Energy and environment

water

A&O and Slaughters secure spots on Pennon Group panel

Listed water services company Pennon Group has finalised its first panel review under its new general counsel, with Allen & Overy and Slaughter and May among those appointed. The other firms with places on the panel are Ashfords, Burges Salmon, Charles Russell Speechly, Squire Patton Boggs, TLT and Winston & Strawn. The selected firms will […]

Abu Dhabi ADGM

Brodies launches office in the Middle East

Scottish independent firm Brodies has launched an office in Abu Dhabi, making it the firm’s seventh office in total and its first venture outside of Europe, The Lawyer can reveal. The office has been coined Brodies Middle East, and the decision to open it has been driven by the firm’s existing energy clients in Abu […]

Ashurst

Shearman projects team exits for Ashurst

Ashurst has swiped a global energy and infrastructure team from Shearman & Sterling, just days after the US firm announced its transformative tie-up with Allen & Overy The defecting Shearman team includes London-based project finance partners Sanja (Sonny) Udovicic and Julia Derrick, as well as Seoul-based partner Anna Chung, and Singapore-based partner Jean-Louis Neves Mandelli […]

Shell oil

Slaughters wins for Shell in climate change litigation

Update: ClientEarth announced on Friday that it had been granted an oral hearing to request the High Court reconsider its decision, something the Companies Act permits it to do The High Court has dismissed ClientEarth’s derivative claim against Shell’s board. The environmental law organisation, represented by Pallas Partners’ Will Hooker acting pro bono, brought the […]

renewable energy

Smiths Group GC moves to renewable energy giant

Mel Rowlands is moving on after nine years at Smiths Group, beginning there as its deputy group general counsel before moving up to group general counsel. Her previous general counsel experience involved a two-year stint as the general counsel of British Gas, building on her energy sector experience. Prior to that, she spent three years […]

Shell oil

Debevoise defends oil spill claim for Shell

British petroleum giant Shell has successfully defeated a claim by two Nigerian landowners that the company could be held liable for the tort of nuisance for the aftermath of an oil spill. The incident occurred in 2011. A pipe transporting crude oil burst, resulting in over 40,000 barrels of oil being deposited 75 miles off […]

offshore wind farm

City talk: Norton Rose and Addleshaws put their faith in renewables

The race to net zero shows no signs of slowing down as corporates focus on developing the biggest sustainable energy structures or the most innovative climate-friendly technologies. Norton Rose Fulbright and Addleshaw Goddard have been instructed on exactly these types of deals over the past fortnight. Additionally, Latham & Watkins advised a renewable energy company client […]

Sizewell B and C

Linklaters bags multimillion-pound nuclear contract

Linklaters has won a £7.5m contract to provide legal services for The Sizewell C Project – a new nuclear power station being built in Suffolk, UK. The contract will run for one year between 1 March 2023 and 31 March 2024, and it was awarded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. As […]

Bulb Energy

Success for Hogan Lovells, CMS and Linklaters as Bulb challenge fails

The High Court has refused the judicial review application sought by British Gas Trading (BGT), ScottishPower and E.ON regarding Octopus Energy’s acquisition of Bulb Energy. After a year-long tender process, Bulb was sold to fellow provider Octopus last October and thereby rescued out of special administration. CMS advised Octopus, while Linklaters had been on call for Teneo […]

Donny Ching, Shell

Shell’s longstanding legal chief to step down

The legal director of FTSE 100 energy giant Shell is to hand over the reins after nine years in the role. Donny Ching is stepping down as its legal director, having been in the role since 2014. His 33-year tenure at the business will come to an end in June, when he will be replaced […]