Laura Houët, co-head of ESG at CMS, brings longstanding experience regarding sustainable investment strategies, ESG regulation and reporting requirements, and climate transition plan preparation.
Leveraging her longstanding expertise in the funds space, Houët advises asset and wealth managers on the application of the FCA’s SDR regime, including compliance with its fund name labelling and anti-greenwashing rules. A further key focus is corporate ESG advisory, wherein Houët assists real estate and manufacturing clients in scoping and navigating EU Taxonomy, CSRD, and CSDDD obligations.
Houët is a key voice on the green transition in the financial services space, sitting on the Financial Markets Law Committee’s ESG scoping forum and the Association for Finance Markets in Europe’s sustainable finance working group. Houët also lectures at Imperial College London’s Centre for Climate Finance & Investment and elsewhere delivers external teaching modules on the EU Taxonomy, ESRS, SFDR and CSRD.
David Hunter at Bates Wells is a leading authority on supporting businesses address climate change and biodiversity loss through their corporate operations, governance structures, and contractual relationships. Alongside helping clients deliver on ESG within shareholder agreements, Hunter places a particular emphasis on bringing nature into boardroom considerations.
A key client is the Knepp Wildland Foundaiton, which is working to restore the ecosystem of the River Adur in Sussex. Within the mandate, Hunter advised on land, financial and funding, and governance matters, helping create a legal solution which supports water quality, flood alleviation, and biodiversity.
A leading voice within the legal sector’s green transition, Hunter has served as a member of The Law Society Climate Change Working Group since 2020 and co-founded the Legal Charter 1.5 network. As a member of the UN Race to Zero Serviced Emissions working group, Hunter co-authored guidance on how the sector can reduce its advised emissions.
As lead ESG regulatory partner and co-head of sustainable finance and investment at Hogan Lovells International LLP, Rita Hunter is highly sought-after among major global corporates, asset managers, private equity players, and financial institutions in navigating the UK and EU sustainability regulatory suites.
A key area of focus is compliance with the requirements of the UK and EU sustainability regimes, including the CSRD and European Sustainability Reporting Standards. Within her advice, Hunter helps devise disclosures and statements which meet regulatory obligations and mitigate risk.
Demonstrating her commitment to setting best practice in the sustainable finance space, Hunter is a member of the City of London IRSG ESG Committee. Offering further insight within the business community, Hunter is a regular speaker on green transition matters, participating in conference panels on topics including sustainability disclosures, ESG regulatory change, and clean energy sector issues.
Valentina Keys at Watson Farley & Williams LLP is an expert advisor to the maritime sector on a breadth of sustainability matters including regulatory reporting, decarbonisation initiatives, emissions trading schemes, and greenwashing risk.
Keys is assisting a host of shipping sector clients, including Norwegian Cruise Lines, on registration under maritime EU ETS rules. Keys also provides advice to financiers including ING, helping navigate the impact of the FuelEU Maritime and the EU ETS regulations on liability exposure and existing financing arrangements.
A regular speaker at conferences and panels on sustainability matters, Keys participates in industry discussions on topics including decarbonisation, alternative fuels, and EU ESG regulation. Keys is also an academic thought leader on green topics, delivering an annual lecture at the Liberal Club on developments within environmental and climate change law.
International head of sustainability and ESG at DLA Piper, Natasha Luther-Jones brings longstanding expertise on transactions in the energy and natural resources sector and is a key advisor on corporate power purchase agreements.
In the PPA space, Luther-Jones is assisting H&M Group in negotiations for the offtake of clean electricity to power its operations across Poland, Spain, and Sweden. The mandate is crucial in providing the client a long-term supply of energy to match its consumption in key markets and reduce its operational carbon footprint. Luther-Jones is also highly sought-after among leading developers and operators in the solar power space, including Elgin Energy and BayWa, for advice on large-scale transactions.
Leveraging the experience gained from her engagement on landmark and high-value agreements and transactions, Luther-Jones is a regular speaker on PPAs, energy asset investments, and emissions reduction strategies. Luther-Jones is also a regular host of the firm’s climate transition podcast series.
Building off her longstanding chemistry sector expertise, Eleanor Maciver at Mewburn Ellis LLP works at the forefront of IP mandates impacting the future of sustainable chemical and material inventions.
Bringing deep knowhow regarding innovative sustainable polymers, nature-based materials, plant-based foods, and energy transition technologies, Maciver is a key partner to deeptech and cleantech companies. Key clients include sustainable food company Ecovative, whom Maciver assists on all European patent and licensing matters, and plant-based pigments spin-out Sparxell, whom Maciver advises on its IP strategy.
As the firm’s sustainability champion, Maciver leads its internal environmental strategy and sustainability collaboration group. Within this leadership, Maciver coordinates the firm’s engagement with EcoVadis, the Science Based Targets initiative, and the CDP climate change questionnaire. Helping boost sustainability within the cleantech sector, Maciver provides IP advice to the Undaunted climate innovation community and the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Change Makers programme, which seeks to leverage deeptech solutions to power sustainable change.
Caroline May brings longstanding environmental law expertise to her role as Norton Rose Fulbright’s EMEA ESG practice co-head. May complements her experience in toxic tort, pollution incidents, and remediation with a growing practice surrounding sustainability and ESG reporting and environmental and climate harm.
In an ongoing mandate, May is acting for major global logistics provider DP World on the £1.5bn redevelopment of its London Gateway project. Supporting the project’s large-scale remediation and ecology programme, May assisted on permitting, consenting, environmental liability, and remediation matters.
Helping inspire green best practice and awareness within the legal sector, May chairs the Law Society working group on climate change and is co-chair of the Legal Sustainability Alliance. Equally a key voice on ESG matters within the business community, May serves as a non-executive director of NGO the Aldersgate Group, which unites business, political, and civil society leaders to help champion an environmentally sustainable economy.
Harriet Murray Jones at Bevan Brittan LLP acts for leading investors and developers on the property aspects across the full renewable asset lifecycle. Murray Jones also serves on the firm’s ESG steering group, through which she helps businesses deliver on their ESG strategies, embed sustainability into their operations and supply chains, and meet regulatory and disclosure requirements.
In a high-value mandate, Murray Jones is acting for renewables developer Boom Power on the property and financing aspects of its 400 MW East Yorkshire solar farm and 237 MW Fenwick solar farm. With both assets falling under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects programme, her planning and commercial real estate expertise is critical in enabling the growth of the UK’s renewable power capacity.
A keen thought leader in the space, Murray Jones regularly authors article and leads webinars on topics including grid reform, decarbonisation, and how the legal sector can utilise climate clauses.
A finance specialist focused on ESG principles and sustainable development in emerging markets, Marc Naidoo at Howard Kennedy LLP acts for major lenders in structuring financial solutions which support green projects.
Complementing his longstanding expertise regarding sustainable agriculture and marine projects, Naidoo advises major corporates and development banks on energy and carbon transition projects including renewable power generation facilities and carbon credit platforms.
Naidoo is actively involved in promoting sustainability within civil society. As an advisor to the United Nations’ Ocean Protocol, Naidoo helps inform policy recommendations and financial mechanisms which support the protection of marine ecosystems and promote responsible investments in the blue economy. Naidoo also assists the Commonwealth on green topics including climate finance, sustainability and ESG regulations, and responsible investment policies, helping scale-up sustainable economic solutions across its member states.
Sung-Hyui Park at Bates Wells is a key contact on innovative and purpose-focused sustainability-related financings and impact investments. Alongside an emphasis on supporting corporates, investors, and lenders integrate sustainability considerations within their financings, Park also brings an acute awareness of the ESG-related legal and commercial challenges impacting the charities and not-for-profit spaces.
Regularly acting for development finance institutions, institutional impact investors, social banks, and registered charities, Park assists in negotiating green and sustainability-linked loans, blended finance structures, climate-linked impact investments, and innovative ESG-related funding mechanisms.
Seeking to boost equality and understanding within the impact investment space, Park initiated and co-leads the Equalising Deal Terms Project. As part of its aim to support funders and funding recipients in developing fairer practices in investment processes, the project has produced principles that allow social investors acknowledge and address some key causes of imbalanced impact investing relationships.
Leading Irwin Mitchell’s planning and environment team, Claire Petricca-Riding assists clients across environmental due diligence and biodiversity matters, waste and energy projects, and nature restoration programmes.
For environmental remediation and recovery company Rural Arising, Petricca-Riding is advising on planning and environmental issues regarding nature restoration schemes, supporting the client in the remediation of prior landfill sites and construction of nature parks. Petricca-Riding also brings expertise regarding emerging environmental and sustainability regulation, including the UK and EU emissions trading regimes.
Petricca-Riding is a key voice within the legal sector on green matters, serving as part of the Law Society drafting group for its practice note on conveyancing and climate risk and as a co-convener of the UK Environmental Law Association’s planning and sustainability working party. Leveraging her real estate sector expertise, Petricca-Riding spoke at UKREIiiF on sustainability and natural capital markets matters and hosted a summit on brownfield regeneration at a housing sector conference.
An expert on the green transition of the energy and mobility sectors, Chris Pritchett at Shoosmiths LLP regularly acts for developers, contractors, and asset owners on renewable energy generation and storage matters.
A key contact is infrastructure investor Liberty Global, whom Pritchett assisted on M&A, grid connection, contracts for difference, planning, and real estate matters in its acquisition of the 49 MW Rag Lane solar project. Pritchett also brings notable expertise on renewable energy certificate trading and commercial matters concerning electric vehicle infrastructure.
A notable speaker in the renewable energy space, Pritchett has participated in conferences and panels discussing the solar power, storage, and grid sectors. Pritchett also serves as chair of the Safety and Sustainability working group of the Electricity Storage Network, sits on the board of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Energy Capital group, and is a climate council member of industry body TechUK.
Heading the ESG practice at Macfarlanes LLP, Rachel Richardson is highly sought-after among funds and asset management clients regarding sustainability reporting and disclosure requirements as well as fund naming and anti-greenwashing rules. Richardson also brings a focus on corporate sustainability and purpose, leading the firm’s advice on B-Corp accreditation.
A core area of focus is TCFD obligations, wherein Richardson assists in interpreting FCA requirements and navigating reporting frameworks. Richardson is also well-versed in the sustainable investments space, assisting clients in investment strategy mandates and in drafting EU SFDR and UK SDR regulatory disclosures
Richardson is notable for her thought leadership on topics including the EU omnibus proposals and the ESMA ESG fund naming guidelines. Richardson also collaborated with the UN PRI and the Alternative Credit Counsel to develop a responsible investment due diligence questionnaire for private debt investors.
Bringing deep waste industry expertise to her role as head of Freeths LLP’s sustainability team, Kirstin Roberts focuses her practice on the intersection between corporate sustainability objectives and the reduction, reuse, and recycling of materials. Roberts complements her experience in supporting clients to manage, divert, and utilise waste with a growing practice regarding natural capital and water neutrality.
Roberts plays a key role within the firm’s sustainability initiatives, serving as a member of its responsible business committee, through which she helps coordinate its responsible business reports. Roberts also chairs the firm’s green group steering committee, which works to empower sustainability champions internally and simplify the adoption of green choices and practices for all staff.
Roberts is also a notable thought leader, authoring guidance into topics including sustainability-focused waste regulatory reforms and corporate carbon reduction and leading training on how industry sectors can leverage waste improvements to bolster their green credentials.
A leading authority on the decarbonisation of the shipping sector, Alessio Sbraga at HFW is highly sought-after in the maritime space on matters concerning greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable fuels, emissions trading, and ESG regulation.
A key client is 123Carbon, which hosts a platform that facilitates the issuance, management, and sale of verified carbon insets between energy suppliers and cargo owners. Sbraga is advising the client on the development and expansion of carbon insetting products.
Sbraga served on longstanding client BIMCO’s carbon intensity working group and drafting sub-committee, supporting the organisation in developing new standard contractual clauses which help shipping sector players meet the requirements of the FuelEU Maritime regulation. The mandate is key in ensuring the maritime industry adopts effective tools to help achieve its decarbonisation objectives.
Phil Spyropoulos at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is a key contact among financial services companies and major multinationals on the implementation of ESG, sustainability, and responsible business regulatory requirements and best practices.
Highly sought-after among leading multinational financial services players, Spyropoulos is an expert in interpreting the application of the UK’s Sustainability Disclosure Regime and navigating its implications for disclosure and fund labelling. Spyropoulos also assists leading corporates in complying with CSRD reporting obligations, EUDR due diligence responsibilities, and EPR requirements.
Spyropoulos has played a key role in shaping the sustainability regulatory landscape, having served on the FCA’s Disclosures and Labels Advisory Group and as a delegate of The Investing and Savings Alliance, which helps develop ESG disclosure and labelling rules. A notable thought leader in the space, Spyropoulos’ engagements include chairing a webinar on the EU Omnibus proposal and serving as a panellist in a discussion on the implementation of CSRD.
Heading the ESG and natural capital teams at Gowling WLG, Ben Stansfield utilises his longstanding planning and environmental law expertise to serve as a key contact on biodiversity net gain issues. Stansfield is also a notable authority on the environmental and ESG aspects of energy and infrastructure developments.
Stansfield is highly sought-after among landowners, developers, responsible bodies, and local authorities on biodiversity net gain issues, including the acquisition and management of biodiversity units, the delivery of biodiversity strategies, and the drafting of nature conservation covenants.
A keen thought leader, Stansfield has authored articles on topics including the nature-related risks to businesses, hosted conference discussions on matters including legal challenges in managing BNG and nature-related solutions, and led webinars on topics including ESG strategies and supply chain management. Stansfield also serves as a vice chair of the American Bar Association’s ESG and sustainability sub-committee.
A longstanding expert on climate finance matters, Chris Staples at Linklaters LLP acts for multilaterals, global financial institutions, corporates, and industry associations on investments, financings, regulatory issues, and policy matters across the green transition.
In an ongoing matter, Staples serves as primary council to the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA), helping the organisation navigate next steps for its verified carbon transactions definitions. A long-term partner to ISDA, Staples also co-authored a report with the association into the risk of greenwashing within the voluntary carbon market and how carbon credits can be used to help meet corporate climate targets.
Owing to his expertise in the carbon market space, Staples served on the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market’s work programme to boost market pricing, transparency, and integrity. Staples was also selected to the Energy Transition Accelerator, a carbon finance platform which seeks to catalyse private capital to further the energy transition in developing economies.
Matthew Townsend at A&O Shearman is a key authority on the environmental and ESG aspects of projects, regulatory and compliance mandates. Alongside heading the firm’s UK environment and climate practice and serving as global co-head of its environment and climate group, Townsend also helped found the firm’s global sustainability group.
Townsend is highly sought-after on pathfinding mandates, particularly concerning transition finance, carbon, and greenwashing. Supporting the UK’s ambition to become a hub for sustainable investments, Townsend assisted the UK Transition Market Finance Review Secretariat in engaging with market players and developing recommendations to create a regulatory environment which supports economy-wide efforts toward net zero.
As a leading legal voice on green issues, Townsend serves on the Senior Advisory Board to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and is a member of bodies including the International Chamber of Commerce’s Sustainability Committee and the Financial Market Law Committee’s ESG Working Group.
Leading the planning, environment, and health and safety team at Watson Farley & Williams LLP, Nick Walker brings deep knowhow regarding maritime ESG regulation, emissions trading issues, and green and sustainable projects.
In an ongoing matter, Walker is assisting Hecla Emissions Management in the development and launch of its digital exchange to facilitate the trading of FuelEU Regulation compliance balances. The mandate allows for verified emissions reductions to be securitised and traded, supporting the shipping industry in building further economic opportunities surrounding the use of renewable and low-carbon fuels.
Walker is a particular thought leader on green maritime matters, speaking at conferences and seminars on topics including ship recycling, fuel decarbonisation, and the EU emissions trading scheme. Walker also led a legal analysis for the Carbon Trust, focusing on the coexistence of the UK’s offshore wind and fishing industries and the mitigation of legal liability risk.
