The following is an excerpt from Practice Perspectives: Vault's Guide to Legal Practice Areas.
Geetika left Norton Rose to found a legal tech startup in July 2024. We appreciate her contributions to the firm and to this resource.
Geetika is an associate in Norton Rose Fulbright's Projects group. Her practice focuses on domestic and international business transactions and corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, project development, corporate governance, securities offerings, private equity, venture capital, and project financings involving renewable energy, energy storage, and power generation projects—including wind, solar, hydrogen, battery storage, and other technologies. She also has experience working with other industries including emerging technologies, healthcare, fintech, and oil and gas.
Geetika co-chairs the Austin Chapter of the Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy organization and the Norton Rose Fulbright U.S. Energy Transition Associate Team. Geetika was also nominated to join the Council on Foreign Relations Young Professionals Briefing Series, is a part of the firm’s Minority Equity Council, and participated in the Houston Young Lawyers Association Leadership Academy.
Prior to law school, Geetika served as the Special Assistant to the President of The University of Texas at Austin. Through this role, she was a strategic consultant and advisor to the president, led the development of the university’s international strategy, and assisted the University's lead counsel with argument preparation for the United States Supreme Court case, Fisher v. University of Texas.
Describe your practice area and what it entails.
My practice focuses on domestic and international business transactions and corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions; joint ventures; project development; corporate governance; securities offerings; private equity; venture capital; and project financings involving renewable energy, energy storage, and power generation projects—including wind, solar, hydrogen, battery storage, and other technologies. I also have experience working with other industries including emerging technologies, health care, fintech, and oil and gas.
There is a large amount of M&A activity in the renewables field, and I represent both buyers and sellers of everything from shovel-ready projects to large portfolios of operating projects to entire renewable energy companies. My practice entails helping clients negotiate agreements, navigate the industry, and ultimately close deals. This can be anything from starting a brand-new company to helping with buying or selling renewable energy projects to advising on multimillion- (and sometimes billion-) dollar acquisitions.
What types of clients do you represent?
I primarily represent renewable energy developers, private equity firms, and joint venture partners in the development of various opportunities that come up in the renewables field. My practice is unique in that I also represent startups in venture capital financings related to clean tech and the energy transition. This is an area in which I am developing my own expertise.
I have my own client that is a startup that I brought into the firm, so I get to help them with everything from formation to financings and as they grow, hopefully with project development deals and exit.
What types of cases/deals do you work on?
I mostly work on M&A deals, joint ventures, and startup/VC deals. I have also worked on tax equity and debt financing deals. For example, I have represented a solar development company in the sale of a development-stage power generation project, a company in the formation of a joint venture with the goal of developing offshore wind projects, a private equity firm in a tax equity financing for a solar project, a renewable energy company in a merger, and an energy transition startup in a Series A financing.
How did you choose this practice area?
I took several energy classes in law school knowing that I would come back to Texas to practice after law school. I also had the opportunity to take a renewable energy seminar. As part of the seminar, we read articles by various leaders in the renewables field. I came across articles written by Keith Martin, the U.S. Co-Head of Projects at Norton Rose Fulbright and an industry leader in energy and renewables work. It was a full-circle moment to join the practice he leads at Norton Rose Fulbright.
I am drawn to the aspect of being able to focus on climate change in a very tangible way. We actually get to see these projects be fully developed and can say that we helped put megawatts in the ground. In my first two years at the firm, I worked on a solar M&A deal and also did the tax equity financing for it. I just attended the ribbon cutting for the solar project at the project site. It was surreal to actually see the project live in person as well as meet all of the people who helped make it a reality. We even received a deal toy in the shape of a solar panel!
What is a typical day like and/or what are some common tasks you perform?
Every day is so different, but that is what makes the practice so exciting. Our team gives junior and mid-level lawyers opportunities to serve as lead associates on certain deals. As a fourth-year associate, I regularly serve as the lead associate on M&A, financings, and startup/VC deals. Most of what that entails is contract drafting, negotiating various agreements, running the signing and closing process of the deal, attending client and negotiation calls, managing the due diligence process, and supervising other team members.
What training, classes, experience, or skills development would you recommend to someone who wishes to enter your practice area?
You do not have to have a renewable energy background to join our practice because you will learn so much early on at Norton Rose Fulbright. If you know that you have an interest in this space, you should take any energy classes offered at your law school. If you have the opportunity to take a renewable energy class, that is even more beneficial. Additionally, classes related to contract drafting are critical. Developing those skills early on will allow you to understand how contracts work and how to draft them. Similarly, transactional law clinics, negotiations classes, and specialist classes (such as IP, business associations, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, securities regulations classes, etc.) will all benefit you if you’re interested in joining a transactional practice in the renewables field.
What do you like best about your practice area?
The passion that lawyers, clients, and others involved in the industry have for this type of work coupled with the innovation that you get to be a part of are what I like best about my practice. We are all working toward a common goal of getting as much renewable energy built as possible.
There is so much development in the renewable energy industry because the industry is constantly evolving. We get to be a part of shaping what the industry looks like. There is always something new to learn that provides opportunities for you to develop your own expertise to power your own career.
Everyone involved in this field is truly passionate about this kind of work. They really care about commercial issues and learning about new developments, which is something that Norton Rose Fulbright also values.
What is unique about your practice area at your firm?
We have a large team of projects lawyers and professionals with a deep history in renewables. Norton Rose Fulbright has been involved in the industry for decades and was critical in shaping the renewable energy industry. We get to do cutting-edge, first-in-country, first-in-technology, first-type of transaction deals. Our international clients look to us to help them with investments in the U.S., which gives us an opportunity to teach others about the U.S. market as well.
Another unique aspect about the practice area at Norton Rose Fulbright is that you have the opportunity to be entrepreneurial as an associate. You learn how to develop clients and have the flexibility to shape your career. For example, I co-founded the U.S. Energy Transition Associate Team with another associate at the firm. It is an opportunity to bring people together who care about energy transition issues. I also have the support of my partners to focus on business development with my peers in the industry.
What kinds of experience can summer associates gain at this practice area at your firm?
Our summer associates are involved with actual deal work as frequently as possible to provide an experience similar to that of a first-year associate. They will help draft ancillary agreements, sit in on calls, and help with closings. When I was a summer associate, I was tasked with drafting ancillary documents that were ultimately sent directly to a client. Opportunities like that are great for relationship building early on in a summer associate’s career. We are always excited to see them again when they come back as associates.
How important is it for project finance lawyers to keep abreast of and develop strategies regarding economic trends and market cycles, and how can junior attorneys develop these skills?
One of the reasons the firm is so well known in the industry is because we understand the renewable and energy transition markets, the commercial perspectives, and the technology just as much as the legal side. We walk hand in hand with our clients to help them navigate the industry.
We have various resources available that are produced by our team, like our Project Finance Newswire that reports on developments in project finance and the power sector and often includes articles that provide foundational knowledge for project finance. We also have a podcast called Currents that features experts in the field speaking on a variety of relevant and cutting-edge topics in the power industry.
It is also important to get involved in networking groups and in the community. For example, I co-chair the Austin chapter of the Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy, which allows me to interact with like-minded women who are also in the industry. We participate in lunch-and-learns, business development events, and other educational opportunities to learn more about the industry.