Paulsen, Elizabeth D.

Noted as an "excellent attorney," Elizabeth Paulsen is well regarded for her experience in handling a range of transactions for various clients, including private equity funds. A client states that her skills and expertise are "the best I've encountered in the industry." - Chambers USA, 2020

 

Orchestrated first online gaming deals. Excels in structuring complex commercial arrangements. Trailblazer in the growing sports betting industry.

At the forefront of online gaming, Elizabeth Paulsen was the architect behind some of the first access arrangements in the United States. She is recognized as a top sports betting and online gaming attorney and represents the major players in the industry. Elizabeth continues to be a pioneer in the online gaming industry, becoming one the few attorneys in the United States to guide her clients through the ever-expanding sports betting industry. She advises both U.S. brick-and-mortar casinos, foreign online gaming platforms and sports teams on the various ways to expand into the sports betting industry and gain access to the emerging online gaming market.

Elizabeth’s intellectual curiosity allows her to offer a comprehensive perspective on her client’s greatest challenges. Passionate about multifaceted transactions, she also has a robust corporate legal practice where she concentrates on the areas of joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions and general corporate matters. Throughout her career she’s played a vital role in several prominent deals in the energy industry.

An innovator in both her legal practice and at Brownstein, Elizabeth is one of the two female members on the firm’s executive committee where she helps guide the strategic direction of the firm. Passionate about professional development, she plays an active role in the cultivation of the firm’s future leadership. Elizabeth also serves on the steering committee of Brownstein’s Women’s Leadership Initiative.

Previous Experience

Noted as an "excellent attorney," Elizabeth Paulsen is well regarded for her experience in handling a range of transactions for various clients, including private equity funds. A client states that her skills and expertise are "the best I've encountered in the industry." - Chambers USA, 2020

 

Practices & Industries

Practices

Industries

Energy

Elizabeth has engaged in a number of transactions in the renewable energy space. Her experience includes structuring the joint venture for Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. with Southern Power to develop wind power across the United States and representing Panasonic Enterprise Solutions with its unique solar-plus-battery storage microgrid being developed at Pena Station with Xcel Energy.

She also spent over a decade representing Freeport LNG in its development and financing of a liquefied natural gas export facility on the Gulf Coast of Texas, and most recently served as lead counsel for Freeport in a $2.4 billion holding company financing, which was supported by dividends from Trains 1, 2 and 3 of the project.

Joint Ventures

When jointly undertaking a transaction that involves individual assets and shared risks, it’s important to have an experienced advisor guiding you through the process. In high-stakes joint ventures, Elizabeth helps clients develop innovative solutions for complex arrangements. Her notable joint venture experience includes structuring the historic Union Station redevelopment in downtown Denver. She also represented Boyd Gaming Corporation in its strategic partnership with FanDuel Group, a subsidiary of Paddy Power Betfair plc to offer online sports betting and online gaming opportunities across the United States.

Outside General Counsel

As outside general counsel, Elizabeth is a strategic partner who can identify opportunities, understand a client’s top priorities and provide legal assistance grounded in business realities. Elizabeth strives to learn a client’s business, future goals and opportunities and become a valuable member of the team. With that knowledge, she is a trusted resource in guiding clients in a wide range of issues. She advises clients, including ultra-high net worth and closely held businesses, in a variety of industries and has significant experience with gaming, energy and real estate development. Elizabeth served as lead counsel for Freeport LNG Development, L.P. in the 2002 structuring, strategy and development of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving and regasification facility in Texas and has continued to play a significant role in the subsequent funding for the conversion to a multi-train natural gas liquefaction and export facility in 2014.

Representative Matters

  • Counsel to Boyd Gaming Corporation in its partnership with MGM Resorts to offer online and mobile gaming platforms, including sports betting, casino gaming and poker, in jurisdictions where either Boyd or MGM operate physical casino resorts and online licenses are available.

  • Counsel to Boyd Gaming Corporation in its partnership with MGM Resorts to offer online and mobile gaming platforms, including sports betting, casino gaming and poker, in jurisdictions where either Boyd or MGM operate physical casino resorts and online licenses are available.

  • Counsel to Pala Interactive, an online social casino and real money gaming provider, in negotiating its agreement with SBTech, a leading sports betting technology supplier, to offer SBTech’s sportsbook technology in integration with Pala Interactive’s proprietary platform.

  • Counsel to Caesars Entertainment in its partnership with DraftKings, a leader in legal online sports betting. The deal gives Caesars an equity stake in DraftKings and provides DraftKings with a path toward future online and mobile licenses through the large network of Caesars casinos.

  • Counsel to Caesars Entertainment in its partnership with DraftKings, a leader in legal online sports betting. The deal gives Caesars an equity stake in DraftKings and provides DraftKings with a path toward future online and mobile licenses through the large network of Caesars casinos.

  • Counsel to Kindred Group in its access arrangement with Mohegan Sun Pocono to offer online and retail sports betting in Pennsylvania.

  • Counsel to an affiliate of bet365 Group Limited, the world’s largest online sports bookmaker, in its acquisition of $50M of Empire Resorts common stock, making it Empire’s second largest stockholder. This strategic partnership provides bet365 with access to the New York State sports wagering market and allows it to offer retail betting, an online sportsbook and online gaming at Resorts World Catskills when permitted by applicable law.

  • Our national gaming team represented Ocean Walk and its principals in the acquisition, financing and development of the Ocean Resort Casino in Atlantic City. The property, formerly known as Revel Casino Hotel, consists of a hotel & casino with circa 1,400 rooms situated on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Our team also assisted in obtaining the required licensure arrangements for the facility in readiness for its opening in summer 2018. This matter confirms how our team has the ability to provide the full range of sector-specialist corporate/M&A; financing; development; licensing and regulatory services required on such major mandates.

  • Counsel to Kindred Group, the parent of the online gaming site and app Unibet, in its agreement with Hard Rock Atlantic City to offer online sports betting in New Jersey. The deal marks the entry of the Unibet brand into the U.S. market.

  • Counsel to Boyd Gaming Corporation in a strategic partnership with FanDuel Group to run online and mobile sports betting operations in the U.S.

  • Counsel to bet365, the leading UK online betting operator, in its sports betting partnership with the Hard Rock Atlantic City casino. The deal marks the entry of Bet365 into the U.S. market. casinos.

  • Counsel to Freeport LNG in a $2.4 billion holding company financing from a total of 14 participant banks. The loan was supported by dividends from Trains 1, 2 and 3 of the Freeport LNG project and the proceeds of which were used to pay down the existing bank debt for Train 3.

  • Counsel to Pala Interactive, an online social casino and real money B2B gaming provider, in negotiating a multi-year license agreement with the Abenakis de Wolinak First Nation to provide an online real money gaming platform.

  • Counsel to SC Venture Acquisition LLC, the manager of PA-SC Venture I LLC, in acquiring a majority/controlling interest in PA-SC West Palm Beach Project LLC, a distribution facility subject to a triple net lease, which is one of many add-on acquisitions for portfolio companies with similar purpose, by SC Venture Acquisition LLC.

  • Counsel to bwin party digital entertainment in a California online poker services agreement with United Auburn Indian Community.

  • Counsel to bwin party digital entertainment in a California online poker services agreement with United Auburn Indian Community.

  • Represented the investor group in its joint venture to redevelop the historic Union Station train station in Downtown Denver, which is being transformed into a mixed-issued project with a hotel, transit station and restaurant and retails uses.

  • Counsel to bwin.party digital entertainment plc, a publicly-traded online gaming company, in its joint ventures with Boyd Gaming Corporation and MGM Resorts International to offer online poker to U.S.-based players upon the passage of enabling legislation.

  • Counsel to Tropicana in B2B and market access agreement with Gamesys Group for offering of online casino products in New Jersey.

  • Counsel to Pala Interactive in various B2B and market access agreements throughout North America.

News & Events
Community
  • Board of Directors, Girls Inc.
  • Former Board of Directors, Denver Scores
  • 50 for Colorado Class 2005
  • Pro bono counsel, Gunnison/Hinsdale Confidential Center, Inc.
  • 2010 Women’s Foundation of Colorado’s Empowerment Council Steering Committee
  • Former Board of Directors, Lowry Master Community Association
Publications & Presentations
Education
  • J.D., 1998, with highest honors, University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Order of St. Ives
  • B.A., 1995, University of Colorado
Admissions
  • Colorado
Recognition

Law Week Colorado, Top Women Lawyers, 2017

Best Lawyers in America, 2018, 2020-2021

Chambers USA, 2016-2020

Membership

American Bar Association

Colorado Bar Association

Colorado Women's Bar Association

Denver Bar Association

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