John S. Laney

John Laney represents clients in corporate governance matters; mergers and acquisitions; and corporate, securities and financing transactions, with an emphasis on the development, structuring, financing, and acquisition of renewable energy projects. John has recently advised clients in the business consulting, energy, food & beverage, health care, manufacturing industries, and other industries.

Prior to law school, John was a senior account executive with HSBC, Consumer Lending. John was an extern for the Honorable John C. Coughenour, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington; a law clerk at Forsberg & Umlauf, P.S.; and a legal extern at the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Education

Seattle University School of Law, J.D., 2008, magna cum laude; Associate editor, Law Review; Dean's list; Stokes Lawrence Diversity Scholar; King County Bar Foundation Scholar; Moot Court competitor; Student member, William L. Dwyer Inn of Court

Admissions

Washington

Languages

Mergers & Acquisitions

• Representation of Power Brands Consulting, a leading beverage industry development and management firm, and its shareholder, with the sale of equity interests to Martin Bauer Group, a leading manufacturer and supplier of teas, extracts and botanicals for the food, beverage, dietary supplement, and phytopharmaceutical industries.
• Representation of U.S. subsidiary of a large Japanese corporation in its acquisition of majority ownership of multiple home building businesses in Texas and Washington.
• Representation of Ecover Coordination Center NV in its acquisition of Method Products, Inc, a cleaning products manufacturer whose products are sold in major retailers within the United States and in various international markets.
• Representation of Aero Precision, Inc. in the sale of substantially all of its assets to a venture capital firm.
• Representation of Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCHN), a global leader in the metals recycling industry, in multiple acquisitions of metals recycling businesses in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, and Washington.

Energy

• Representation of sponsor of solar tax equity fund with respect to tax equity and debt financing necessary to invest in residential solar projects with an expected aggregate value of approximately $40 million.
• Representation of Atlantic Tele-Network in connection with the acquisition of Green Lake Capital, LLC and their 28 commercial solar projects with an aggregate 45.7 MW and a total transaction value of $103 million.
• Representation of SunPower Corporation in connection with purchase of companies owning green field solar projects in California and Arizona.
• Representation of SunPower in connection with financing EPC and OEM Agreements for 19.2 MW project in Colorado.
• Representation of international wind developers in connection with sale of 45 MW project in Idaho.
• Representation of buyer of micro-hydro projects located in irrigation canals.

Health Care

• Representation of International Columbia US, LLC, the parent of Columbia Asia, with respect to the sale of equity interests to a institutional investor based in Asia and the related tender offer by such investor to existing members of International Columbia US, LLC.
• Representation of radiology practice in its acquisition of imaging assets.
• Representation of multi-location dental practice in its sale to a private equity investor.

Finance

• Advising clients on the CARES Act, Main Street Lending Program, and other COVID-19 debt relief options.
• Representation of Integrated Asset Management, a Canadian fund, through its subsidiary IAM Infrastructure Private Debt Fund LP, in its term loan to a Canadian borrower that was used to refinance the debt of its U.S.-based project company and secured by a hydroelectric facility located in Oregon.
• Representation of Interfor U.S. Inc. as U.S. counsel in the negotiation of an amended and restated credit facility of its parent company, Interfor Corporation, a Canadian lumber products manufacturer.
• Representation of Versacold (a Canadian company with significant U.S. operations) as U.S. counsel in a corporate restructuring, refinancing and sale of assets to Americold Realty Trust with a total transaction value of $975 million.
• Representation of one of the nation’s 20 largest lenders in making a $175 million secured loan and a $75 million secured loan to fishing companies.
• Representation of a food manufacturing company in connection with secured term and revolving credit facilities.
• Representation of a borrower in connection with the financing of marine container terminal operations.
• Representation of a wood products company in connection with a $50 million synthetic equipment lease.
• Representation of a food manufacturing company in connection with a $60 million equipment lease.

Insights & Presentations

• Moderator, “Capitalizing on the Disruption in the Distributed Solar Marketplace.,” Distributed Solar Summit, Los Angeles, CA, November 2016

• Included in The Best Lawyers in America^® (Commercial Finance Law, Corporate Law), 2023–present
• Selected by the Puget Sound Business Journal as a 40 Under 40 honoree, 2017
• Selected by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association for its Best Lawyers Under 40 Award, 2017
• Included on the Inaugural Hot List (Western Region) (recognizing 100 early- to mid-career minority attorneys under the age of 40) by Lawyers of Color, 2013
• Listed among Rising Stars (Business/Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions, Securities & Corporate Finance), Washington Super Lawyers^®, 2013–2019

Professional

• Filipino Lawyers of Washington, former President and Director
• Minority Report Card Task Force, Representative
• Director, Asian Bar Association of Washington, President
• National Filipino American Lawyers Association, former Northwest Governor
• Asian Bar Association of Washington Student Scholarship Foundation, former President

Civic

• Weld Seattle, Director
• Knights of Columbus, Member
• Volunteer, St. Thomas More Parish School