Partner
Houston
Blake leads Orrick's Energy and Infrastructure Sector (one of the firm's three focus areas, along with technology and finance) and is a transactional lawyer focusing on the downstream and midstream energy sectors.
Blake is recognized both nationally and globally by Chambers (Chambers USA and Chambers Global 2008-2020), which reports that he is "very strong in the industry and has a really good client following" and that clients describe him as "very pragmatic with good business judgment and a very effective negotiating style." Blake has also been named by Euromoney (2009-2019) as one of the “world’s leading project finance lawyers" and one of the "world’s leading energy and natural resources lawyers."
Blake advises clients on energy sector mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, and joint ventures, and on the development, structuring, and financing of large-scale energy projects in the United States and internationally. He regularly represents multinational energy companies, large private equity funds, project developers and sponsors, borrowers and debt issuers, investment banks, and other capital providers and investors in the energy industry.
Blake has significant experience in the electric power sector, including fossil fuel-fired, simple and combined-cycle and co-generation facilities, as well as wind, solar (central station and distributed), landfill gas, biomass and other renewable energy projects. He also represents clients in transactions involving oil, natural-gas and refined-products pipelines, gathering and processing systems and storage facilities (tank farms and underground), exploration and production investment platforms and operations, electric power and natural gas transmission and local distribution systems and alternative fuels production and marketing arrangements.
M&A and Dispositions
Project Development and Finance