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.

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.

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.