Celeste co-heads the Regulatory & Public Law practice.
Celeste has matured over 20 years of experience in the energy sector and has been working for leading Italian and international law firms, with specific focus on renewable energy.
Celeste assists leading national and international clients with reference to regulatory related matters (including authorization procedures and GSE incentives) in the context of development transaction and in cross-border M&A and project finance transactions.
She has been recognized among the most authoritative corporate, energy and administrative law lawyers (Milano Finanza, April 2020, Top Legal Guide, November 2022, Top Legal Guide, February 2022). She has been recently recognized as one of the most representative emerging professionals in the market (Italia Oggi, March 2021) and mentioned in Legal 500 2022 among the key lawyers of the sector.
Representative transactions Celeste has recently advised include assistance to:
The special alternative fund KGAL ESPF 4, managed by KGAL Investment Management, in the acquisition of two ready to build photovoltaic projects with an authorised capacity of 100MW and 150MW respectively in Lazio.
Obton A/S, a Danish group active in the solar energy sector, in the financing, borrower side, on a project finance basis, of over EUR 400 million, by Natixis, Unicredit and Generali Global Infrastructure (each as structuring mandated lead arranger & bookrunner and sustainability global coordinator) in favour of its subsidiary WT II Senior.
Matrix Renewables, a platform dedicated to renewable energies founded by alternative asset manager TPG through its impact investing fund The Rise Fund, in establishing a strategic partnership with Energía Aljaval, a Spanish company operating internationally in the renewable energy sector, for the joint development of at least 300MW of photovoltaic projects in Italy.
Acea Group, a leading Italian multi-utility, in the sale to the British investment fund Equitix, managed by Equitix Investment Management Limited, of a majority stake in the company that owns the photovoltaic assets already in operation or being connected to the grid in Italy.
EOS Renewable Infrastructure Fund II in investing in three projects in Lazio, with a total authorised capacity of 110 MW.
Glennmont and PGGM in the sale to ENI of one of the largest wind power portfolios in Italy. The portfolio being sold consisted of 13 onshore wind farms located in Southern Italy with a total installed capacity of approximately 315MW.
Obton, a Danish sustainable technology investor specialising in photovoltaics, in its first investment in Japan, consisting in the acquisition of a 30.9 MW photovoltaic plant in operation in Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture, and the subsequent refinancing with NORD/LB Singapore Branch and the Danish Export Credit Agency (EKF).
Foresight Italian Green Bond Fund in the arrangement and underwriting of a project bond worth EUR 10 million, sponsored by the Archimede Group and listed on the ExtraMOT PRO segment of the Italian Stock Exchange, dedicated to green bonds, for the refinancing of six photovoltaic plants in operation in Sicily, with a total capacity of approximately 6 MW.
WRM Group in the acquisition of a portfolio of credits from leasing contracts and medium-long term loans from Mediocredito Italiano, for a gross book value of approximately EUR 180 million.
A pool of banks composed of Natixis S.A, as agent, Natixis SA – Milan Branch as structuring mandated lead arrangers & bookrunners and lender together with Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A. as structuring mandated lead arrangers & bookrunners, lender and account bank and UniCredit S.p.A as structuring mandated lead arrangers & bookrunners and lender in the financing, on a project finance basis, of EUR 185 million in favour of the “Obton Secondo” sub-fund, set up within the fund named Obton Italy.
Bluefield Partners, an international operator in the solar energy sector, in the €21 million project finance based green loan granted by Unicredit to Bluefield Sole ITA.
Glennmont Partners in the acquisition of a photovoltaic project in Lazio, with an authorised capacity of 54 MW, from the earliest stages of development, including the legal proceedings before the Regional Administrative Court of Lazio – Rome against the silence of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers on the objection filed by MIBACT against the PAUR measure with which the project had been authorised.
Master, Administration and Finance of Municipalities, Università Federico II, Naples, 2001
Master, Administrative Law (Studi sull’Amministrazione Pubblica), Università degli Studi di Bologna, 2000
Law Degree, Università Federico II, Naples, 1998
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