Phil Diamond’s love of learning makes him well suited for practice in renewable energy, an area known for ever-shifting legal regulations, governmental incentives, and technological advances. He works primarily with lenders who finance and refinance rooftop and ground-mount solar power systems by making development, installation, and permanent loans.
Phil offers pragmatic guidance, helping clients minimize risk and maximize opportunity. Tax equity investments and governmental incentive programs are paramount in renewable energy projects, and Phil is proud of the Gallagher team’s knowledge of both, in Maryland and in states around the country.
In addition to his practice focus on renewable energy, Phil is experienced in securitizations and various other business transactions, including those involving real property.
Pro bono work is important to Phil. He is honored to have supported the efforts of Maryland’s Foreclosure Prevention Project and to support Free State Justice, an organization that helps members of LGBTQIA+ communities.
Prior to joining Gallagher, Phil served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable John C. Eldridge of the Maryland Court of Appeals. Before pursuing a career in law, he worked as a research editor at an academic medical journal, as a secondary school English teacher, and as a lobbyist and organizer with traditional Navajo and Hopi peoples from Arizona’s Big Mountain area.
Representative Matters
- Lead attorney for lender in negotiating, drafting, and continuing due diligence for multi-state financings of $20-$100M portfolios of development-stage solar projects in all major regions of the country
- Represented lenders in numerous construction and term loans for individual projects and revolving portfolios of projects, ranging from rooftops to community solar gardens to utility-scale solar farms
- Lead attorney for lender in negotiating and drafting construction loan documents for $133M financing of two solar projects in North Carolina
Beyond Gallagher
When not working for clients, Phil enjoys hiking, reading poetry and watching independent films with his wife and their five cats, and visiting their daughter in Minnesota. He also loves listening to a wide array of music, from Ma Rainey to Bob Dylan, from free jazz to medieval classical.
Background
Area(s) of Practice
- Corporate and Corporate Finance
- Creditors’ Rights and Bankruptcy
- Public Finance
- Real Estate and Business Transactions
- Renewable Energy
Court Admissions
- Maryland State Courts
- United States District Court for the District of Maryland
Bar Admissions
- Maryland
Education
- University of Maryland School of Law, JD, with honors, Order of the Coif, 1999
- Duke University, MA, 1983
- Vassar College, BA, 1979
Bar and Professional Memberships
- American Bar Association
- Section of Business Law
- Section of Environment, Energy and Resources
- Section of Health Law
- Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law
- Center for Professional Responsibility
- Maryland State Bar Association
- Bar Association of Baltimore City