Thomas Eldert is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Morrison & Foerster LLP, and is a member of the firm’s Project Finance and Development Group. His practice encompasses a broad range of matters, including international project finance, political risk insurance, export compliance, Exon-Florio and general domestic and international corporate transactions.

His experience includes the representation of lenders, borrowers and contractors in all aspects of project development and finance transactions, as well as representation of political risk insurers in both transactional and claims resolution matters. He has represented domestic and international clients in transactions in Turkey, China, Indonesia, Bolivia, Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, the Dominican Republic, Qatar and the United States.

In addition, Mr. Eldert advises clients on export licensing requirements and compliance matters for items within the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Export Administration, the Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Office of Defense Trade Controls. Mr. Eldert also represents foreign and domestic clients before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

Mr. Eldert is admitted to practice in New York and the District of Columbia. He received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 2002, and B.A., magna cum laude, with honors from Williams College in 1997.

From 1997-1999, Mr. Eldert taught in the Government and Public Administration Department of the Chinese University of Hong Kong as a Williams-in-China Teaching Fellow.

Representative Matters:

Energy Projects - Gas Pipelines. Represented the State of Alaska from 2004 – 2006 in negotiations to establish a joint venture with major Alaska North Slope producers to develop a $30 billion pipeline bringing Alaskan gas through Canada to the lower 48 states. Also, represents the borrower in a $150 million IMF financing of a natural gas pipeline in Bolivia.

Energy Projects – Power. Represents export credit agency lenders in over $2.5 billion of financings for five power projects in Turkey, providing over 20% of the country's installed electrical capacity. Also, represents export credit agencies and multilateral institutions in the restructuring and monitoring of over $3 billion in financings for power projects in Indonesia and the Dominican Republic.

Hotel Projects. Represents an export credit agency as lender in the financing of an $80 million hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan and in the restructuring of a $54 million financing of a hotel in Istanbul, Turkey.

Cleantech. Represents developers, suppliers and contractors in biomass, geothermal, nuclear and silicon projects in the United States, Turkey, Qatar and elsewhere.

Ports. Represented a multi-lateral institution in connection with a $21 million loan to finance the construction of a port in Uruguay.

Political Risk Insurance. Jointly represented three political risk insurers in connection with coverage issued to a syndicate of banks for the project financing of the BLCP power project in Thailand. Also, represented a private political risk insurer in a claims dispute involving a Colombian power project.

Corporate. Represented a major US company with respect to a joint venture in China. Also, represented a Brazilian venture capital company with respect to several international investments.

CFIUS. Represented a Middle Eastern fund, a U.S. software company and a Japanese investor in several transactions before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

Export Compliance. Represents a software company with respect to a Commerce Department investigation of alleged export and sanctions violations. Also, represented defense contractors with respect to potential ITAR violations.