Demetria Vong-Spillan
South San Francisco, CA 94080
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Accomplished Corporate Counsel with substantial experience with tax equity investments in wind and solar projects, including solar plus storage, tax credit transfers, and in investments in affordable housing funds. Over 25 years of experience in structured Corporate Finance both in-house and at law firms. Experienced in domestic and international financings for diverse asset classes ranging from infrastructure to intellectual property. Over twenty years as a trusted adviser to senior management at a major financial institution.
Regularly advise on regulatory, structural, and risk-based mitigation strategies. Perform strategic planning and execution as an integral part of a renewable energy team, financing investments totaling billions USD annually.
Proactive approach to legal risk management through oversight of outside counsel and legal spend. Foster strong relationships to develop responsive deal counsel. Leadership skills recognized as one of two bank attorneys nominated as a 2023 Fellow to the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. Past participant in Bank’s Next Level Leadership Program designed to identify and promote diverse female candidates for advancement.
Recipient of numerous recognition awards each year from clients for dedication and teamwork.
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
Leadership and management. Managing Counsel at a leading solar developer, guiding a team to support an active structured finance team. Acted as team lead for renewable energy legal support and managed outside counsel and internal diligence teams for billions USD of investments, sales and acquisitions, as well as high profile restructurings. Strategic partnering and advice. Collaborate with senior management to craft innovative solutions that protect the institution and achieve business objectives. Strong negotiation and advocacy. Experienced in negotiating successful partnerships with a variety of counterparties such as banks, private investment funds and energy sponsors. Operational excellence through legal process flow improvement including policy development, institution of standardized processes, and creation and improvement of form documentation. Establish consistency across the portfolio to reduce operational risk.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Lightsource bp, San Francisco, California.
Managing Counsel, Structured Finance. September 2024 to present. Managing counsel, leading a team of lawyers and a paralegal in solar and storage financings, including debt financings, tax equity partnerships, back leverage partnerships and tax credit transfers. Practice includes primary drafting responsibility for major documents and management of transaction closings. Developed standard documents for tax credit transfers.
Demetria Vong-Spillan, S. San Francisco, CA
Bank of America, N.A., San Francisco, California.
Associate General Counsel, February 2021 to September 2024.
Assistant General Counsel, June 2000 to February 2021.
Lead attorney for renewable energy group, advising on tax equity investments in wind, solar and storage partnerships, including back leverage enhancements. Experience with debt financings of renewable energy projects and tax equity investments in residential solar financing. Primary legal support for establishing renewable energy tax credit transfer practice, developing guidelines and forms. Responsible for training and development of attorneys and line of business associates. Collaborated with senior management on risk mitigation strategies for the renewable energy group.
Supported low income affordable housing fund investments and broker placement activity. Supervised and managed teams of outside counsel and contract administrators in all aspects of deal management to ensure timely completions, including: due diligence, tax analysis, and negotiation.
Advised and liaised with management for internal resources such as credit, tax, regulatory, sanctions and compliance teams, corporate secretary and accounting groups. Provided support and advice to all areas for on-going portfolio management, including distressed accounts, workouts and bankruptcy-related matters. Coordinated with regulatory, bankruptcy and other specialized counsel as needed.
Provided legal back-up to corporate secretary’s office in matters of corporate governance for both domestic and foreign subsidiaries.
Domestic and international transaction experience, including: secured loans, finance and operating leases, partnerships, tax advantaged structures, tax exempt financings, and residual guaranties. Asset types included renewable energy and energy management equipment, aircraft, vessels, rolling stock, facilities, and manufacturing equipment. Supported leasing company’s international team for 10 years in a variety of transaction structures and assets.
Supported active lease trading desk for 20 years in their large-scale portfolio sales and acquisitions to bank and non-bank entities (funds and operating lessors). Working knowledge of regulations applicable to leasing transactions such as OFAC, AML, ABAC, Reg. W, Edge Act, and Municipal Advisory Rules.
Chapman and Cutler, Chicago, Illinois.
Associate, April 1996 to May 2000.
Acted as lead attorney representing insurance companies, banks and other institutional investors in a variety of transactions, including: structured leases, receivables securitization and secured and unsecured note transactions. Collateral included equipment, real estate, rail cars and intellectual property.
Represented investors in mezzanine financings of leveraged buyouts, stock acquisitions and asset acquisitions.
Responsibilities included due diligence, document drafting and negotiation, closing mechanics.
Demetria Vong-Spillan, S. San Francisco, CA
Latham & Watkins, Chicago, Illinois.
Associate, August 1993 to April 1996.
Represented clients in a variety of transactions, including a hotel chain spin-off, loans secured by real estate, asset-based lending and revolving credit facilities. Familiarity with preparation of SEC disclosure documents for a 144A offering, registering a note offering and asset-backed receivables shelf registration; and Various litigation and bankruptcy projects.
Missouri Court of Appeals, St. Louis, Missouri.
Law Clerk for the Honorable Gerald M. Smith, August 1992 to July 1993.
EDUCATION and BAR ADMISSIONS
University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor, Michigan. J.D., December 1991.
Research & Development Editor, University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. B.A., May 1988, International Economics.
Admitted to the California Bar, May 2001; to the Illinois Bar, May 1993; and to the Missouri Bar, October 1992 (currently on inactive status in Missouri and Illinois).
ACTIVITIES
Bar Association of San Francisco, Director 2022-2025.
Justice & Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San Francisco, Director 2019-2022.
South San Francisco Housing Authority, Commissioner 2017-2025.
Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area, member 2015-present.
Pro Bono, Former regional chair of Bank of America’s pro bono committee and a volunteer for various immigration law, expungement and general corporate pro bono projects.