Forum on North American Infrastructure Investments

Krista is the co-head of the Infrastructure and Energy practice, as well as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.   Krista has deep experience in complex, innovative, first-of-kind transactions and projects. With robust insight into all types of energy projects and infrastructure asset classes, she regularly leads large teams working to advance significant projects and transactions. Krista is also an accomplished lead negotiator and has extensive experience advising multiple stakeholders with respect to their complex projects and transactions.

Julie Ashworth is a Partner and General Counsel at GIP.  Ms. Ashworth joined the Firm in 2012 and leads GIP’s Legal team. She is based in New York.   Ms. Ashworth focuses primarily on GIP’s fund formation activity, portfolio company transactions and the Firm’s ESG initiatives.  Ms. Ashworth is a member of all GIP Investment Committees, GIP’s Executive Committee and GIP’s Operating Committee, and was previously a board member of Competitive Power Ventures.   Prior to joining GIP, Ms. Ashworth worked in the Corporate Group of Latham & Watkins in New York, where she worked on private equity fund formation, as well as M&A and joint ventures.   Ms. Ashworth holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the Catholic University of America and a J.D. from Georgetown University.

Mr. Brasher advises strategic investors, developers, borrowers, tax equity, funds, lenders and utilities in all phases of their renewable energy generation projects; gas power generation, electric transmission and distribution assets; LNG and pipelines; hydrogen and ammonia projects; carbon capture facilities; critical minerals projects; EV charging; and transportation, water and sports infrastructure.   Mr. Brasher has been repeatedly recognized as a leading lawyer by publications such as Chambers Global and Chambers USA, where he is noted for his “great breadth of knowledge in the renewables industry” as well as “enviable strength in matters pertaining to traditional power and infrastructure projects.” In addition, clients tell Chambers he “knows the energy and power sector inside and out, so he is well versed in current trends and external disrupters in the industry.” Mr. Brasher also has been recognized by the Latin Lawyer 250 for his work on energy and infrastructure projects in Latin America and by Best Lawyers as its 2024 and 2019 Washington, D.C. Project Finance Law Lawyer of the Year.

Horacio focuses his practice on the legal and regulatory aspects of energy and infrastructure projects. He has participated in natural gas pipelines, LNG terminals, conventional power plants, wind energy, photovoltaic and toll road projects. As well, he has advised both lenders and borrowers in project finance facilities.   Horacio is considered one of the four leading lawyers in Energy and Natural Resources practice area in Mexico by Chambers & Partners, and one of the top three leading lawyers in Projects practice area in México by Chambers & Partners. His practice is recommended by clients that highlight his team’s “enormous experience and ability to both identify and mitigate risks for clients in this area.”   As part of his M&A experience, Horacio has participated in cross-border transactions in a wide variety of sectors, including transactions in highly regulated industries such as the infrastructure and energy industries.

Maxine Ethier is a Managing Director in the Legal Department of CPP Investments. Dedicated to the Real Asset Investments Department, Maxine provides support on investments and asset management matters involving the Infrastructure Group, the Sustainable Energies Group and the Real Estate Investment Group. Maxine is also a member of CPP Investments’ Sustainable Investment Committee.   Formerly a Partner in Baker & McKenzie’s Global Energy, Mining and Infrastructure Group and the firm’s Global Head of Infrastructure, Maxine brings years of experience in energy and infrastructure transaction and projects. While at Baker & McKenzie, Maxine represented infrastructure funds, institutional investors, sponsors, developers, public authorities, construction contractors and services providers on acquisitions and divestments as well as the procurement, financing and implementation of major projects and public private partnerships in and outside of North America.

John D. Franchini is a partner in the Global Corporate/M&A Group of Milbank LLP based in New York. Mr. Franchini also co-heads the firm’s Global Infrastructure Practice. He has extensive experience representing infrastructure, sovereign wealth, private equity, hedge and pension funds, together with their portfolio companies, in investment, acquisition, recapitalization, disposition and strategic joint venture transactions. Mr. Franchini has significant transactional experience involving core and non-core infrastructure assets, power generation and transmission assets, midstream natural gas pipelines, telecommunications business and other digital infrastructure assets, including regulated businesses.   Mr. Franchini also advises public and private companies in connection with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and other corporate transactions, including stock-for-stock mergers, tender offers, private stock and asset purchases, complex joint ventures, private placements of equity securities and restructurings.  He regularly represents clients in competitive auction scenarios, both as sellers and bidders.   Mr. Franchini has completed transactions throughout Asia, Latin America and North America throughout his career.

Geoffrey Goldschein is Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary at DigitalBridge. Mr. Goldschein is responsible for the management of legal affairs and generally provides legal and other support to the operations of DigitalBridge. He has 20 years of experience advising on fund formations, U.S. securities laws, portfolio company acquisitions and divestitures, and other material portfolio company matters.   Prior to DigitalBridge, he spent ten years at Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA), where he worked as legal counsel for many listed and unlisted infrastructure funds.   Prior to MIRA, Mr. Goldschein worked in the corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and leveraged buyout groups of several large international law firms, primarily representing private equity funds and their portfolio companies in a wide variety of domestic and international transactions.   Mr. Goldschein received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, cum laude, from Tufts University. He earned a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he was a senior editor of the Georgetown Journal of International Law and served as an intern in the Satellite Division of the Federal Communications Commission.

Tomer Pinkusiewicz is a partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Mr. Pinkusiewicz is Co-Chair of both Gibson Dunn’s Latin America and Projects and Infrastructure Practice Groups, and a member of the Capital Markets Practice Group. His practice focuses on the procurement, development, financing and acquisition/disposition of infrastructure-related assets and companies, with substantial experiences in public-private partnerships, Latin America-related transactions, project bonds and infrastructure financings. Mr. Pinkusiewicz has substantial experience in representing infrastructure funds, asset-mangers, industrial participants and private-equity platforms in respect of investments and divestments in the infrastructure sector, with extensive experience and focus on complicated joint-venture arrangements and debt financing arrangements in respect of such assets.   Mr. Pinkusiewicz is ranked by Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as a leading Public Private Partnerships and Projects practitioner, describing him as “unparalleled in the PPP space,” “client-oriented and commercially savvy,” “a force within the industry,” “one of the best in the market,” “very smart, thoughtful and solutions-oriented,” and saying that he “provides sound and trusted professional legal advice, is a creative thinker and is able to navigate through tough negotiations while protecting his client’s interest.” In the area of Project Finance, Mr. Pinkusiewicz has been recognized as a Law360 “MVP,” an “Expert” and “Global Elite Thought Leader” by Who’s Who Legal and as a leading attorney by IFLR1000. In addition, he is recommended by Best Lawyers in Brazil for Project Finance and Development and The Legal 500 Latin America in the areas of Banking & Finance and Capital Markets.

Adrienne is a Senior Managing Director with Stonepeak and is the firm’s General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. Prior to joining Stonepeak, Adrienne was General Counsel for Babcock & Brown. Prior to Babcock & Brown, Adrienne also worked at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett for seven years as an Associate in its corporate practice.   Adrienne received a Juris Doctorate from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts from Hamilton College.