Leo Berwick, a dedicated deal advisory firm, today announces the establishment of a premiere tax-sophisticated, client-focused renewable energy Valuation and Cost Segregation services practice, thereby fully integrating exceptional valuation, cost segregation, and tax expertise under one unparalleled roof. To lead this practice, Martin Schmidt has been appointed Partner – Valuations leader. In this role, he will work closely with Joe Zenk, Cost Segregation leader, and Rick Ellsworth, Senior Advisor – Valuations.
Nick Kato, founder and Managing Partner of Leo Berwick, said, “The addition of in-house valuation expertise enhances our ability to offer bespoke, holistic, and practical advice to our clients in all aspects of the infrastructure, renewable energy, valuation and cost segregation space.” Dorian Hunt, Partner and Head of Renewables at Leo Berwick, said, “Our renewables and infrastructure clients require a team of dedicated professionals that carry a comprehensive understanding of the ins and outs involved in any dynamic tax-credit financed renewable energy or infrastructure deal.”
Martin Schmidt – Partner and Head of Valuations
Martin Schmidt brings over 40 years of engineering, valuation and tax consulting experience. Prior to joining Leo Berwick, Schmidt was a member of several valuation practices of international accounting and consulting firms, including as the National Risk Management Partner for a Big 4’s Valuation and Economic Services practices, furthering Leo Berwick’s prominence and capability to provide insightful, detailed, and defensible valuation opinions on a variety of renewable energy and infrastructure projects. Martin shared, “Our team of seasoned valuation professionals utilize an approach that applies the unique tax considerations of each project to the latest and most innovative valuation methodologies, legal and tax developments, and industry guidance. No firm is more ideally positioned to aid in the valuation of your next energy or infrastructure pursuit.”
Joe Zenk – Cost Segregation Leader
Joe Zenk joined Leo Berwick in October 2023 and brings over 40 years of experience in market valuations, cost segregation, technical analyses for tax-related matters and more. Prior to joining Leo Berwick, Zenk was the national cost segregation leader and capital projects leader in the infrastructure, power, utilities and renewable sectors for a global Big 4. Zenk’s extensive experience provides clients with expert advice on cost segregation matters and technical analysis on tax credits and incentives.
Rick Ellsworth – Senior Advisor – Valuations
Rick Ellsworth brings over 40 years of global experience in providing engineering and valuation services for the power and renewable energy industries. Before joining Leo Berwick, he was a senior member of the valuation practice in a Big 4 firm, specializing in power, renewable energy, and infrastructure assets.
Leo Berwick’s team of former Big 4 and Big Law tax advisers has aided clients with transactions as small as $10mn to over $10bn, specializing in value-added tax due diligence, tax modeling, tax structuring, renewables tax credits and tax insurance underwriting evaluation across all sectors, with deep expertise in energy transition, renewables and broader infrastructure in the US and Canada for some of the world’s biggest investors and renewables developers. The team is at the forefront of helping stakeholders understand the practical implications, challenges and opportunities attendant to building out the diverse energy technologies incentivized under the Inflation Reduction Act.
To learn more about Leo Berwick and how it helps clients at any point in the deal or portfolio lifecycle, visit: https://www.leoberwick.com/
About Leo Berwick
Leo Berwick is a commercially focused deal advisory serving the merger and acquisition needs of the world’s biggest infrastructure funds, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, private equity firms, publicly-listed companies and private strategic investors, as well as the banks, law firms, and transaction advisories who facilitate these deals. The firm supports the full deal lifecycle with focused insights into the federal, state/provincial and local tax implications of each deal, including cross-border and international transactions. Leo Berwick’s nuanced tax expertise in regulated and fast-moving sectors makes the firm a key ally to ensure your clients get the best tax outcome in any deal. With resources across the US and Canada, Leo Berwick employs more than 55 leading tax specialists, serving investors and their partners in the Americas, EMEA, Asia Pacific, and South Asia.