Bringing a background in EU and competition law to pressing energy regulatory matters, Maarten de Wit at AKD is a key advisor to energy and power developers and consumers across corporate, project, and contentious matters in the wind, solar, heat, and hydrogen sectors.
In a large-scale and high-value mandate, De Wit is assisting leading global renewable energy investor Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners in its competitive bid to develop, construct, and operate a 2 GW wind farm and 50 MW floating solar plant in the IJmuiden Ver zone. A further key client is district heating grid developer Eteck, whom de Wit is advising on concession and project development matters regarding its heat grid portfolio.
De Wit is highly sought-after for his insights across the energy transition, authoring articles on topics including grid capacity challenges and their competition law implications. Offering a leading contribution within academic discourse, De Wit teaches on topics including hydrogen regulation within the Climate Change and Energy Transition masters at VU Amsterdam and gives guest lectures for the masters in energy law at the University of Groningen.
Simon Witney is a senior consultant and chair of Travers Smith LLP’s ESG and impact group, with over 25 years of experience in sustainable finance, corporate governance, and private markets. He has advised private equity and venture capital firms, as well as the UK Government, on complex regulatory, transactional, and fund formation matters.
Throughout his career, Witney has been a prominent writer and speaker on company law, corporate governance, and ESG-related issues, including in the private equity space. His contributions include co-leading the firm’s internal ESG and Sustainable Finance Academy and helping to shape important ESG policies. He is a member of the BVCA’s Accounting, Reporting and Governance Committee, the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF) Policy Committee, and the ESG Committee of the City of London Law Society (CLLS). In addition, he serves on Invest Europe’s taskforces for the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
Heading the ESG team at BLOMSTEIN Rechtsanwälte, Florian Wolf is an important advisor to energy and industrial sector clients on ESG and sustainability matters surrounding international trade, the supply chain act, competition law, and the EU Deforestation Regulation.
A key client is Dutch renewables-powered ultra-rapid EV charging network operator Fastned. Helping promote the expansion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, Wolf is representing the client in review proceedings regarding the award of contracts for the construction, maintenance, and operation of fast-charging stations at rest stops along German federal highways. Complementing this expertise, Wolf also assists clients through ESG due diligence processes as well as understanding their exposure to deforestation and supply chain regulation.
Wolf is a notable thought leader in the sustainability space. As a leading voice within the legal community, Wolf has served on panels which discuss ESG in trade and competition law and the role of ESG in offset deals. Helping advance the legal dialogue on sustainability, Wolf co-authored an upcoming publication on the interplay between the German Supply Chain Act and the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive with public procurement rules.
An expert on environmental and planning law matters, Julia Wulff at Taylor Wessing is an indispensable advisor to major European project developers on the realisation of renewables, storage, and hydrogen assets.
In the green energy space, a key client is East Energy, whom Wulff is advising on the planning and permitting procedure regarding a 200 MW aggregate, solar, hydrogen, and district heating project in Brandenburg. Helping the client to develop a biodiversity-friendly PV plant, Wulff assisted in establishing a zoning plan which is aligned with nature conservation and species protection best practice.
Wulff is a standout thought leader in the sustainability space, regularly speaking at events led by key stakeholders including the Federal Environment Agency, Ministry of Environment, and Society for Environmental Law. Helping communicate key insights, industry developments, and legal changes with clients and interested parties, Wulff publishes a weekly renewables-focused newsletter. Wulff also takes on a key role within the firm’s thought leadership engagement, having initiated its membership within the German Energy Storage Association and participating therein through meetings and commentaries on environmental and planning law frameworks.
Julie Wynne at MLL Legal advises individuals and charities on structuring projects with a positive social and environmental impact, including embedding ESG considerations into governance and operations.
Wynne sits on the board of Earthworm Foundation, an impact-driven NGO that collaborates with businesses to address social and environmental challenges in supply chains. A key figure in the Swiss sustainability landscape, Wynne was also one of the three founding members of B Lab Switzerland, the organisation responsible for granting B-Corp certifications.
Andreas Zahradnik co-founded DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH’s sustainability group and is recognised for his expertise in the ESG space. Zahradnik focuses his practice on the intersection of ESG principles with the banking and capital markets space, with sustainable finance as his primary area of specialisation. Alongside an active practice in the thematic debt capital markets space, wherein he serves as an expert advisor on green bond regulation, Zahradnik is also adept at helping clients navigate the EU Taxonomy and SFDR.
Beyond client work, Zahradnik leads the firm’s internal sustainability initiatives, heading a dedicated working group tasked with enhancing the firm’s environmental performance. A recognised thought leader, Zahradnik is committed to championing sustainability and corporate responsibility within the legal and business communities.
