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Overview
Joe Kmak is an associate in the Energy & Infrastructure practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s Houston office. His practice focuses on the representation of corporate borrowers, commercial banks, private equity firms and other financial institutions in a variety of commercial lending transactions, with a particular focus on the energy and infrastructure sectors. Joe has experience representing lenders and sponsors in financings to support both traditional energy sources and the development of renewable energy projects..
Accolades
- Second highest score, Texas Bar Exam
Education
- Emory University School of Law, J.D. (Order of the Coif), 2021
- Indiana University, B.A., 2017
Representations
- The coordinating lead arrangers in an $800 million corporate financing of a utility scale solar and battery project portfolio with an aggregate capacity of approximately 1,992 MWac.
- The agents and joint lead arranger in a $1.0 billion senior secured warehouse facility for the acquisition of upstream oil and gas assets.
- The agents and lenders in a $500 million senior secured delayed draw term loan to finance the acquisition of data center power equipment.
- Deutsche Bank AG as sole lead arranger in a $200 million senior secured corporate credit facility for Heelstone Renewable Energy, a premier U.S. utility-scale renewable energy platform.
- EIG Credit Management and HPS Investment Partners as first lien lenders in connection with a first priority credit agreement with U.S. Bank Trust as administrative agent and collateral agent, and Cricket Valley Energy Center, a 1,016 MW combined cycle power generation facility located in Dover, New York, as borrower, as part of a broader restructuring and financing transaction for Cricket Valley. The deal won IJGlobal Investor Awards’ Transaction of the Year in 2025.
- Sunoco LP (Sunoco) in its entry into a definitive agreement with NuStar Energy L.P. (NuStar) whereby Sunoco will acquire NuStar in an all-equity transaction valued at approximately $7.3 billion, including assumed debt.
- Kinetik Holdings in a $300 million-dollar private placement.
- Kinetik Holdings in a $500 million-dollar sustainability-linked senior notes offering.
- Sunoco LP in a $500 million-dollar private offering of senior notes.
- Initial purchasers’ counsel in connection with the private placement of $400 million in aggregate principal amount of 11.500% senior secured second lien notes due 2028 by Martin Midstream Partners L.P. And its wholly owned subsidiary Martin Midstream Finance Corp.
- Gravity, a growth-oriented water and power infrastructure company backed by affiliates of Clearlake Capital Group, L.P., in the sale of Tech Management, its production chemicals platform, to Coastal Chemical Co., L.L.C., a Brenntag Company.