Thomas Hoffman headshot.

R. Thomas Hoffmann

Partner

R. Thomas (Tom) Hoffmann is a partner and business lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP. He is a member of the firm’s Finance Practice and the Energy Sector. Tom and Foley’s Finance Team represent more than half of the perennial leading lenders to the U.S. renewable energy industry. Tom focuses his practice on energy industry financing transactions, project development investments, and acquisitions of project portfolios.

Tom frequently represents lenders, developers, and investors in the development and financing of projects, including solar, wind, and biomass as well as gas and cogeneration projects. Tom has also represented electric utilities in various transactions as well as private purchasers and sellers of electric power assets. He has pioneered many of the cutting-edge mechanisms in project finance for renewable energy, including “unitranche” financing structures in solar construction loans, equipment loans, upper tier development loans, and portfolio HoldCo acquisition and term loans.

Representative Experience

  • Represented more than a dozen lenders in solar/storage portfolio loans, for construction and term debt in financings ranging from US$100m to US$350m. He has also represented borrowers for acquisition and term loans for solar portfolios, which have ranged as large at 80 projects in a single portfolio. 
  • Under Tom’s leadership Foley is known for creating efficient diligence procedures and “screening” mechanisms that meet lender needs but allow borrowers to avoid overly repetitive, excessive diligence.
  • Led lender legal teams for numerous utility-scale financings, recently in states as diverse as North Carolina, Illinois, California, Texas, and Arizona. The Foley teams have earned a reputation for early issue-spotting to avoid late-stage barriers to closings. 
  • Recently advised on the structure of several different HoldCo development loans, including borrowers within various locations in organizational charts.
  • Worked on (and led lender-side legal teams in) the majority of the unitranche financings in the renewable finance market. These deals included both construction-only and construction to term, and novel take-out arrangements.
  • Represented numerous lenders in negotiations with tax equity syndicators, helping to shape the market for credit support from upper tier investors.  

Awards and Recognition

  • Recognized by Chambers® USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the practice area of Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (2012-2024)
  • The Legal 500 (2012-2023)
06 June 2024 Press Releases

Foley Achieves Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2024

Foley & Lardner LLP is pleased to announce that it is again recognized by Chambers & Partners as one of the leading law firms in the country in the 2024 edition of Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.
26 March 2024 Deals and Wins

Foley Advises Silicon Valley Bank on Renewable Energy Investment

Foley & Lardner LLP served as legal advisor to Silicon Valley Bank in its capacity as Administrative Agent, Collateral Agent, Sole Bookrunner, Coordinating Lead Arranger, and lender with respect to the financing for the Eldorado Project.
15 February 2024 Honors and Awards

Foley Recognized in 2024 Chambers Global Guide

Foley & Lardner LLP announced today that six of its attorneys are recognized in the 2024 edition of Chambers Global. The global guide also recognizes the firm in four practices areas in the U.S. and Mexico.
10-13 March 2024 Events

Infocast Solar + Wind Finance & Investment Summit

A team of Foley attorneys from the firm's Energy Sector will attend the Infocast Solar + Wind Finance & Investment Summit on March 10-13.
01 June 2023 Press Releases

Foley Earns Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2023

Foley & Lardner LLP is pleased to announce that it has again been recognized by Chambers & Partners as one of the top law firms in the country in the 2023 edition of Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.
22 March 2023 Deals and Wins

Foley Serves as Legal Adviser to KeyBank in $225M Financing of Scale Microgrids’ Energy Transition Debt Facility

Foley & Lardner LLP advised KeyBank National Association, in its capacity as Administrative Agent and a lender, as well as KeyBanc Capital Markets and City National Bank, as joint lead arrangers, on a loan to Scale Microgrids for a $225 million first-of-its-kind non-recourse project finance debt facility.