Mayer Brown has brought on Sven Hodges as a partner in its Projects & Infrastructure group in Washington D.C. as the firm continues to grow its project finance practice.
He will focus on federal financing programs and infrastructure projects, including the energy and advanced manufacturing sectors.
"Market participants across many industry sectors are looking to engage with federal financing programs across the government to advance projects that align with administration priorities such as energy abundance, advanced manufacturing, national security, and AI leadership," Hodges said in an email to The Bond Buyer.
"Mayer Brown offers the ideal platform to build a practice serving such clients, with its market-leading finance practice, strong industry focus, and deep roots in Washington."
Hodges comes to the firm after "an extraordinary run working with the CHIPS Program Office at the US Department of Commerce to advance the expansion of semiconductor manufacturing in the US," he said on LinkedIn.
He served as chief counsel for Semiconductor Incentives for the US Department of Commerce's CHIPS Program Office. Before that he served as an assistant chief counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office.
The firm said Hodges has more than 20 years of experience "advising leading federal financing programs, private lenders, and investors on complex financing transactions" for a range of infrastructure projects.
"Sven's experience working at the center of federal initiatives makes him a strong fit for our Washington D.C. office," said Andrew Olmem, managing partner of the firm's D.C. office. "His arrival is another important step in our growth strategy and significantly enhances our ability to deliver sophisticated project financing solutions for clients across the advanced manufacturing and energy sectors."
Hodges joined the Department of Commerce in the CHIPS program office in February 2023 as deputy chief counsel and rose to chief counsel in January 2025. Before joining the federal government, Hodges was managing director of legal and regulatory affairs for the NY Green Bank, a sustainable infrastructure investment fund, from 2018 to 2023.
Previous positions include the Department of Energy, GE Energy Financial Services and Paul Hastings' global project group.
"Sven is a well-regarded project finance lawyer and a leader in federal financing programs supporting advanced manufacturing and energy in the US," said Joe Seliga, leader of Mayer Brown's global Projects & Infrastructure practice. "His experience in government funding and energy infrastructure matters will be invaluable to our clients as they navigate priorities such as advanced manufacturing, energy security, and AI infrastructure."
