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Minako Wakabayashi

Partner

Tokyo

Minako Wakabayashi’s practice is focused on the rise of Japan’s renewable energy market, including the development of onshore/offshore wind and solar projects, lobbying for policy proposals and corporate and other power purchase agreements. A partner in Orrick’s global Energy & Infrastructure practice, she serves as the firm’s Tokyo Office Leader. Minako also collaborates closely with Orrick’s global teams to represent Japanese clients in overseas investments, including partnering with the Singapore team in connection with energy transition investment opportunities throughout South and Southeast Asia.

Minako has significant experience advising international and domestic sponsors and developers on complex and innovative projects. She was called upon by the Japanese government in structuring the renewable Feed-in-Tariff scheme in Japan and prepared the government’s model contracts for specific contracts (power purchase contract/interconnection contract), which are a key component of the Feed-in-Tariff scheme in Japan. Recently, she has also been handling numerous corporate PPA projects.

She was appointed as Auditor of the Japan Wind Power Association (JWPA) in May 2022.

Minako practiced at Orrick’s New York office in 2004-2005. She also worked as a public prosecutor in Japan for four years and served as a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Supervising Committee for Public Bidding (Tokyo-to Nyusatsu Kanshi Iinkai) for eight years. She is serving as Audit of Veritas In Silico Inc since March 2022.

    • Pattern Energy Group LP in the sale of its directly-owned Japanese assets and 100% of its interest in Green Power Investment Corporation to NTT Anode Energy Corporation and JERA Co., Inc. This is the largest deal ever for a renewable energy company in Japan.
    • Green Power Investment Corp. (GPI) in its development of the largest wind energy project in Japan, a 121.6 MW wind energy project located in Japan.
    • Representation of Setouchi Future Creations LLC, a special-purpose company consisting of GE Energy Financial Services, Toyo Engineering and Kuni Umi Asset Management, in securing $1.1 billion debt and equity financing for Japan’s largest solar project of 235MW.
    • Representation of Daiwa Energy & Infrastructure Co. Ltd in its partnership with a California-based renewable energy investment and development company focusing on developing U.S. renewable energy projects and acquisition, including the over 1.0 GWac of solar and 2.5 GWh of BESS projects under development in the U.S.