Leading Linklaters’ environmental and planning team, Markus Appel is a standout contact on impactful and critical matters concerning the energy and climate transition. Alongside a particular focus on permitting procedures for industrial and infrastructure projects, Appel assists major industrial and energy sector clients on environmental matters concerning M&A, joint ventures, and financings.
A key ongoing client is TenneT TSO, whom Appel is advising on major energy transition infrastructure projects. Helping upgrade the client’s electricity transmission network so as to deliver clean power more reliably and at greater scale, Appel is assisting on planning matters concerning the development of the SuedLink, SuedOstLink, and NordOstLink HVDC lines.
As part of the firm’s ESG journal, published alongside Der Betrieb, Appel co-authored insights on topics including climate protection, transition planning, and the impact of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. Appel is a regular thought leader on environmental law topics, authoring legal commentaries on the German Nature Protection Act, on regulatory developments concerning the German Renewable Energy Act, and on the environmental protection implications of the Taxonomy regulation.
François April is a key figure in Linklaters’ energy and infrastructure practice, bringing over 20 years of experience in project finance matters, with a strong focus on renewable energy. His expertise spans the full spectrum of renewable projects, with a particular emphasis on high-capacity wind farms.
April is an active member of the firm’s green energy group and represents the firm in the Syndicat des Énergies Renouvelables, a leading association for renewable energy professionals in France. A recognised thought leader, he has contributed to key reports published by the firm on offshore wind in Europe and clean hydrogen strategies. April also recently led an ESG podcast discussion on the challenges surrounding infrastructure decarbonisation.
At Garrigues, Gaspar Atienza plays a key role in supporting clients to meet sustainable development goals. As a core focus of his client work, Atienza frequently advises sponsors and lenders on financing renewable energy, energy efficiency, and environmental infrastructure projects. Atienza also brings extensive expertise in the M&A and corporate services market, with a particular focus on the renewable energy sector.
In addition to his client work, Atienza is an active member of the firm’s ESG committee, helping make progress toward meeting its ESG strategy. He also contributes to the firm’s Sustainable Dialogues webinar series, which explores critical ESG issues affecting businesses.
A recognised thought leader, Atienza has authored articles on topics such as green bonds, sustainable tourism, and green finance, further cementing his position as an authority in the sustainability space.
Raquel Azevedo at PLMJ is an expert on ESG matters within her client work and internal engagement. Leveraging her vast experience across capital markets and corporate governance matters, Azevedo advises clients on the development of their sustainability regulations and governance frameworks, ensuring they align with the latest ESG standards.
Azevedo is also particularly active in the sustainable finance space, having recently been advised the issuers and lead arrangers in the public offering of green and sustainability-linked bonds by major corporates including REN, Greenvolt, and Impresa.
A prominent thought leader in the field, Azevedo co-authored insightful articles discussing sustainability topics, ranging from the role of green bonds in financing renewable energy to corporate sustainability due diligence. Additionally, Azevedo demonstrated her commitment to spreading awareness on sustainability-related topics by organising and hosting a conference discussing the role of blue bonds in financing ocean protection and sustainable investment.
A senior counsel in Linklater’s energy & infrastructure practice, Lauren Bachtel heads ups the firm’s ESG team, bringing a decade of experience in the ESG space and as former lawyer at the US Department of the Interior and American Wind Energy Association.
With her compliance and regulatory expertise, she assists clients with US federal and state ESG laws, including environmental justice and climate and carbon laws. In connection with energy and infrastructure project financings, she also advises on the application of the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework, IFC Performance Standards on Social & Environmental Sustainability, and Equator Principles, among other international standards and risk management systems.
Bachtel joined the firm in 2023 and has contributed heavily to legal updates and insights across energy and infrastructure as well as green transition and ESG topics. She has also conducted webinars and training sessions for US trade associations. In connection with Climate Week, she moderated a panel organised by the firm on the role of business leaders in transitioning to a sustainable future. Bachtel also chairs the American Bar Association’s Section of Environment, Energy and Resources.
Founding partner of Lux Nova Partners, Tom Bainbridge is a recognised leader in the clean energy sector. With an over two-decade long track record in energy and district heating schemes, he continues to play a key role in shaping the heat market: Recently, he led the legal work for the UK Government’s Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP) and Green Heat Networks Fund (GHNF), delivering substantial public funding to support low-carbon heat networks. His experience spans landmark projects, including the first utility-scale wind farm in the Middle East and one of the world’s first carbon-financed biomass refueling projects.
Also beyond his legal work for clients, Bainbridge remains actively involved in advancing clean energy: He sits on the Board of the UK Emissions Trading Group, is a member of the Association for Decentralised Energy, and has served as chair of UKELA’s Climate Change & Energy Working Party and the Heat Trust. He has provided expert testimony before Parliamentary Select Committees and the National Audit Office on energy and environmental policy.
Bainbridge is also the founder of business consulting company Road from Rio, which provides strategic advice on net zero pathways.
A banking and capital markets expert, David Ballegeer leads Linklaters’ Belgian ESG practice and coordinates the team’s advice to corporates, sponsors, and financial institutions on ESG legislation, regulation, and sustainable finance products.
Ballegeer brings his expertise in sustainability-linked and green frameworks to project finance, acquisition finance, and bond and hybrid debt issuance matters, counting major domestic energy companies and corporates among his clients. A key repeat client is transmission system operator Elia Transmission Belgium, whom Ballageer advised on its €800m green notes issuance and separately on its €1.26bn sustainability-linked revolving credit facility.
In a landmark cross-border deal which will help augment clean energy capacity in New York, Ballegeer advised Elia Group regarding the €400m financing and acquisition of a 35.1% stake in renewable energy transmission and generation platform energyRe Giga.
Committed to advancing the dialogue in the sustainability space, Ballegeer regularly organises discussion platforms on pressing topics including nature protection and the circular economy. Ballegeer also makes a notable contribution to the firm’s ESG article series, providing insights on topics including CSRD, CSDDD, and sustainable finance.
With experience advising on the whole range of sustainability and ESG issues, Kristy Balsanek co-chairs DLA Piper’s ESG practice and assists domestic and international, private as well as public companies in their green transitions. Ongoing clients include Crocs regarding its ESG and sustainability disclosures, and multiple corporations, such as Baxter and Qualcomm, who seek advice on compliance with California’s new suite of climate-disclosure bills.
Balsanek also acts as chair of the firm’s ESG steering committee, supporting the integration of sustainability and ESG advisory services across the various practice areas and departments.
She regularly contributes to sustainability thought leadership via the firm’s bulletins, reports and other publications. Her recent speaking engagements have focused around climate change and human rights, as well as international ESG regulations.
Johannes Barbist at Binder Grösswang is recognised for his expertise in regulatory matters concerning environmental law and sustainability. He regularly advises clients on complex regulatory frameworks, including the EU Green Deal, supply chain sustainability obligations, and environmental standards, ensuring compliance with evolving ESG criteria.
An active speaker on sustainability-related legal issues, Barbist has delivered presentations on topics such as the EU Deforestation Regulation and frequently lectures on sustainability law. Barbist recently led a discussion on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive at a sustainability conference organised by the University of Innsbruck.
Pollination Law managing director Sarah Barker brings a leading track-record on sustainability-related corporate and investment governance issues, assisting corporates, investors, and government agencies in managing the ESG risks and climate-related exposures which emerge under corporate and securities law.
Leading the firm’s climate and sustainability risk governance team, Barker counts among her clients multiple ASX20 companies and major multinational banking and corporate clients. Barker’s team is trusted by leading sustainability-aligned clients on transformative matters, having advised United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative banking members on climate-related governance issues and having been appointed by the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures to advise on its flagship framework regarding the corporate assessment and disclosure of nature-related impacts.
In her role as teacher of the directors’ course at the Cambridge University Institute for Sustainability Leadership, Barker provides leading corporates with valuable insights into corporate governance matters across Singapore, Malaysia, and New Zealand. Helping shape the global discourse on climate governance strategies, she represents Australia in the Commonwealth Climate and Law Initiative and serves as co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Climate Governance Community of Experts.
Mark Barnett co-founded Foley Hoag’s energy and climate group almost two decades ago to support clients across the energy transition. He co-chairs the practice, acting for developers and financers of clean energy infrastructure, energy technology companies, venture investors, as well as nonprofits, bringing previous experience working for a ClimateTech company.
Barnett’s engagement extends to serving as pro bono counsel to Prime Coalition, having assisted the nonprofit with the development of its Early Climate Infrastructure program. He has also advised the Environmental Defense Fund and Ceres on clean energy policy and climate mitigation investment strategies.
Apart from his thought leadership on topics spanning renewable energy project finance, clean energy policy and impact investing, he also acts as a mentor for emerging cleantech ventures through organizations such as MassChallenge and Clean Tech Open. His recent speaking engagements include a webinar on maximizing the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act, and a panel on climate tech investing at the Babson Green Finance and ESG Investing Conference. He also contributes to the firm’s energy & climate newsletter Climate Law Matters.
Manuel Barros co-heads Carey’s environment group and is a part of the firm’s ESG team. He often advises clients on environmental impact assessments, environmental audits, and environmental litigation. He also regularly assists with the environmental aspects of renewable energy projects and in matters related to waste and water management.
Since 2012, Barros has been a professor in environmental law at the Universidad Catolica del Chile, and over the past few years he has also been teaching environmental law at Universidad Finis Terrae and Universidad del Desarrollo. Recent examples of his published thought leadership include a discussion of mining in Chile in light of sustainable development goals and the circular economy, and a co-authored article about the role of the Ministry of Environment and Ministry Council of Sustainability.
Barros is currently a member of the Sustainability Committee of AMCHAM (Chilean and North America Chamber of Commerce). In 2020, he was appointed by the Ministry of Environment as a member of the Joint Public Advisory Committee of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation between Chile and Canada for the term 2020-2023.
Carsten Bartholl, who leads the energy and infrastructure practice at Taylor Wessing, is a standout advisor to major domestic and European energy companies on project development and financing, investments, and M&A across the renewable energy and green technology landscape.
A key repeat client is CEE Group, whom Bartholl is acting for in the acquisition of the 81 MW Schönermark solar park in Brandenburg. Within the mandate, Bartholl also provided merger control and competition law advice regarding the formation of a joint venture. Demonstrating his further expertise in the solar power space, Bartholl is acting for PV systems specialist Greentech Energy on the development, sale, and negotiation of PPAs regarding the 100 MW Agethorst facility in Schleswig-Holstein.
Bartholl played a leading role in the development of the firm’s internal climate roadmap and in devising its sustainable travel programme. Bartholl is also a keen thought leader in the sustainability space, helping guide the firm’s engagement with the federal associations of wind energy and solar energy and serving as an active member of the Hamburg solar cluster.
Laurent Battoue, a partner at Watson Farley & Williams LLP, focuses his practice on the energy and infrastructure sectors, with a particular emphasis on renewable energy projects spanning onshore and offshore wind, marine energy, solar, and biogas technologies. Battoue is frequently involved in pioneering transactions, including advising on the financing of one of a major 105 MW lithium-ion battery storage project.
Battoue plays an active role in professional associations, serving as a member of the wind power regulatory task force established by the French Ministry of Energy. He is also engaged with several French renewable energy associations.
A recognised thought leader, Battoue participates anually in the National EnR Conference, a key forum for major companies in France focused on carbon emissions reduction. He also recently published an article on the regulatory framework governing EV charging infrastructure development in France.
With over 25 years of experience, Arancha Bengoechea leads Andersen Tax and Legal’s environmental practice group and is highly regarded for her expertise in advising producer responsibility organisations on pioneering cases concerning circular economy initiatives.
Underscoring her leadership in the field, Bengoechea has been appointed exclusive advisor to the first producer responsibility organisation established by leading textile companies, including Decathlon, H&M, and IKEA.
A recognised authority on green packaging, Bengoechea is a sought-after speaker at industry events, where she addresses topics such as emerging packaging regulations, the sustainable management of packaging waste, and advancements in paper and cardboard recycling.
Valérie Bensoussan leads Miguérès Moulin’s corporate, M&A, and private equity practice, advising major companies on innovative matters which support the green transition. Her client portfolio includes Energy Observer SAS, which pioneers new technologies to accelerate the green transition, and energy transition investor Eneralys.
Beyond her client work, Bensoussan is a member of the firm’s UN Global Compact executive team, overseeing its CSR and sustainable development initiatives. Bensoussan played a key role in devising the firm’s ecological transition strategy and has led internal workshops and training on sustainable environmental management.
Bensoussan is also an active member of the Alliance of Business Lawyers’ green transition business unit and the E5T think tank, which focuses on energy and ecological transition.
As ESG practice co-lead and ESG core team head at Kromann Reumert, Line Berg Madsen is a key contact for major global corporates and financial sector players on the implementation of key EU ESG regulation. Alongside real skill in developing ESG policies, codes of conduct, and contractual clauses, Berg Madsen is adept at conducting double materiality assessments and action plans.
Sought after for her incisive insight within the ESG space, Berg Madsen is a member of the Association of Danish Law Firms’ ESG working group, where she offers insights into ESG regulation and through which she co-authored an ESG guide for Danish lawyers. Berg Madsen also serves as an advisory board member at Børsen Bæredygtig, where she authors articles on the green transition for the business community.
Berg Madsen takes a key interest in biodiversity and nature, serving on a pro bono basis as a Member of the Presidium and observer to the Board of Directors at the Danish chapter of the WWF. At the 2024 Børsen Bæredygtig summit, Berg Madsen spoke on the challenges and opportunities facing biodiversity regulation.
Heading up DLA Piper Sweden’s sustainability and ESG legal service, regulatory and government affairs expert Anna Berntorp is a key contact on corporate sustainability reporting, value chain due diligence, and corporate governance matters.
Berntorp counts leading funds, multinational companies, and not-for-profits among her clients. For leading alternative investment fund Skogsfond Baltikum, which seeks to augment the Baltic region’s forestland and bring climate benefits through additional carbon sequestration, Berntorp assisted in the €44m sale of its forestry subsidiaries in Latvia and Lithuania
A keen thought leader in the sustainability space, Berntorp regularly hosts lectures and training sessions for clients to help build green expertise. As part of the firm’s engagement with the Nordic Sustainability Arena, Berntorp is speaking on ESG legislation and its role in accelerating the climate transition. Berntorp also regularly provides pro-bono representation to impact-driven social development organisations on corporate and commercial matters.
Mari Reitzel Bjerke at Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS is a standout advisor across the wind and hydropower sectors, serving as a key partner to leading electricity companies, power project companies, and industry organisations on project development, regulatory, contentious, and construction mandates.
In a NOK2.5bn mandate, Reitzel Bjerke is acting for Smisto Kraft in the establishment of a 210 GWh/year hydropower project, assisting on transactional matters, land rights and construction disputes, and project finalisation. Demonstrating the continued potential for major hydropower developments in Norway, the mandate is key in delivering a large-scale and reliable supply of clean electricity.
Reitzel Bjerke is a key advisor to major clients across the electricity and renewable energy sectors, including grid operators Statnett and Elvia, and leading non-profit industry organisation Renewables Norway. For Renewables Norway, Reitzel Bjerke assists in contentious matters regarding the implementation and installation of smart metering solutions. As a notable thought leader within the organisation, Reitzel Bjerke leads on lectures regarding boosting energy sector legal frameworks, assists in developing standardised contracts for clean energy projects, and helps influence the legislative process to support green development.
Leading the legal sustainability practice for Deloitte Legal in the Netherlands, Rozemarijn Bloemendal is a key contact for sustainability regulatory advice, helping clients leverage and integrate emerging green opportunities in order to enrich corporate strategy and operations.
As a regular advisor to major multinational corporates, Bloemendal is a leading authority on the whole gamut of EU sustainability regulation and directives. Bloemendal assists clients in assessing regulatory exposure, understanding reporting requirements and regulatory obligations, and drafting effective frameworks which allow boards and executives to most effectively leverage green developments.
Bloemendal is a focused thought leader in the sustainability space, supporting corporate clients in keeping abreast of legal and sustainability developments. As part of the firm’s EMEA sustainability regulation hub, Bloemendal leads insight videos on topics including the impact and legal implications of CSRD and CSDDD and authors articles on topics including the impact of climate risk and sustainability disclosures on directors’ duties.
