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Kari S. Larsen is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, currently seconded in the London office. She is a member of the Firm's Energy and Derivatives Markets Practice Group, where she focuses her practice on transactional, regulatory and risk management matters relating to US and EU commodity and energy markets, with a particular concentration on emissions allowance and renewable energy projects and trading.
Kari represents investment banks, hedge funds, energy and commodity companies and trade associations in a wide variety of commodity trading, structured commodity and derivatives transaction and energy-related acquisition matters. She has considerable experience drafting and negotiating agreements concerning commodities such as emissions allowances, coal, renewable energy certificates, natural gas, power, and agricultural products. Kari also represents clients in connection with energy and commodity legislative matters. Kari previously seconded in McDermott's London office, where she assisted clients in understanding the EU and Kyoto emissions trading schemes and negotiated related documentation.
Kari has authored a number of articles and speaks regularly on emissions markets topics, including "IPCC: Climate Change - Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability", International News (Issue 2, 2007); "Potential Conflicts Between the Kyoto Protocol and the World Trade Organisation", International News (Issue 3, 2006); "Emissions Trading Programs Are Evolving", Electric Light & Power (July/August 2006); "Global Emissions Trading and Documentation", 2004 and 2006 ISDA Energy, Commodities and Developing Products Conferences, 2004 ISDA Documentation Initiatives in Collateral, Credit and Commodity Derivatives Conference, and the 2003-2006 McDermott Energy Conferences.
In addition, Kari has authored articles on CFTC and FERC regulatory issues, including "Concurrent Investigations by the CFTC and the FERC into Alleged Power and Natural Gas Price Manipulation: Who's on First", Futures & Derivatives Law Report (January 2003); "Shall We Dance: The Jurisdictional Interplay Between the CFTC and FERC", Futures Industry (March/April 2002); "Hyperlinks: A Comparative Regulatory Analysis", Banking & Financial Services Policy Report (February 2002); and "The Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000: The New Statutory Regime for Futures and Over-the-Counter Derivatives Transactions and Trading Facilities", Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 (Glasser LegalWorks Seminars 2001).
Prior to joining the Firm, Kari was international operations counsel for the Enforcement Division of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission. At the CFTC, she handled international litigation and policy issues, negotiated and drafted Commission Memoranda of Understanding with foreign jurisdictions, provided assistance to foreign jurisdictions in connection with investigations and litigation, and represented the Commission to international securities organizations.
At the Washington College of Law, Kari served as Articles Editor on the Administrative Law Review. Kari is admitted to practice in New York and the District of Columbia.
Representative Experience:
Represented a leading derivatives industry association in drafting the current industry standard US emissions trading agreement
Advise US and EU investment banks and hedge fund clients in the initiation of their emissions allowance, renewable energy and coal trading desks and drafting and negotiating the related trading documentation
Advise investment bank and hedge fund clients on structured energy transactions involving the acquisition of power assets and complex issues relating to emissions allowances and carbon trading (relating to current and future US emissions programs, the Kyoto mechanisms and the EU ETS)
In 2007, assisted a large US retailer in implementing their global green energy strategy by negotiating procurement contracts for energy from various renewable sources and other environmental attributes
In 2006, represented a financial institution in negotiating a financially-settled hedge in connection with an acquisition of competitive generation assets in the Northeast
In 2005, represented a financial institution in its acquisition of the power and gas derivatives trading portfolio of a major power marketer
In 2004, represented an investment bank in connection with its purchase of the equity of a large Houston-based energy trader and, with respect to certain affiliates, their trading assets, together valued at over one billion dollars, and assisted the client in securing regulatory approvals, third-party consents and novation agreements
Education:
American University-Washington College of Law, J.D. (magna cum laude), 1998
State University of New York-Binghamton, B.A., 1995 |
