Annie Cho on Advising Companies in the Sustainable Energy & Infrastructure Space
What attracted you to join Mintz’s Sustainable Energy & Infrastructure Practice?
I was drawn to the Practice because of the way it’s structured around the industry rather than a single legal discipline. The clients we serve — developers, investors, emerging companies, infrastructure funds — are tackling some of the most complex and consequential projects in the economy right now, and the work requires you to move fluidly between corporate, regulatory, finance, and policy considerations, sometimes within a single deal. That kind of practice keeps you sharp and ensures you’re always learning something new.
What has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned so far in your experience at Mintz?
The most valuable lesson so far has been that the energy and infrastructure space rewards attorneys who invest in understanding the industry itself — not just the documents on their desk. The more I learn about how projects move from development through financing to construction, the better I can anticipate issues, structure solutions, and add value beyond what’s strictly in my lane.
How have your prior legal experiences shaped the way you approach your corporate practice today?
Before joining Mintz, my practice was squarely in emerging companies and venture capital without a particular industry focus — I worked across sectors with whatever came through the door. That generalist foundation turned out to be more valuable than I expected. It gave me strong fundamentals in deal mechanics, financing structures, and corporate governance that I now apply every day, but without the assumption that any two deals will look the same. When I moved into the energy and infrastructure space, that adaptability mattered. Clean energy transactions layer in regulatory complexity, tax credit structuring, offtake arrangements, and project-level considerations that you don’t always encounter in a typical VC deal. Having a broad corporate toolkit meant I could absorb those new dimensions more quickly and focus on learning the industry-specific pieces rather than relearning the basics. It also made me a better collaborator — because Mintz’s SEI Practice is multidisciplinary, I’m often working alongside project finance and regulatory attorneys, and having a generalist instinct helps me see how the corporate piece fits into the larger picture of what a client is building.
What aspect of working with companies in innovative industries do you find most engaging?
The thing I find most engaging is the people. The founders and management teams building companies in the sustainability and clean energy space tend to be deeply mission-driven — they’re not just chasing a market opportunity, they genuinely believe in what they’re building. That energy is infectious and makes the work feel more purposeful. It also makes for a better attorney-client dynamic, because these teams are engaged, thoughtful, and pushing hard to get things right. Beyond the people, I love that the legal work connects to something tangible. The deal you close leads to a solar facility getting built, a storage project coming online, or a new technology scaling from pilot to commercial deployment. On top of that, the deals themselves are genuinely complex in a way I enjoy. A single transaction might involve tax equity structuring, regulatory approvals, IP considerations, and traditional corporate governance — all at once. You’re never just running the same playbook twice, and you’re constantly pulling in knowledge from adjacent areas. For someone who likes variety and problem-solving, it’s hard to imagine a more engaging practice.
Looking ahead, what are you most excited about as you continue to build your practice and career at Mintz?
I’m most excited about growing alongside the clients we serve. One of the things that makes ECVC work in the energy and infrastructure space unique is the length of the relationship. The company you help raise a seed round today could be the same company you advise on a growth equity financing next year, a strategic partnership the year after that, and eventually a project finance deal or an acquisition. I’ve already started to see that trajectory with some of our clients, and it’s incredibly rewarding to build that kind of trust over time — where you understand not just the legal issues but the full arc of what a management team is trying to accomplish. As the sector continues to attract more capital and the deals get larger and more complex, I’m looking forward to deepening those relationships and being someone clients call early, not just when the documents need to get done.
What is a fun fact about yourself outside of your legal work?
The two things that occupy most of my time outside of work are food and cats — and sometimes both at the same time. I love going out to eat and finding new restaurants, and those meals usually end up inspiring what I cook at home — I’ll take a dish I loved at a restaurant and put my own spin on it, or use it as an excuse to work with ingredients I don’t normally reach for. I’m also a dedicated cat person who fosters rescues. At one point I had 10 cats in my home at once, including my own two. It was chaotic, but honestly, it was one of the more rewarding things I’ve done. Between feeding a crowd of cats and feeding a crowd of people, my house is rarely quiet — and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
