Energy is one of the firm’s principal practice areas.
We launched our energy practice back in the early 1990's and were one of the first law firms outside London to do so. Since then much of our turnover growth has come from our larger utility clients, who continue to be affected by market investigations, price volatility, security of supply concerns and increasing challenges on network businesses.
We are particularly active for energy supply businesses, working with two of the country's largest suppliers, but have also developed client relationships with a number of smaller independents. We also continue to work on electricity transmission and gas transportation issues for the GB system operator, National Grid, and also for SONI in Ireland, and advise one of Europe's leading power and carbon market operators.
Typically, our work will involve contractual and regulatory advice around customer contracts, metering issues, wholesale energy and carbon trading, and associated agreements.
We also have an active developer client base in the renewable energy field, and have worked on projects ranging for wind (onshore and offshore) and wave/tidal, to biomass and solar.
We have also recently seen a step change in activity from our private equity investment clients as fund managers have reacted to the recession with enthusiasm to invest in a wide range of business in the renewables sector. Through this route, we have acted on a variety of energy from waste and biomass projects.
Finally, we have seen an increase in activity in clean tech, especially in the West Midlands, as the UK government has increasingly looked to use support for the sector as an economic development tool and the leading universities in the region continue bring to market a range of new technologies from their world class research teams.
For more details of the range of energy work we undertake, visit our Energy expertise pages.
Our strength is built on experience and innovation. Our lawyers active in the sector come from across the entire firm, whether real estate and planning lawyers working for renewable developers; contract lawyers working on standard industry documentation; litigation lawyers advising on specialist metering supply disputes; corporate lawyers setting up sustainable investment funds; banking and projects lawyers advising on deals to fund renewable projects; or IP lawyers advising on protection and exploitation of rights in clean tech developments.
Notably, our energy practice now encompasses climate change law and policy, where we have a growing reputation built on expertise and our impressive track record. Climate change law and policy - whether derived from international law, European law or the UK's own domestic legislation - is hugely relevant to the energy sector, never more so than in these current times. The pace of change is also rapid, with developments such as new nuclear build, feed in tariffs, renewable heat incentives and carbon capture and storage (to name just a few) presenting exciting new opportunities. Our appreciation of the issues and how they affect the sector is second to none – a simple call and you will understand why.
Read our energy blog
Please contact Andrew Whitehead on andrew.whitehead@sghmartineau.com or 0870 763 1528 for more information or advice.