Profile
Paul M. Williams focuses his work on real estate and energy matters. He counsels clients on the acquisition, divestiture, financing, and development of commercial, residential, industrial, agricultural, energy, and mixed-use projects. He also provides advice to clients focused on energy transition and corporate sustainability issues.
Paul has provided advice to asset management firms, private equity groups, multinational conglomerates, and high-net-worth individuals on acquiring, selling, leasing, and financing real property across the United States, ranging from Class A commercial and luxury residential properties, to industrial facilities, to vast agricultural holdings. Over the past decade, he has guided high profile purchase and sale transactions on Rodeo Drive, in Napa and Sonoma Valley, and along the California and Texas coastlines.
He has been instrumental in supporting global power companies with leasing and development of generation and energy storage facilities, including gas-fired facilities, and wind, solar, and battery storage projects. His work includes decommissioning and sale of generating facilities, including nuclear, gas-fired, coal, and pet coke.
Paul also provides guidance to upstream oil and gas companies and utilities on a wide range of transactions. He has guided clients through the acquisition and sale of producing assets and the development of drilling and storage programs both domestically and abroad. Paul has experience with the leasing and development of lithium projects and petrochemical facilities.
Capabilities
Experience
- Advised an investment and asset management firm as to the acquisition, sale, lease, and financing of agricultural, commercial, industrial, and mineral properties in California and Arizona.°
- Advised a multinational luxury goods conglomerate as to the acquisition of several properties on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California.°
- Advised a multinational luxury goods conglomerate as to the development of commercial properties in California.°
- Advised a multinational luxury goods conglomerate as to the acquisition of winery and vineyard properties in Northern California.°
- Advised the nation’s largest developer, owner, and manager of high-quality student housing as to long-term ground lease and development transactions on college and university campuses.°
- Advised a private university as to the acquisition of land for and the development of a medical center.°
- Advised a strategic investor as to the acquisition and development of commercial properties in Silicon Valley.°
- Advised a multinational conglomerate as to the acquisition of data storage facilities across six U.S. states.°
- Advised a private equity group as to the investment in an automotive parts manufacturing business and its real estate assets in several U.S. locations.°
- Advised a private equity group as to the investment in an aviation parts manufacturing business and its real estate assets in several U.S. locations.°
- Advised a multinational manufacturing company as to the acquisition of a cold storage facility in California.°
- Advised various purchasers as to luxury residential purchases in Southern and Northern California.°
- Advised a financial services conglomerate as to debt and equity investments in several oil and gas projects in California.°
- Advised an independent oil and gas company as to the acquisition of producing assets in Los Angeles and Long Beach, California.°
- Advised an independent oil and gas company as to the sale of producing assets within the City of Los Angeles.°
- Advised an independent oil and gas company as to the acquisition and development of oilfield properties in Southern California.°
- Advised an independent oil and gas company with respect to the acquisition of assets and development of a drilling program in the Cat Canyon Oil Field in California.°
- Advised an independent oil and gas company with respect to leasing diatomite formation targets in California.°
- Advised a group of land owners and mineral owners as to the redevelopment of an urban oilfield property in Los Angeles.°
- Advised a strategic investor as to the acquisition of land for and the development of housing for oilfield services workers in North Dakota.°
- Advised a petrochemicals company as to the acquisition and development of a site for the production of biofuels in California.°
- Advised a private university as to investments in certain mineral properties.°
- Advised a public utility on the decommissioning and sale of a gas storage facility in the United States.°
- Advised a multinational petrochemical company as to two facility acquisitions in California.°
- Advised a multinational petrochemical company as to a chemicals facility acquisition in British Columbia, Canada.°
- Advised an international oil and gas exploration and production company as to a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility acquisition in British Columbia, Canada.°
- Advised an international oil and gas exploration and production company as to the sale of its LNG business and refinery assets in Alberta and Ontario, Canada.°
- Advised a global power company on the leasing and development of a gas-fired generation facility in Huntington Beach, California.°
- Advised a global power company on the leasing and development of gas-fired generation and energy storage facilities in Long Beach, California.°
- Advised a global power company on the sale of a gas-fired generation facility in Redondo Beach, California.°
- Advised a multinational conglomerate on the sale of a nuclear facility in California.°
- Advised a global power company on the sale of a former pet coke facility in Texas.°
- Advised a global power company on the leasing and development of an energy storage facility in Arizona.°
- Advised a global power company on the leasing and development of solar energy production and energy storage facilities in California.°
- Advised a global power company on the leasing and development of solar energy production and energy storage facilities in Hawaii.°
- Advised a global power company on the leasing and development of wind power generation facilities in California.°
- Advised a multinational conglomerate on the leasing and development of solar energy production facilities in Massachusetts and New York.°
- Advised an independent power producer on the acquisition and repowering of several renewables sites in California.°
- Advised an independent power producer on the ground leasing and development of a co-generation facility in California.°
- Advised a multinational conglomerate on the sale of a co-generation facility in California.°
- Advised an investment and asset management firm as to the lease and development of lithium assets in California.°
- Represented multiple lenders in construction and back-leverage financings of portfolio renewables projects across the United States.°
- Represented institutional investor groups with respect to senior secured financing in connection with a dormitory privatization.°
- Represented institutional investor groups with respect to senior secured financing in connection with the construction and operation of a port facility in Texas.°
- Represented multiple lenders and borrowers with respect to construction financings secured by multifamily properties across California.°
- Represented multiple lenders with respect to senior financings secured by industrial properties in California and Texas.°
- Represented multiple lenders and borrowers with respect to senior financings secured by commercial properties across California.°
°The above representations were handled by Mr. Williams prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate Law, 2023-2024
- Listed, The Legal 500 United States, Industry Focus: Energy Transactions, Oil and Gas, 2021
- Recognized, Who’s Who Legal, Energy Law, California and United States, 2015-2023
- Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2016-2019
- Member, Association of International Energy Negotiators, 2009-Present
- Member, Los Angeles Association of Professional Landmen, 2011-Present
- Member, American Bar Association, 2012-Present
Credentials
Education
- J.D., University of Calgary, 2009
- M.Phil., University of Cambridge, 2003
- B.A., cum laude, Amherst College, 2002
Admissions
- California
- Texas
- Alberta, Canada
Languages
- Spanish, Fluent