Leading the environmental law practice at DLA Piper Sweden, Johan Forsling is an expert on impactful mandates in the renewable energy sector. Boasting comfort across the permitting of large-scale and complex wind and solar power facilities, the remediation of contaminated land, and the development of innovative biodiversity projects, Forsling is highly sought-after among high-profile domestic and multinational companies.
A key client is leading renewable energy solutions provider OX2, whom Forsling is representing across various permitting procedures for major clean power facilities, including the Trollugnsberget and Marktjärn wind farms and Korsberga and Moholm solar projects. Evidencing Forsling’s ability to lead on innovative mandates, the Korsberga solar project stands out as a landmark example of successful permitting under the Swedish Environmental Code.
Forsling is a notable thought leader in the renewable energy space and advocates within the legal sector for the reform of the regulatory approval process for municipal wind power projects. Forsling is also a standing member of the Swedish Organisation of Wind Energy, participating actively in its council on permitting matters.
Demonstrating over 30 years’ public law experience, Raquel Freitas at PLMJ specialises in environmental law. Notably, Freitas assisted the Portuguese Environmental Agency in drafting a national regulation for a deposit and refund system for plastic, glass, and aluminium beverage packaging to reduce waste. Other key clients including The Lifescape Project and Rewilding Europe, both of whom Freitas is assisting with the production of guidance notes for landowners and managers on rewilding their land.
A recognised thought leader on sustainability matters, Freitas hosted several conferences with topics ranging from ESG and climate litigation to the voluntary carbon market. Freitas also spoke on a range of issues including challenges of water usage and the evolving sustainability landscape.
Committed to educating the next generation, Freitas leads a seminar on environmental law at the Universidade Catolica Portuguesa. Additionally, Freitas teaches on climate change concepts at the Francisco Torrinha school.
Felipe Frühling is a member of Guerrero Olivos’ energy and natural resources, projects, and environment practice groups. He brings deep expertise in the renewable energy sector and stands out for his advice on the development of green hydrogen projects. In a 2023 work highlight, he assisted Engie Gas with the development of a green hydrogen power plant at Walmart’s distribution center in Chile, supplying hydrogen to power forklifts. This became Latin America’s first operational industrial green hydrogen project, replacing forklift batteries with hydrogen fuel cells.
Recent examples of his thought leadership in this space include the publication of a report discussing the Green Hydrogen Action Plan which was recently presented by the Ministry of Energy, and a commentary on the importance of the incorporation of new energy storage systems in the country published in the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio.
Frühling is also a counselor of the Chilean Association of Renewable Energies and Energy Storage ACERA, and was a member of the environmental jurisprudence discussion group of the Law and Environmental Politics Programme at Universidad Diego Portales Law School. Additionally, he has taught energy law at Universidad Andres Bello.
As head of Travers Smith LLP’s dispute resolution practice as well as ESG and impact group, Heather Gagen specialises in complex disputes involving environmental damage, human rights, and product liability litigation. Her practice focuses on advising clients on corporate risk management, particularly regarding business and human rights issues, and broader ESG-related risks. With a deep understanding of the evolving ESG landscape, she provides strategic guidance to clients navigating the increasing legal and reputational challenges associated with sustainability, human rights, and environmental responsibility.
Gagen is also a recognised thought leader in the ESG space, frequently speaking at industry conferences and seminars on emerging trends and regulatory developments. In July 2024, she co-hosted a seminar with leading Japanese law firm Nishimura & Asahi, where she discussed emerging ESG trends in the UK and Europe, further cementing her reputation as an expert in this evolving field.
At A&O Shearman, longstanding energy, resources, and projects specialist Goran Galic has acted on landmark hydrogen and carbon capture and storage projects across Australia and the Asia Pacific region. Alongside serving as an active member of the firm’s sustainability board, Galic leads its advice regionwide on hydrogen and CCS mandates. Complementing his expertise on emerging green technologies, he is a key advisor on environmental processes, green regulation, and sustainability best practice concerning energy projects.
He is also an active contributor to the firm’s national, regional, and global thought leadership offering, assisting on inquiries into Australia’s mandatory climate-related financial disclosure regime, authoring insights on topics including the breadth of Asia’s renewable energy future, and contributing to global reports including how businesses can create resilient transition plans.
Galic is regularly called upon by leading industry bodies to present his insights into the energy transition, having spoken on topics including how to manage ESG and sustainability risks to kickstart the green hydrogen economy and the best practices available to de-risk the CCS value chain and encourage investment across Australia and Southeast Asia.
Specialising in ESG and international trade mandates, Bruno Galvão at BLOMSTEIN Rechtsanwälte is an expert advisor to corporate and industrial clients on ESG and sustainable finance regulation, renewable fuels, and the carbon markets.
A key client is major global energy company AES, whom Galvão is assisting in navigating European green hydrogen regulation and in charting its engagement with the H2Global auction structure. Within the green hydrogen space, Galvão also contributed to Synergia Editora’s legal, regulatory, and technical study into Brazil’s green hydrogen sector.
As part of his leading understanding of the Brazilian sustainability landscape, Galvão delivered webinars on topics including climate change and its impact on agribusinesses and also hosted presentations exploring themes including the extra-territorial impact of European ESG and environmental regulations.
Galvão teaches at university and executive programmes on EU regulation, particularly surrounding supply chains and the carbon markets. Keen to boost the academic discussion of the green transition, Galvão coordinated the firm’s pro bono engagement with the University of Oxford’s Net Zero Regulation and Policy Hub.
Josefina García Pedroviejo plays a pivotal role in shaping Pérez-Llorca’s financial services regulation practice, with a particular focus on sustainable finance and ESG compliance. García Pedroviejo regularly advises clients on structuring green financial products, implementing ESG-specific compliance frameworks, and navigating complex regulatory landscapes at both European and national levels. García Pedroviejo’s guidance enables clients to distribute ESG-compliant products, establish green investment funds, and integrate sustainable principles into their corporate strategies.
Internally, García Pedroviejo manages the firm’s financial services newsletter, which covers, among other topics, how developments in financial regulation intersect with ESG compliance. Externally, García Pedroviejo participates in seminars to help financial institutions understand evolving regulatory frameworks, particularly the EU’s Green MiFID standards and sustainable investment criteria under Articles 8 and 9 of SFDR. A recognised thought leader, García Pedroviejo also contributed to the firm’s latest publication, Legal Studies on Sustainability, Climate Change, and ESG Criteria in Spain and the EU.
Possessing an acute knowledge of sustainability, ESG, and the EU Green Deal, Friedrich Gebert at ARQIS is a key partner to major domestic energy companies in navigating the legal and regulatory opportunities offered by the green transition. With deep expertise concerning renewable energy power, and fuels, Gebert is a notable contact on project development and corporate strategy matters.
In the renewable energy space, Gebert is acting for clean electricity solutions provider Ampermo on land, contractual, and construction matters concerning a portfolio of 500 MW fixed solar, 1250 MW rooftop solar, and 600 MW battery storage facilities. The mandate is crucial in building-out further assets which produce and reliably deliver clean power across Germany.
A further standout client is major municipal utility Dortmunder Energie- und Wasserversorgung, whom Gebert is advising on a landmark waste heat and hydrogen project which will serve to provide green feedstock for the city’s district heating network.
Gebert makes a key contribution to the firm’s sustainability engagement, establishing its internal green team and leading its activities to calculate, reduce, and offset its operational emissions.
As Osborne Clarke’s environment and sustainability practice head, Matthew Germain advises general counsel, boards, and senior leadership teams on risk, law, and compliance concerning sustainability due diligence, climate change, natural capital, supply chain impacts, waste, and the circular economy.
Germain leads the firm’s internal net zero and sustainability strategy as chair of its executive sustainability steering group. Within the role, and making a leading contribution within the Osborne Clarke for Good initiative, he leads the firm’s efforts to achieve its science-based target and reduce all carbon emissions by 50% by 2030.
Leveraging the experience gained as part of the firm’s ESG service group and as co-lead of net zero policy and regulation, Germain is a key author in the firm’s monthly ESG regulatory outlook, which offers timely insights into issues including Biodiversity Net Gain requirements, CSDD and SFDR regulation, and the FCA guidance on ESG and sustainable investment funds. Supplementing these regular insights, he has co-published articles on topics including the EU CSDDD and how businesses and investors can gain a first-mover advantage in the natural capital space.
Heading the ESG practice at DLA Piper in Germany, Ludger Giesberts is highly sought-after among leading global industrial and consumer goods companies to advice on ESG and green claims risk, EU sustainability regulation scope and implementation, and environmentally conscious planning procedures.
Giesberts is a key contributor to the sustainability discourse landscape. Alongside serving as a co-editor of the KlimaRZ climate protection law journal, Giesberts has authored insights into topics including the fundamental right to climate protection. Supporting the legal examination and discussion of sustainability issues, Giesberts is also a founding member of the Institute for Sustainability, Business Law and Reporting at the Faculty of Law of the University of Cologne.
José Giménez leads Linklaters’ public law and regulated sectors practice in Madrid, with a strong focus on ESG considerations within regulated industries.
Giménez is a key figure in shaping regulatory compliance programs that integrate environmental protection and assists major corporations in embedding ESG principles into their operational frameworks. Giménez’s practice also includes advising on significant renewable energy projects.
A recognised thought leader in the field, Giménez has authored and co-authored several pieces on regulatory developments impacting Spain’s offshore energy production framework and the country’s evolving hydrogen energy landscape, demonstrating his deep expertise in the local renewable energy landscape.
Jonathan Gilmour heads up the derivatives and structured products (DSP) practice at Travers Smith LLP with a specialisation in advising clients on carbon trading, green bonds, and other ESG financial instruments. Navigating the complexities of ESG-related financial products, he works closely with industry bodies to develop policy and regulation in this field.
Gilmour is actively involved in several key industry bodies: He is a member of the Governance Committee of the UK Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) Forum and participates in the UK Sustainable Investment & Finance Association’s (UKSIF) Green Taxonomy Advisory Working Group and Industry Development Committee. Additionally, he serves on the UK Board of the Global Alliance of Impact Lawyers.
Gilmour’s commitment to sustainable financial practices is also reflected in his dedication to pro bono work. He supports organisations such as the Impact Investing Institute, the Green Finance Institute, and the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UN-PRI), helping advance the agendas of impact investing and green finance.
Singapore-based corporate specialist Timothy Goh spearheads Dechert’s ESG and sustainable finance practice in Asia, assisting private equity, venture capital, start-ups, multinational companies, and development banks on vital sustainable finance matters. He builds his sustainable finance offering around his expertise in green bonds, finance, and funds; climate change; sustainable equity investments; and ESG regulation and compliance.
Goh also takes a leading role within the firm’s sustainability strategy, helping influence its operational decarbonisation policies and decision-making as part of its global ESG steering committee. As a mentor in Temasek Trust’s amplifier programme, he furthermore helps foster innovation by providing support to impact start-ups which help build the green economy.
He makes a vivid thought leadership contribution, authoring insights into emerging green matters including the impact of the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Singapore-Asia Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance. He has led seminars alongside the World Bank Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency on how to protect decarbonisation investments in emerging markets and annually co-authors the Singapore chapter of the Sustainable Finance Law Review.
As chair of the global ESG leadership team at Herbert Smith Freehills, Silke Goldberg is a leading advisor to major listed and private companies on transition plans, climate- and nature-related reporting and disclosure, greenwashing risk, and EU sustainability regulation. Goldberg pairs this expertise with over 20 years’ experience on international energy and climate change matters, serving as the firm’s corporate law lead on low-carbon infrastructure and green hydrogen projects.
Goldberg is a key thought leader across the gamut of sustainability matters, offering insights on topics including the European wind power sector, green claims, and the legal and commercial implications of biodiversity due diligence and reporting regimes.
Goldberg also makes a leading contribution to the industry discussion on crucial green issues, co-authoring an analysis of the business and investment implications of the UK Labour government’s plans to achieve a zero-carbon electricity system by 2030. Reflecting her leading reputation across sustainability law matters, she spoke at the COP28 Sustainable Innovation Forum on the role of the carbon market in reaching net zero.
An expert in compliance and investigations, Sebastian Gräler at Hogan Lovells International LLP is a key partner to leading corporates, energy companies, and industrial sector clients on significant and complex ESG and environmental law mandates.
Focusing his practice particularly on regulatory compliance matters, Gräler regularly assists domestic and international clients in establishing and improving compliance management systems to meet the requirements set out by domestic and EU regulation including the German Supply Chain Act, CSDDD, EU Batteries Regulation, and EUDR. Gräler also helps clients conduct internal investigations in case of potential non-compliance issues with environmental or ESG regulations.
Gräler takes on a vital leadership role within the firm, leading its ESG Game Changer Webinar Series, founding its Green Deal Initiative, and serving on its Global ESG Core Team for continental Europe. Through these positions, Gräler engages with clients to improve their ESG engagements while also helping the firm manage its sustainability operations and explore climate neutrality opportunities. Gräler is keen to support sustainability-conscious organisations on ESG matters and provided an anti-deforestation non-profit pro bono advice on ESG claims and disclosure requirements.
Alongside his role as practice head of Von Wobeser’s environmental and natural resources departments, Edmond Grieger is also a member of the firm’s ESG practice and coordinates the energy and natural resources industry practice group. With over 20 years of experience in environmental law and a dedication to sustainable development and Mexico’s energy transition, he often acts for clients on major project and infrastructure developments as well as in environmental administrative litigation and arbitration.
Grieger’s commitment is further evident in his pro-bono activities for organisations such as the Nature Conservancy, WWF, and Pronatura. He is also a member of the Mexican Solar Energy Association.
A frequent speaker on energy transition, environmental and sustainability topics, he has shared his expertise at various national and international conferences and forums, including the ABA/IBA Environmental Summit of the Americas, the International Chamber of Commerce, and the Renewable Academy in Berlin. His articles on environmental and energy law have been published in The Wall Street Journal and Financier Worldwide, amongst others.
Simon Groneberg at McDermott Will and Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP is regularly entrusted by major multinational corporates and energy companies to advise on regulatory and public law matters concerning the permitting, grid connection, and commercialisation of green energy, hydrogen, and electricity infrastructure assets.
Groneberg is a leading contact on the regulatory and project aspects of renewable energy developments and power purchase agreements. A key client is Adidas, whom Groneberg is assisting regarding multiple projects that pursue its goal to become climate neutral at its sites by 2025. Within the mandate, Groneberg advised on the realisation of renewable energy plants and the negotiation of a Europe-wide financial PPA.
Groneberg supported a Bulgarian government-drafted law to promote offshore renewable energy, contributing legal subsidy insight based off the German offshore wind regime. Elsewhere committed to legal research in the sustainable energy space, Groneberg edited major legal commentaries on the German Energy Industry Act, German Combined Heat and Power Act, and German Offshore Wind Act.
Heading the German and co-heading the European ESG team at Linklaters, Julia Grothaus is regularly entrusted by clients active across the automotive, financial, consumer, energy, industrials, and technology sectors to assist in ESG due diligence and reporting, risk management, and disputes.
A key client is American multinational HVAC company Carrier, whom Grothaus provided with ESG, regulatory, and environmental law advice regarding its €12bn acquisition of Viessmann Climate Solutions. Within the mandate, Grothaus assisted with due diligence and compliance matters regarding environmental permits, the German Supply Chain Act, and EU ESG regulation.
Supporting the firm’s thought leadership offering, Grothaus co-authored articles on topics including climate protection and transition planning, supplier obligations under the German Supply Chain Act, and EU greenwashing rules as part of its ESG journal, which was published in conjunction with Der Betrieb. Carrying her engagement into industry events, Grothaus spoke at the Association of German Stock Corporations’ sustainability conference and the Association of Foreign Banks in Germany’s ESG forum.
Ingrid Gubbay is a distinguished litigator and campaign lawyer, focusing on environmental, human rights, and climate law. She leads the human rights and environmental team at Hausfeld & Co. LLP, and actively contributes to the Global Climate Litigation network. She also serves as a legal trustee of the Sea Rangers, a Dutch environmental enterprise focused on marine protection.
Having been appointed as a visiting research fellow at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL), Gubbay teaches climate litigation, engaging in projects around corporate accountability and transitional justice. Her work on climate change litigation and championing the role of lawyers in tackling global warming have gained her wide-spread recognition.
A passionate advocate, she frequently delivers speeches and publishes extensively on environmental litigation, climate justice, and corporate environmental liability.
In 2002, Raúl Guevara joined Alta Batalla to form the firm’s environmental practice. Bringing a background in natural resource management and speleology, he advises clients on environmental law matters ranging from waste management, air emissions and soil pollution to environmental dispute resolution.
Guevara has shown a longstanding commitment to environmental protection, having worked on a number of conservation projects and founded Anthros, an NGO dedicated to the studies, research, and conservation of karst systems and caves in Costa Rica.
He is a member of the sustainability committee and the energy committee of UCCAEP (Federation of Chambers of Private Enterprises), coordinator of the energy committee as well as co-coordinator of the environmental and sustainability committee of the Free Zones Chambers, and a founding member of the Latin American Alliance of Environmental Law and Sustainability, among various other memberships.
Guevara has authored several articles and regularly participates as speaker at events, seminars, and workshops. He has recently spoken about the role of legal management in sustainability, sustainability in dispute resolution, and the impacts of EU ESG standards in Latin America.
