This elite group, comprised of experts in the field, personally nominates all invitees and develops the Agenda, which forms the basis of our discussions.
Forum Overview
Dates: February 5 - 7, 2025
Location: Nashville, TN
The Forum is an annual gathering of up to 48 senior in-house counsel from the largest institutional investors and preeminent external lawyers, to address emerging risks and challenges in direct investments in major infrastructure projects from across North America.
Using candid, peer-driven discussion, this Forum explores trends and developments in North American infrastructure investments, to discern best practices for successfully completing transactions and addressing the long term risks and challenges facing investors.
2025 Steering Committee
Committee Co-Chairs
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.
Committee Members
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.
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.
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