Isabelle Romy co-heads Kellerhals Carrard’s cross-practice sustainability and ESG desk and leads the firm’s environment and sustainability department. A notable expert in environmental and construction law, Romy frequently advises public entities, governmental agencies, and private companies on a wide range of environmental legal issues.
Externally, Romy has served as a professor of law at the University of Fribourg since 1996, where she teaches environmental law and recently launched a new course on climate law, economy, and governance. A recognised thought leader, Romy is the author of numerous publications on environmental and sustainability law, including serving as a lead author of a recently published study on sustainable finance in Switzerland, which explores ESG and sustainable finance regulation and innovation.
Laure Rosenblieh joined Hogan Lovells in April 2024 to establish and lead the firm’s energy transition practice. A recognised expert in economic public law, regulated industries, and environmental law, Rosenblieh brings a particular focus on the energy sector and is distinguished by her active engagement in sustainable finance matters.
Coordinating the firm’s energy transition team, Rosenblieh provides training for major clients, guiding them in establishing frameworks to promote sustainable investments which align with emerging regulatory standards.
Beyond her client advisory work, Rosenblieh is a thought leader in the field. She regularly lectures on the challenges of the European Green Taxonomy at Sciences Po’s School of Management and Impact. Additionally, she has published articles discussing sustainability-related topics, such as France’s ESG challenges.
Jason Rozes co-heads Dechert’s global sustainability practice, applying his background in commercial real estate finance to advise clients in the areas of ESG and sustainability in connection with green loans, C-PACE, green bonds, as well as energy efficiency and climate risk disclosure laws and regulations.
Extending his engagement beyond his work portfolio, Rozes serves as a steering committee member of CREFC’s sustainability initiative (the trade association for the commercial real estate finance industry). He is also a member of the Climate Reality Project’s Leadership Corps – a global community of changemakers working for just climate solutions – where he publishes his thought leadership at the intersection of climate change and commercial real estate finance.
Rozes also contributes to the firm’s own insights and reports, writing on topics such as the benefits of the commercial real estate sector going green, and New York City’s groundbreaking Local Law 97. His most recent speaking engagements have included a CREFC webinar on the impact of California climate laws on the commercial real estate industry, and a discussion about sustainability trends affecting the sector on the firm’s ‘Dechert 4 Real’ podcast.
A pioneering climate litigator who has acted for leading climate and sustainability clauses across national and international disputes, Jenny Sandvig at Advokatfirmaet Simonsen Vogt Wiig brings leading expertise to high-profile and critical cases.
In an ongoing and high-profile matter, Sandvig is acting for Greenpeace and Nature and Youth Norway in a validity and injunction case against the approval of new oil and gas fields. With the fields anticipated to significantly augment Norway’s annual emissions, it is argued the approvals violate the Norwegian constitution and the country’s international human rights commitments.
A pioneering climate litigator who has acted for leading climate and sustainability clauses across national and international disputes, Jenny Sandvig at Advokatfirmaet Simonsen Vogt Wiig brings leading expertise to high-profile and critical cases.
In an ongoing and high-profile matter, Sandvig is acting for Greenpeace and Nature and Youth Norway in a validity and injunction case against the approval of new oil and gas fields. With the fields anticipated to significantly augment Norway’s annual emissions, it is argued the approvals violate the Norwegian constitution and the country’s international human rights commitments.
A further key client is WWF Norway, whom Sandvig represents in a dispute concerning the validity of the government decision to permit deep-sea mining on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The case is crucial in ensuring that seabed mineral exploration meets the environmental best practice necessary under the relevant impact assessments.
Sandvig is a highly sought-after thought leader, delivering public lectures on topics including climate cases under human rights law and authoring a chapter on human rights and climate change for Universitetsforlaget’s textbook on climate law.
Offering stand-out advice on project development, regulatory, and transactional matters, Jøran Sandvik at Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS is a specialist across the renewable energy segment, focusing his practice on impactful and large-scale wind and electrification mandates.
Sandvik is a crucial advisor to major investors across the renewable energy segment, with key clients including BlackRock and Ingka Investments. In a landmark deal within the onshore wind segment, Sandvik acted for BlackRock in the €537.5m sale of a 365 MW operational portfolio to leading energy company Eviny.
Committed to boosting dialogue on clean energy within the legal and business communities, Sandvik makes a key contribution to the Renewables Norway non-profit industry organisation. Sandvik provides the organisation legal advice regarding strategic challenges and the legal framework regulating the power market and co-authored its guide to onshore wind, which supports power producers and municipalities in understanding the sector’s legal framework.
Romina Santroni is a founding partner at Santroni Pasons, a pioneer environmental and sustainable business law firm in the Dominic Republic. She heads the firm’s environmental, real estate and hospitality team, and using her sustainability expertise, she advises clients on the best ways to pursue green development within the tourism industry. Her practice ranges from assisting clients with environmental permits to land use and land planning matters, and general environmental compliance for projects. She is a registered environmental consultant with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in the Dominican Republic.
Beyond her work for clients, Santroni also acts as legal director for ECORED, an association promoting sustainability in businesses. Notably, she has had a leading role in the drafting process of a proposal on waste regulation, which is still under discussion in congress. She recently spoke at an event organised by Riela (the Inter-American Network of Environmental Law Specialists), discussing the most relevant legal environmental developments throughout the Americas.
Jay Sattin, who leads Mason Hayes & Curran LLP’s ESG group, brings a wealth of expertise in sustainability matters and provides comprehensive advice on both contentious and non-contentious planning and environmental law matters.
Alongside a strong focus in assisting high-profile clients in the renewables sector regarding planning applications, Sattin also expertly advises clients in the media industry on extended producer responsibility schemes.
A notable thought leader, Sattin delivered the Waste Management and Circular Economy module for the King’s Inns Advanced Diploma in Planning and Environmental Law, as well as the Circular Economy module for the Law Society’s ESG MOOC. A prolific author in the space, Sattin also contributed to a briefing paper and roundtable discussion hosted by the Institute of International and European Affairs, focusing on circular economy policy and legislation.
Founder and managing partner of Schalast Law | Tax Christoph Schalast integrates dedicated advice on ESG and sustainability topics within his longstanding corporate, M&A, and real estate practice.
In a notable corporate mandate, Schalast acted for the shareholders of green roof systems manufacturer ZinCo on the sale of the company. The mandate supports the growth of the company’s nature-positive and renewable energy-based technology, helping boost sustainable solutions within the built environment space. Schalast is also a notable thought leader on green corporate law mandates, co-authoring a chapter on ESG and M&A for an M&A law and strategy handbook.
To support global law firms in achieving sustainability goals while raising the profile of green issues within the sector, Schalast serves as global chair of industry network Multilaw’s environment and sustainability committee. Schalast served on a panel at Multilaw’s annual global conference on how to build a sustainable business. To further collaborate with leading green legal professionals, Schalast is a member of the International Bar Association’s European regional forum ESG initiative.
Edwin Scharf co-heads SAXINGER Rechtsanwalts GmbH’s ESG team and frequently advises clients on compliance and the integration of environmental considerations into purchasing and procurement processes. Notably, Scharf recently advised one of Austria’s largest public utilities on its tender for the construction of the Ebensee pumped storage power plant, which marks a significant step towards the client’s climate neutrality goals.
Internally, Scharf takes a leading role in developing the firm’s sustainability report, which has been published annually since 2022. Scharf also co-authors the firm’s ESG newsletter and regularly organises and participates in ESG events to share insights on sustainability practices.
Offering expertise across advisory and contentious mandates, Jacob Schall Holberg at Bech-Bruun is a leading authority on environmental law and regulation, nature and biodiversity conservation matters, sustainability regimes, and green energy and infrastructure planning and construction mandates.
A key ongoing client is Danish transmission system operator Energinet, whom Schall Holberg is advising on the definition and delineation of projects under the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive. The mandate supports the client in its objective to efficiently develop and expand the electricity grid.
Schall Holberg makes a notable contribution to green dialogue within the business and legal communities, leading presentations and discussions on pressing sustainability issues for networks including Danish Environmental Lawyers, Altinget’s Network for Environment and Climate, and the DAKOFA Weaste and Resource Network.
As part of his external engagement, Schall Holberg is an active thought leader on environmental topics, contributing to articles on topics including ESG and packaging extended producer responsibilities. Schall Holberg elsewhere leads seminars and presentations on topics including CSRD, sustainability in procurement and supply chains, and PFAS.
A banking supervisory law expert, Nina Scherber at Lindenpartners is highly sought-after among major financial institutions for advice regarding the implementation of, and compliance with, European sustainable finance regulation. Alongside a particular focus on SFDR, Scherber brings deep knowhow regarding the EU Taxonomy and CSRD.
A key client is Berliner Volksbank, whom Scherber assisted with a feasibility study on the legal requirements for the management of an article 8 SFDR portfolio. The mandate supports the client in effectively managing its sustainable investments and ensuring compliance with green best practice.
Scherber is committed to advancing the dialogue within the legal and financial communities regarding sustainability, actively serving within the working groups of the federal initiative on impact investing and supporting the organisation in its push to promote economic activity which boosts ecological and social standards. Scherber also makes a notable contribution within the firm’s through leadership profile, contributing to its regularly updated white paper on sustainable finance, which helps communicate the complexity of regulatory developments in the space, and authoring insights on topics including ESG risk and sustainable finance.
Co-leading Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer’s EMEA ESG practice, Heike Schmitz is a notable authority on EU sustainability regulation and green commercial law matters. Bringing longstanding expertise in the funds space, Schmitz advises asset managers, funds, insurers, and pensions investors on green investments, regulatory questions, and the integration of sustainable and ESG-aligned practices.
A key client is major asset management group Unigestion, whom Schmitz is assisting in the implementation of sustainable finance regulation and responsible investment approaches across its whole business unit range. Within the mandate, Schmitz advises on sustainability-related disclosure and reporting requirements and compliance and supports the client in designing responsible investment strategies that align with articles 8 and 9 of the SFDR.
Schmitz takes a leading role on major sustainability initiatives within the investment community, serving as the co-chair of the Insurance Development Forum’s Infrastructure Taskforce and sitting on the ESG committee of private equity association Invest Europe. As part of her contribution to the ESG working group of the German Alternative Investments Association, Schmitz co-authored the organisation’s position paper on impact investing.
Martin Schröder at SCHULTE RECHTSANWÄLTE is a key contact among pioneering green energy, energy efficiency, and circular economy companies on pressing and business-critical corporate and commercial law mandates.
A key repeat client is zero-emission and hydrogen mobility company Hexagon Purus. Supporting the client in the delivery of technology solutions for fuel cell and battery electric vehicles, Schröder assists in M&A and commercial law matters, in the preparation of sales contracts and in the drafting of framework agreements. Schröder is also acting for hydrogen fuelling stations, tank systems, and transportation systems supplier Hexagon Purus Weeze on all corporate law matters and contractual arrangements.
Schröder is a notable thought leader in the hydrogen sector and recently organised a hydrogen industry symposium in order to bring together legal and academic experts with industry and government stakeholders to discuss regulatory developments, technological advancements, and market trends. To stay engaged in industry discourse, Schröder attends business meetings on environmental protection and sustainability through organisations including Wirtschaftsjunioren and Wirtschaftsrat.
Heading the environment, energy, and green transition team at Castrén & Snellman, Marius af Schultén is a specialist on the planning and permitting of large-scale infrastructure projects. Counting among his clients leading domestic and international energy and infrastructure developers, investors, and asset managers, af Schultén regularly advises on innovative and landmark environmental, project development, M&A, and commercial matters across the renewable energy space.
A key area of focus is the wind power segment, with af Schultén possessing deep knowledge of transactional, permitting, land use, and contentious matters impacting onshore and offshore projects. Complementing this expertise, af Schultén brings clients leading insights into the solar, battery storage, and hydrogens sectors. Beyond the renewables space, af Schultén is also active in the sustainable mining, forestry, chemicals, and aquaculture segments.
A recognised thought leader in the energy transition, af Schultén helps advance the dialogue on how energy and environmental law can help pursue sustainability objectives. Alongside being a member of the Finnish Society for Environmental Law, af Schultén is a vice-member of the grid committee of leading industry organisation Renewables Finland.
A key contact among leading investors, banks, project developers, and energy companies, Thomas Schulz at Linklaters is a standout authority on the construction, financing, acquisition, and sale of renewable power, green fuels, and electricity storage assets.
Schulz offers leading project finance expertise in the wind power space. A major client is clean energy fund manager Nuveen Infrastructure, whom Schulz is advising on the €473m acquisition and project finance of 50% of the shares of the 253 MW Gode Wind 3 offshore farm. Schulz also assisted a consortium of banks on the project financing of the 1.2 GW Baltic Power offshore wind farm.
Demonstrating his leading contribution to sustainability thought leadership, Schulz regularly contributes to the firm’s sustainable futures blog and its reports on the German offshore wind and hydrogen market. Helping build a legal and technical understanding of Germany’s renewable energy landscape, Schulz co-authored a review of Germany’s hydrogen regime in conjunction with Der Betrieb and also edits the Handbook of Wind and Solar Projects, which reviews legal and tax issues impacting renewable energy development.
Eva-Maria Ségur-Cabanac leads on sustainability matters within Baker McKenzie Rechtsanwälte LLP & Co KG’s global financial institutions group, advising EU and non-EU corporates and financial institutions on the evolving ESG regulatory landscape. Her practice focuses on cross-border transactional work, with a particular specialism within the energy and sustainability segment.
A recognised thought leader in the space, Ségur-Cabanac is a regular speaker in Austria and internationally on the EU Sustainable Finance Action Plan and the EU Green Deal. Ségur-Cabanac plays a key role in the firm’s global sustainability solution service line and frequently publishes thought leadership articles on sustainable finance and ESG-related regulatory developments.
An expert across the European and North American markets, Alexander Severance at DLA Piper Denmark specialises in commercial and project agreements, project contracting, and regulatory matters across the offshore renewable energy space.
Building upon a wealth of in-house experience, Severance is a stand-out thought leader in the offshore wind segment. As global co-chair of the Comite Maritime International’s International Working Group on Mobile Offshore Renewable Units, Severance is leading inquiries and legal reforms regarding the position of floating wind turbines and floating substations within existing international maritime conventions. As part of his engagement with the committee, Severance co-hosted a workshop on mobile offshore renewable units at the organisation’s 2024 Colloquium in Gothenburg.
Severance also continues to contribute widely to industry discussion, having spoken in 2024 at ONS Stavanger on legal challenges impacting offshore green hydrogen production and at the Admiralty Law Institute in New Orleans on the place of floating wind turbines in US maritime law. Helping boost academic discourse in the renewable power space, Severance also authored the chapter on US offshore wind licensing for Edward Elgar Publishing.
Ben Sharples heads up Michelmores’ natural capital practice and is a distinguished expert in agricultural law. Besides handling contentious matters in this field, he advises clients on carbon sequestration, payments for environmental services, and sustainability issues. His recent work includes advising the Forestry Commission on evaluating the environmental benefits of halting traditional agricultural activities on a site near the River Stour to prevent leaching.
Alongside his legal practice, Sharples is a pioneer in natural capital policy. He authored a practical guide to payments for environmental services, published by Law Brief Publishing, which serves as a comprehensive resource for understanding the diverse opportunities available in the environmental services market.
In 2024, Sharples delivered a full day of lectures on natural capital issues to an audience of 240, further demonstrating his commitment to advancing knowledge and practice in this crucial area.
Jill Shaw leads A&L Goodbody LLP’s ESG and sustainability practice, specialising in sustainability reporting, disclosure, and due diligence requirements stemming from evolving legislative and regulatory frameworks. Her expertise includes providing in-depth analysis of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, offering corporate groups clear insights into their emerging obligations.
Internally, Shaw is an active member of the firm’s ESG and sustainability group and oversees the publication of its ESG blog, which delivers frequent updates on sustainability-related developments. Externally, Shaw is a sought-after speaker on topics such as greenwashing, CSRD compliance, and sustainability reporting.
Dedicated to keeping clients ahead of sustainability trends, Shaw plays a pivotal role in client education and training on ESG matters. This includes training on EU sustainability legislation and educating clients on navigating the complexities of sustainability reporting.
Emer Shelly is a leading member of Mason Hayes & Curran LLP’s ESG group and draws on her corporate expertise to advise clients on ESG and sustainability requirements from a company law and corporate governance perspective.
Shelly plays a key role in M&A transactions with a particular focus on sustainability issues and advised one of the world’s largest technology companies on the Irish implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.
Beyond client work, Shelly is a regular contributor of articles and videos to the firm’s ESG Hub, focusing on corporate sustainability reporting. A seasoned speaker, Shelley served as a panelist at the firm’s Future of Energy Investment in Ireland conference, where she discussed the impact of EU corporate sustainability initiatives on Ireland’s energy transition. Shelly is also involved in an Irish Venture Capital Association working group which aims to develop standard policies to support SMEs in adopting sustainability-focused best practice.
