Legal Team

James Casey Butler

Renewable Energy Attorney

jbutler@cleantechlaw.com


Practice Areas

  • Corporate Compliance Programs
  • Energy Storage
  • Government Grants

Education

  • Valparaiso University, J.D.
  • Purdue University, B.S.

Admissions

  • Illinois

With over 13 years’ experience in energy-related law, engineering, and organizational development, James “Casey” Butler brings tremendous technical and managerial expertise to energy storage law transactions and project planning. Before joining Cleantech Law Partners he was General Counsel LS Energy Solutions LLC, previously Parker Hannifin EGT Hannifin (NYSE: PH). Prior to his current role, James was the CEO and founder at Third Nail Consulting working with start-ups and universities on renewable energy and energy storage tech. He also served as General Manager and General Counsel for the Battery Innovation Center and as Director of Development at NaatBatt, a leading energy storage trade association. He has held leadership positions in multiple global organizations including Praxair Surface Technologies (NYSE: PX) as Global Compliance Manager leading a team of 30 individuals to negotiate contracts and ensure regulatory compliance across 13 countries. As Manager of Corporate Development at EnerDel, Inc, James won over $127 million in federal and state grants to build a lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility. He is active in non-profit ventures including Local Livelihood, a coffee producing co-op in Northern Thailand which creates sustainable coffee farming communities. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Purdue University and a Juris Doctorate from Valparaiso University. He is licensed in Illinois and currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Representative Legal Experience

  • Negotiated master supply agreement to produce commercial and industrial energy storage products for a large electrical and building controls provider. Estimated yearly revenue of $10 M.
  • Negotiated master supply agreement with large microgrid supplier.
  • Negotiated and delivered a $250,000 super capacitor project for the Australian O&G market.
  • Negotiated a $7.4 M flow battery project in with Milton Hydro in Milton, Ontario and negotiated the supply agreement with flow battery provider.
  • Negotiated project specific agreements with NextEra, Fluence, Viridity, S&C Electric, Trane, Schneider, and several other key players in the energy storage market.
  • Negotiated a $40 M energy storage project to provide back up energy for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
  • Manufactured and shipped $7 M in energy storage projects to Singapore, Thailand, Australia, Antigua, US, Chili and France.
  • Negotiated a PPA with GE for Praxair.
  • Lead major supplier bankruptcy response for a large OEM customer.
  • Represented Praxair to the European Chemical Agency in Helsinki, Finland to obtain a REACH exception to protect a $10M product line.
  • Provided compliance management for export compliance (ITAR, EAR), FCPA, conflict minerals and local laws at 38 facilities in 14 countries for Praxair.
  • Principal Investigator for an American Recovery Act grant for $118.5 to establish a US based lithium-ion manufacturing facility.
  • Developed export compliance program for large multi-national energy storage provider.
  • Counseled M&A activity by providing compliance due diligence with Praxair and Parker-Hannifin.
  • Successfully submitted and won over $150M in grants for various industries.