Najwan Nayef Partner - Not admitted in TX; practicing as a Foreign Legal Consultant

Najwan has more than 20 years of international legal experience advising utilities, project developers, technology companies, industrial manufacturers and energy infrastructure owners on the development, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of complex energy and infrastructure projects. Her practice focuses on large-load utility infrastructure for data centers, utility-scale power generation, and energy transition projects. She also draws on her international experience in Australia and the Middle East to advise multinational clients.

Data Centers, Utilities & Large-Load Infrastructure

Najwan represents regulated electric utilities in negotiating electric service agreements with hyperscalers. This work includes a landmark agreement to provide up to 3 GW of electric capacity for multiple hyperscale data center campuses, and a separate agreement for more than 300 MW. She has advised utilities in Indiana, Arizona and New Jersey on template capacity reservation agreements, feasibility study agreements, long-lead equipment agreements and electric service agreements for hyperscaler and cloud computing customers. She also drafts and negotiates water service agreements supporting large-scale data center developments. In addition, she advises energy companies on grid-connected utility service arrangements for data centers, battery energy storage systems, distributed generation and other energy-intensive operations.

Power Generation & Energy Transition

Najwan advises utilities, developers and clean energy companies on utility-scale battery energy storage, solar, onshore and offshore wind, renewable natural gas and natural gas-fired generation projects. She drafts and negotiates the following types of agreements:

• EPC agreements
• Equipment supply agreements
• Long-term service agreements
• Operations and maintenance agreements
• Purchase and sale agreements

Industrial, Oil & Gas and Port Infrastructure

Najwan advises Japanese-headquartered engineering, energy and industrial automation companies on strategic projects across the renewable energy, oil and gas and infrastructure sectors. This includes master services, EPC and O&M agreements for central utility plants that supply electricity, steam and chilled water to large manufacturing facilities. She has also handled master supply agreements for motors, drives and automation systems across upstream, midstream and downstream oil and gas operations. Other work includes supply, installation and service agreements for electrification and crane automation systems at a major U.S. port.

International Experience

Before joining McGuireWoods in 2020, Najwan practiced as a solicitor in Sydney and worked as an associate with international law firms in Dubai, Doha and Amman, including Clyde & Co. and Al Tamimi. She also held in-house roles in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, including contract specialist at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). She is a Foreign Legal Consultant certified by the Supreme Court of Texas and is admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Australia.

Najwan received the McGuireWoods Excellence Award in 2023. She is also a graduate of the Institute for Energy Law Leadership Class (2023–2024).