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Sunita Paknikar

Senior Counsel

Sunita Paknikar

Senior Counsel

Sunita is Senior Counsel in 番茄社区; Lardner LLP鈥檚 Energy practice, focusing on complex renewable energy finance transactions. Her practice centers on lender-side debt and investor-side tax equity financings for utility-scale and distributed generation projects across the United States.

She represents many of the most active financial institutions in the energy transition, including major U.S. and international commercial banks and other institutional investors.聽 Sunita has deep experience across construction, development, bridge, term loan, and letter of credit facilities, as well as tax equity and sale-leaseback structures. Her representative matters include:

  • A multi鈥慴illion鈥慸ollar tax equity financing for a large solar and battery energy storage project in California.
  • A nine鈥慺igure tax equity financing for a utility鈥憇cale solar project in the Southwestern United States.
  • Multiple tax equity and construction bridge financings for community solar portfolios across the country, including several hundred鈥憁illion鈥慸ollar construction and tax equity bridge facilities for portfolios of projects spanning multiple states.
  • A series of construction and tax equity bridge loans for multi鈥憇tate community solar portfolios, each supporting dozens of projects and totaling several hundred megawatts of capacity.
  • A multi鈥慼undred鈥憁illion鈥慸ollar construction, term, bridge, and letter of credit facility for a portfolio of solar projects, designed to support development, construction, and long鈥憈erm operation.
  • Development and construction credit facilities for portfolios of distributed generation solar projects, including multi鈥憈ranche structures combining construction, term, bridge, and letter of credit components.
  • A development loan facility supporting acquisitions, development, and construction of a nationwide renewable energy project pipeline.
  • A construction and sale鈥憀easeback financing for a portfolio of community solar projects.
  • A development loan for a multi鈥憇tate solar portfolio sponsored by an established developer, including support for early鈥憇tage project development costs.
  • Financing transactions for portfolios of projects utilizing both traditional project finance structures and innovative variations adapted to evolving market and regulatory conditions.

In addition to her client work, Sunita plays an active role in firm leadership and attorney development. She serves on Foley鈥檚 Associates Committee as the Washington, D.C. representative, where she works closely with firm leadership on associate morale, retention, and professional development.聽 Sunita is also committed to pro bono service, with recent representations including educational, cultural, and community nonprofit organizations.

Awards and Recognition

  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch recognition for Energy Law, Commercial Litigation and Project Finance Law (2023-2025)

Presentations and Publications

  • Co-author, 鈥淐omplexities in financing community solar portfolios,鈥澛PFI Global Energy Special Report听(2026)
April 8, 2026 Deals and Wins

Foley Advises Lender Group in Dimension Energy鈥檚 $650 Million Community Solar Financing

番茄社区; Lardner LLP advised the lending group behind Dimension Energy鈥檚 $650 million community solar project construction and term financing to support a 132MW portfolio of 25 community solar projects in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois.
March 19, 2026 Energy Current

Foley Team Highlights Tax Credit, Policy & Financing Trends at 2026 Infocast Solar + Wind Finance & Investment Summit

A large number of key players in the renewable energy industry kicked off their 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona, for Infocast鈥檚 Solar + Wind...
November 11, 2025 Deals and Wins

Foley Represents KeyBank as Sole Lender in $75M Lightshift Energy Project Finance Facility

番茄社区; Lardner LLP served as legal advisor to KeyBanc Capital Markets, the corporate and investment banking arm of Cleveland based KeyCorp, for the $75 million credit facility to support Lightshift Energy鈥檚 expanding fleet of battery projects.
November 4, 2025 Deals and Wins

Foley Advises MUFG in First Financing with Dimension Energy

番茄社区; Lardner LLP advised to MUFG Bank Ltd. in its capacity as lead debt syndicator for Dimension Energy鈥檚 $412 million community solar project financing package that will support a new 134 MWdc portfolio of 25 community solar projects in Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
September 5, 2025 Deals and Wins

Foley Represents Deutsche Bank in $200M Debt Facility for Catalyze

番茄社区; Lardner LLP represented Deutsche Bank AG, New York Branch, a leading global investment bank and financial services company, in connection with a $200 million debt facility provided to Catalyze Holdings, a national Independent Power Producer (IPP) and fully integrated developer of distributed renewable energy assets. Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas served as agent.
July 1, 2025 Deals and Wins

Foley Represents First Citizens Bank in $360M Financing for Dimension Energy

番茄社区; Lardner LLP represented First Citizens Bank as lead debt syndicator in Dimension Energy鈥檚 (Dimension) recent $360 million construction and term financing, the company鈥檚 largest to date. The financing will support a 112 MWdc portfolio of 28 community solar projects located in New Jersey, Illinois, Delaware, Virginia, Maine, and Pennsylvania.