Eli Hunt is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Corporate Department and Co-Head of the Firm’s Energy and Infrastructure Practice. Eli represents public and private companies, including infrastructure and private equity funds, in connection with mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, reorganizations and other transactional and corporate matters. With a focus on energy and infrastructure, he has represented U.S. and non-U.S. companies in a wide range of industries and sectors, including power and electricity, renewables, energy transition, digital infrastructure, oil and gas, transportation, logistics, manufacturing, technology, healthcare, retail and services.
Highly ranked in Chambers for his transactional work in Energy, Eli is also recognized as a notable practitioner by IFLR1000 and was named among Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Dealmakers in America” for 2024 and 2025, a 2021 “Dealmaker of the Year” by The American Lawyer and an “MVP” in Energy for 2020 by Law360.
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Work Highlights
- Global Infrastructure Partners in multiple transactions, including its: acquisition of Eolian (formerly MAP® RE/ES) from MAP® Energy; $2.5 billion sale of its 25.7% stake in Freeport LNG Development, L.P. to JERA Americas; and sale of 50% of its interest in Clearway Energy Group to TotalEnergies
- Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners in multiple transactions, including its: $8.1 billion acquisition of Astound Broadband (and Astound’s acquisition of certain assets from WideOpen West); $1.3 billion investment in Venture Global LNG, Inc.'s Calcasieu Pass LNG export facility; acquisition of TRAC Intermodal; acquisition of the Latin American business of Lumen Technologies, Inc. for $2.7 billion; purchase of a controlling stake in Xplornet Communications; acquisition of Rinchem Company, Inc.; and sale of its interest in Hygo Energy Transition Ltd.
- BlackRock’s Global Energy & Power Infrastructure Fund in multiple transactions, including the: sale of its 100% equity interest in Kingfisher Wind to DIF Capital Partners; sale of its 91.7% interest in Crockett Cogeneration to Hull Street Energy; sale of its interest in the Arrowhead Gulf Coast Holdings pipelines and terminals; and investments in multiple power generation assets, including Tenaska Georgia, Lackawanna Energy Center, Guernsey Power, Hardee Power, Cannon Falls, Spindle Hill and Harquahala
- Consortium of investors in its investment in select gas pipeline assets of The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company valued at $20.7 billion
- IFM Net Zero Infrastructure Fund (“IFM”) in its acquisition of a majority interest in GreenGasUSA Holdings LLC
- Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets in its minority investment in Puget Sound Energy, Inc., together with Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board
- Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp (AQN) in the signing, amendment and mutual termination of an agreement by Liberty Utilities, an indirect subsidiary of AQN, to acquire Kentucky Power Company and AEP Kentucky Transmission Company, from American Electric Power Co. for $2.846 billion
- Blackstone Infrastructure Partners in its investment in Carrix, Inc.
- Essential Utilities (formerly Aqua America) in its $4.275 billion acquisition of Peoples Natural Gas Company
- Astatine Investment Partners (formerly Alinda Capital Partners) in: its acquisition of Conduent Incorporated’s commercial vehicle operations business; and the exit of its investment in CVO Holding Company, LLC to PrePass Safety Alliance
Accolades
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Lawdragon “500 Leading Dealmakers in America” (2024, 2025)
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The American Lawyer “Dealmaker of the Year” (2021)
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Law360 “MVP” in Energy (2020)
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The M&A Advisor “40 Under 40” Legal Advisor Award Winner (2015)
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Super Lawyers “Rising Star” (2013)
Education
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New York University School of Law, 2002 J.D.
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University of Rochester, 1999 B.A.
Eli Hunt is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Corporate Department and Co-Head of the Firm’s Energy and Infrastructure Practice. Eli represents public and private companies, including infrastructure and private equity funds, in connection with mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, reorganizations and other transactional and corporate matters. With a focus on energy and infrastructure, he has represented U.S. and non-U.S. companies in a wide range of industries and sectors, including power and electricity, renewables, energy transition, digital infrastructure, oil and gas, transportation, logistics, manufacturing, technology, healthcare, retail and services.
Highly ranked in Chambers for his transactional work in Energy, Eli is also recognized as a notable practitioner by IFLR1000 and was named among Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Dealmakers in America” for 2024 and 2025, a 2021 “Dealmaker of the Year” by The American Lawyer and an “MVP” in Energy for 2020 by Law360.
Eli’s recent experience includes the representation of:
- Global Infrastructure Partners in multiple transactions, including its: acquisition of Eolian (formerly MAP® RE/ES) from MAP® Energy; $2.5 billion sale of its 25.7% stake in Freeport LNG Development, L.P. to JERA Americas; and sale of 50% of its interest in Clearway Energy Group to TotalEnergies
- Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners in multiple transactions, including its: $8.1 billion acquisition of Astound Broadband (and Astound’s acquisition of certain assets from WideOpen West); $1.3 billion investment in Venture Global LNG, Inc.'s Calcasieu Pass LNG export facility; acquisition of TRAC Intermodal; acquisition of the Latin American business of Lumen Technologies, Inc. for $2.7 billion; purchase of a controlling stake in Xplornet Communications; acquisition of Rinchem Company, Inc.; and sale of its interest in Hygo Energy Transition Ltd.
- BlackRock’s Global Energy & Power Infrastructure Fund in multiple transactions, including the: sale of its 100% equity interest in Kingfisher Wind to DIF Capital Partners; sale of its 91.7% interest in Crockett Cogeneration to Hull Street Energy; sale of its interest in the Arrowhead Gulf Coast Holdings pipelines and terminals; and investments in multiple power generation assets, including Tenaska Georgia, Lackawanna Energy Center, Guernsey Power, Hardee Power, Cannon Falls, Spindle Hill and Harquahala
- Consortium of investors in its investment in select gas pipeline assets of The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company valued at $20.7 billion
- IFM Net Zero Infrastructure Fund (“IFM”) in its acquisition of a majority interest in GreenGasUSA Holdings LLC
- Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets in its minority investment in Puget Sound Energy, Inc., together with Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board
- Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp (AQN) in the signing, amendment and mutual termination of an agreement by Liberty Utilities, an indirect subsidiary of AQN, to acquire Kentucky Power Company and AEP Kentucky Transmission Company, from American Electric Power Co. for $2.846 billion
- Blackstone Infrastructure Partners in its investment in Carrix, Inc.
- Essential Utilities (formerly Aqua America) in its $4.275 billion acquisition of Peoples Natural Gas Company
- Astatine Investment Partners (formerly Alinda Capital Partners) in: its acquisition of Conduent Incorporated’s commercial vehicle operations business; and the exit of its investment in CVO Holding Company, LLC to PrePass Safety Alliance
Selected experience prior to Simpson Thacher includes:
- Global Infrastructure Partners in multiple transactions, including its acquisition of a 50% interest in a natural gas gathering and processing joint venture with Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK), the formation and initial public offering of Access Midstream Partners, L.P. (ACMP), the acquisition of CHK’s interests in ACMP, the $2.16 billion acquisition by ACMP of a portfolio of midstream assets, the $5.99 billion sale of GIP’s interests in ACMP to the Williams Companies Inc., GIP’s $850 million 25% equity investment in Freeport LNG and GIP’s $1.4 billion sale of its 50% stake in the 680-mile Ruby interstate natural gas pipeline to Veresen Inc.
- Siemens AG in multiple transactions, including its acquisitions of Mentor Graphics for approximately US$4.5 billion and Dresser-Rand for approximately US$7.6 billion, its US$970 million acquisition of CD-adapco, the sale of its water technologies group to AEA for €640 million, and its approximately €120 million investment in Bentley Systems
- Multiple clients, including First Reserve, BlackRock, Carlyle Power, Terra-Gen and others, in various transactions involving the purchase and sale of power projects
- BC Partners in the $2.8 billion acquisition of CenturyLink’s data center and colocation business in combination with Medina Capital’s security and data analytics portfolio
- OnyxPoint Global Management LP in its investment and recapitalization of Sable Permian Resources LLC, together with Sable Management, LLC and The Energy & Minerals Group
- Consolidated Edison in the formation of an approximately $2 billion joint venture with Crestwood Equity Partners
- Safeway in its $9 billion sale to Albertsons
- The Independent Committee of Brookfield Renewable Power Fund in its US$13 billion combination with the power generating assets of Brookfield Renewable Power Inc., to create Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners L.P.
- Catterton in the formation with LVMH and Group Arnault of L Catterton, a global consumer-focused investment fund operating across North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America with assets under management of greater than US$12 billion
- Aquiline Capital Partners in multiple transactions, including the acquisition of Worley Claims Services and Engs Commercial Finance, as well as Aquiline’s investment in Virtus Partners and in the sale of Conning Holdings Corp. to Cathay Life Insurance Co, Ltd
Eli received his J.D. from the New York University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Rochester. He is admitted to practice in New York.