT 100K Competition 2011, Boston – sponsor, mentors
   
• Going Green East 2009 Conference, Boston - sponsor and presenters
   
• BizTEC ’08 Entrepreneurship Conference, Haifa, Israel - sponsor and presenters
   
• CERA Week 2007 (Cambridge Energy Resource Associates), Houston- sponsor
   
• Clean Perspectives: “The Burgeoning Massachusetts Biofuels Industry” - a series of fireside chats with an overview of the state of the biofuels industry presented by Mintz Levin.
   
• E2-Environmental Entrepreneurs - member and event sponsor of “Climate and Energy: Local, Regional and National Facts on the Ground.” E2 is a national, bipartisan community of business people who believe in protecting the environment while building economic prosperity.
   
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology - numerous memberships and sponsorships including 100k Entrepreneur Competition, Energy Club, Energy Conference 2.0, Enterprise Forum of Cambridge - Innovation Series and Clean Energy Special Interest Group, and ICE Business Plan Competition
   
• Massachusetts Technology Leadership Conference - sponsor and seat on advisory board
   
• Northeast Energy and Commerce Association, including 15th Annual New England Energy Conference and Expo: “Carbon Crunch: Supply Strategies” - sponsor
   
• New England Clean Energy Council (NECEC) - member and pro bono client
   
• Northeast Energy and Commerce Association and the Connecticut Power and Energy Society: 15th Annual New England Energy Conference and Exposition, Newport, RI - sponsor
   
• Platt's Conference: Building Generation: A Partnership’s Perspective on the New England Market, Washington, DC - sponsor
   
• United Kingdom Trade and Investment (UKTI) Energy and Clean Technology conference, June 2008 - co-sponsor

Pro Bono Services
New Generation Energy (NGE) offers below-market loans to help finance renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Their clients include public and private entities, individuals, and non-profits. Boston-based New Generation Energy was seeking non-profit organization status and needed tax-related legal advice. Equipped with Mintz Levin’s practical recommendations about how to structure its program, NGE secured its 501(c)(3) status and now offers groundbreaking investment options for consumers in the areas of renewable energy, conservation, and the environment. In addition, an attorney in Mintz Levin’s Energy and Clean Technology Practice sits on the company’s advisory committee.

The Vermont Green Building Network (VGBN), a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is dedicated to increasing Vermont’s participation in green building and promoting the environmental, financial, community, and health benefits of green design, construction, and building operation practices. The Vermont Green Building Network is comprised of builders, designers, developers, policy makers, service providers, and other building industry professionals working together to improve building practices in Vermont. Mintz Levin attorneys provided a comprehensive review of VGBN’s revised bylaws and policy and procedure manual, and advised VGBN on tax-related legal issues.

Ceres is a national network of investors, environmental organizations, and other public interest groups working with companies and investors to address sustainability challenges such as global climate change, resource overuse, and habitat destruction. Mintz Levin attorneys collaborated with the Boston-based non-profit organization this past year, providing legal research on climate change issues.

Our attorneys and staff may come from many ethnic, religious, and social backgrounds, but when it comes to pursuing success for our clients and ourselves, we are cut from the same cloth. We know overcoming challenges, both legal and professional, takes dedication and support from our colleagues.

Founded in 1933, when it was almost impossible for a diverse attorney to thrive at one of Boston’s larger law offices, Mintz Levin was established by two young Jewish attorneys who knew how it felt to be excluded. The firm’s commitment to diversity is a natural outgrowth of their struggle to carve out a more inclusive professional path -- a history that helps explain our dedication to celebrating the differences that create a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere in which to practice law.

We strive to support diverse attorneys and have formal and informal mentoring programs to help diverse attorneys succeed. Mintz Levin’s Professional Development programs support the professional growth of our attorneys, with specific programs for women and minority attorneys.

Mintz Levin is a demonstrated leader in promoting the rights of women, people of color, and the LGBT community. Our core values spell out our goal of creating a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere in which to practice law or work in the legal profession.

Quick Facts

• Women lead numerous practices at Mintz Levin.
• Nearly half of the attorneys at the firm are women.
• Percentages of women Members and Associates at the firm exceed the NALP average for firms of a similar size.
• In 1993 — a decade before it was mandated by the legislature — the firm was one of the first to offer health benefits for same-sex domestic partners.
• In 1986, two Mintz Levin partners were instrumental in creating the Boston Lawyers Group (BLG), a nonprofit organization founded by a consortium of major Boston firms committed to improving the hiring and retention of lawyers of color.

Rankings & Recognitions

• Gold Standard Certification from Women in Law Empowerment Forum
• Top Ten Family Friendly Firms by the Yale Law Women
• Top 20 Law Firms in the US for diversity efforts by Vault 
• Score of 100% on Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index 
• Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality by the Human Rights Campaign
• Corporate Courage Award from the City of Boston 

There was a partner here with a large number of higher education clients. It was great to be able to raise my hand and say, ‘I’m interested in learning that,’ and then have the firm say, ‘We won’t look outside for this capability; we’ll see how you develop.

— Tyrone Thomas, Associate

Diversity Initiatives

• The Diversity Committee reflects the firm’s diversity and meets monthly to formulate and adopt policies that impact recruiting, retention, mentoring, and work allocation.
• Richard Mintz Scholarship is awarded to a first-year law student of color and provides $10,000 toward the student’s second year of tuition, a paid summer position at the firm between the student’s first and second years, and an ongoing work relationship with the firm throughout the student’s second year.
• The LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) Group has been meeting regularly since 2003 and provides opportunities for mutual support, sharing concerns, and informal mentoring for the firm’s LGBT attorneys and staff members.
• MIATTY is an affinity group for minority attorneys and senior professionals that seeks to strengthen diversity and inclusion in the firm. MIATTY has been meeting on a quarterly basis for over a decade.
• The Women’s Initiative sponsors numerous professional, networking, and social events aimed at supporting and enriching the lives of our female attorneys.
• The Sponsor & Retention Program helps Associates of color build long-term careers at Mintz Levin by pairing them with a sponsoring Member, helping them develop a network within the firm, and helping them build supportive, collegial relationships with their

Diversity Partnerships

We participate in and support numerous diversity-related efforts throughout the country aimed at recruiting and supporting the professional development of diverse attorneys and promoting diversity.

In addition to hosting an annual interview workshop in Boston for law students of color, the firm participates in job fairs for students of color in Boston and DC, and the National LGBT Law Association’s Lavender Law Job Fair. We also participate in the Boston Lawyers Group 1L Summer Diversity Clerkship Program.

Partners in Diversity Nationwide

·         American Intellectual Property Association Education Foundation

·         Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting Law (ALPFA)

·         Athena San Diego

·         Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Youth (BAGLY)

·         The Boston Lawyers Group (BLG)

·         Boston University Law School Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA)

·         The Commonwealth Compact

·         DC Minority Attorney Networking Series

·         Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association

·         Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD)

·         Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project (GMDVP)

·         Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA)

·         Just the Beginning Foundation (JTBF)

·         Korean American Bar Association of San Diego

·         Lambda Legal

·         Massachusetts LGBTQ Bar Association

·         Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA)

·         National Black Law Students Association

·         The National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Bar Association

·         New York Asian Women’s Center

·         New York Minority Attorney Networking Series

·         La Raza Lawyers of San Diego

·         South Asian Bar Association (SABA)

·         Women Lawyers Alliance

Richard Mintz Diversity Scholarship

The Richard Mintz Diversity Scholarship is designed to help make our workplace and profession more diverse. Named in memory of Richard Mintz, a partner in the firm for 57 years and the son of one of the firm’s original members, the scholarship provides the recipient with a paid summer position in the firm’s Boston office, $10,000 toward the second year of law school, and a continuing working relationship with our firm  throughout that year.¿¿

"My father and his partners took their responsibility very seriously -- to build a firm that was inclusive and progressive in terms of its approach to diversity," said Richard Mintz.

Diversity Committee

The Diversity Committee’s mission is to understand and value diversity in our firm and clients and to integrate diversity into our vision, culture, business, mission, policies, and practices.

We weave our mission into the firm’s strategic planning and direction. We are responsible for leading the firm’s ongoing diversity efforts. In addition to focusing on expanding opportunities at the firm for attorneys and staff who are of color, women, or part of the LGBT community, we are committed to promoting diversity in the legal profession and throughout our communities.