Ms. Graf is committed to advancing environmental sustainability and applying her legal expertise to tackle climate change, all while consistently achieving success in her career.
BOSTON, MA, July 31, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Jessica A. Graf, Esquire has been recognized in Marquis Who's Who for her exceptional contributions to environmental law and renewable energy. Selected for her prominent career achievements, Ms. Graf has dedicated herself to advancing sustainable practices, prioritizing environmental stewardship and renewable energy.
A magna cum laude graduate of Wheaton College with degrees in political science and French, Ms. Graf continued to excel academically at Suffolk University Law School, where she graduated cum laude and served as Executive Director of its Law Review. She is licensed to practice in Massachusetts, before the United States Supreme Court, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
Ms. Graf's legal career commenced at Nixon Peabody, LLP, where her focus on environmental law expanded to include energy and project finance. As an associate, she established a new practice area in renewable energy tax credits, spearheading and negotiating high-value, complex transactions valued at billions of dollars for institutional investors, syndicators, and developers.
Her career highlights include:
• Leading and managing over $2.6 billion in capital and structured tax credit investments for renewable energy projects during her tenure in private practice.
• Structuring her inaugural tax credit equity deal that exceeded $500 million, a significant milestone in renewable energy financing.
• Orchestrating groundbreaking investments in wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal projects, including the second geothermal tax credit equity financing ever conducted in the United States.
During her tenure at Nixon Peabody, Ms. Graf also played a pivotal role in the Nellis Air Force Base solar project, the largest of its kind in the United States at the time, which garnered recognition and a visit from President Barack Obama for its national significance in renewable energy development.
Joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP, and later Goodwin Procter LLP's real estate department, Ms. Graf continued to shape the legal landscape, advising on diverse environmental and energy regulatory matters. She also served as real estate counsel at Seyfarth Shaw LLP and Sullivan & Worcester LLP, and as an attorney and energy consultant at Graf & Associates.
Currently, Ms. Graf serves as corporate counsel for Vestas-American Wind Technology, Inc., the global leader in the renewable energy industry for sustainable energy solutions. At Vestas, she leverages her expertise to drive and implement wind energy project development across the United States and Canada, providing comprehensive legal guidance on finance, operational strategies, and project execution. Ms. Graf works to mitigate risks in all phases from development and construction through to installation and ongoing operations, ensuring each project meets rigorous standards for sustainability and efficiency while championing Vestas's commitment to combating climate change through innovative practices.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Ms. Graf attributes her unwavering commitment to sustainability to her father, whose early environmental practices at home instilled foundational values centered around ecological stewardship and a deep respect for nature. She also credits her mentors, Forrest David Milder, Esquire, for guiding her through the intricacies of tax-related renewable energy investments, and John (Jay) Nusbaum, Esquire, for his visionary leadership at Vestas, which has profoundly shaped her career trajectory.
Ms. Graf chairs Vestas's Sustainability Committee and actively contributes to community initiatives, including volunteering at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Her personal commitment to sustainability is evident in her Boston home, powered entirely by renewable energy, where she practices composting, demonstrating its feasibility and promoting its role in sustainable urban living.
Ms. Graf has been recognized with prestigious accolades for her impactful contributions, among them:
• Listed on Tamarindo's Top 100 Global Legal Power List for her expertise in the wind and finance sectors,
• An Industry Award from ALM Global for her outstanding achievements in commercial real estate development and finance,
• Recognized as a Legal Luminary by the World Law Alliance,
• Recognized among the Top Women Lawyers in the Northeast by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell, and
• Honored as a Top Women of Law and with a Rising Star Award from BridgeTower Media's Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.
Ms. Graf is committed to advancing environmental sustainability and applying her legal expertise to tackle climate change, all while consistently achieving success in her career.
About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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