Martin Eckert co-leads MME Legal | Tax | Compliance’s internal sustainability and ESG group and specialises in sustainability reporting, including climate reporting and climate transition plans, the applicability of European regulations to Swiss clients, and supply chain due diligence.
Eckert is actively engaged with several sustainability-related organisations, including CEO4Climate, the Green Fintech Network, and Swisscleantech. A standout thought leader in the space, Eckert regularly publishes and speaks on sustainability topics, with recent articles discussing voluntary sustainability reporting and ESG risk minimisation.
With over 35 years’ experience in energy and environmental law, Amy Edwards co-chairs both Holland & Knight’s climate change as well as environmental practice with a long track record in advising on the conversion of contaminated lands into new protective uses.
Notably, Edwards has been involved in climate change initiatives with the American Bar Association since 2019 (when she was chairing its section of environment, energy and resources), including the adoption of its climate change resolution under her leadership. An advocate for climate-conscious lawyers, she has been at the forefront of promoting the role of lawyers in addressing sustainability while building relationships with other international bar associations.
Edwards is also a frequent author and lecturer on brownfields, sustainability and other environmental issues. Her most recent webinars and speaking engagements at conferences have included topics ranging from greenwashing to California’s new climate disclosure laws, and the intersection between lawyers’ ethical duties and environmental justice.
An expert on major transactions which support the development of a green, sustainable, and circular economy, Mikko Eerola at Dittmar & Indrenius is a standout contact across the energy and infrastructure space. Counting major energy companies, project developers, and infrastructure investment managers among his clients, Eerola maintains an impactful practice across the wind, solar, geothermal, and district heating segments.
A key client is major clean energy infrastructure fund manager Nuveen Infrastructure, whom Eerola advised on the acquisition of a 30 MW onshore wind portfolio. The mandate supports the ongoing operation of the turbines in northern Finland while furthering the client’s commitment to facilitate the energy transition across the Nordics.
Eerola is a board member of the World Energy Council Finland, supporting key sector leaders and stakeholders in collaborating and developing best practice to boost Finland’s role in the global energy transition. Eerola is also a keen thought leader within this space, having in 2024 opened a webinar on green transition developments and authored insights and articles into topics including offshore wind grid connections and offshore project permitting and construction.
Valentina Eigner at DLA Piper Weiss-Tessbach Rechtsanwälte GmbH advises major clients on renewable energy transactions, including renewable power purchase agreements, renewable hydrogen sales, and biogas sale and purchase agreements. Her practice also extends to the carbon markets, where she advises on emissions trading matters.
Beyond her client work, Eigner made a leading contribution to the promotion of renewable energy development by creating a PPA template for the German Energy Agency to encourage the wider adoption of PPAs and support the construction of new renewable power facilities. She also teaches Energy Law at the University of Applied Sciences in Wels, with a particular focus on renewable energy markets and regulation. Within the firm, Eigner is actively involved in its carbon markets priority workstream and supports its engagement with the Sustainable Markets Initiative.
Gernot-Rüdiger Engel at Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH is a notable advisor to clients across the steel, chemical, metal, paper and building materials sectors on their innovative and impactful green transition strategies. Bringing expertise from environmental law, planning, and regulation, Engel demonstrates a particular focus on decarbonisation subsidy, environmental compliance, and circular economy mandates.
A key client is major global building materials player Holcim, whom Engel is assisting regarding its project to convert production to green hydrogen and utilise the waste CO2 from its Lägerdorf plant as a raw material for the production of green fuel and chemical base materials. Demonstrating his further leadership in industrial decarbonisation mandates, Engel is also assisting major domestic steel concern SHS on environmental, public, and energy law matters concerning its €3.6bn funding from the EU to construct a direct reduction plant and electric steel furnaces in order to decarbonise its production and create a green steel value chain.
Engel serves as deputy chair of the Greenhouse Gas Neutrality Foundation, which works to ensure the implementation of effective climate protection in Germany, and has published legal commentaries on topics including the emissions trading act.
An administrative and environmental law expert, Uwe Erling at Pohlmann & Company is highly sought-after among leading energy, industrial, chemical, commercial, and aviation companies regarding sustainability regulation and transition strategies. Building off longstanding expertise in environmental compliance mandates, Erling brings deep knowhow concerning EU ESG and climate change regulation.
Erling is a key contact within the aviation sector and is advising the German Aviation Industry Association and the Association of German Airports on climate protection law, emissions trading, and aviation law matters. The mandate supports the clients in navigating how a reduction of slots at German airports may be legally permissible for climate protection reasons.
A notable thought leader on pressing climate and carbon issues, Erling is the head of the legal subgroup on Emissions Trading to Combat the Greenhouse Effect at the Federal Ministry for the Environment. As a key academic author in this space, Erling contributes to the German Law Review for Substantive and Procedural Climate Protection Law and is currently co-authoring a commentary on the German Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Act.
With over 20 years of experience, Carlos Escoto at Galicia is a recognised specialist in the development of renewable energy and infrastructure projects. He co-leads the firm’s environmental practice and is also the coordinator of the firm’s ESG group. His practice focuses on drafting, enacting, and enforcing environmental policy and regulation, and he also advises on environmental aspects of M&A and financing projects.
Escoto’s dedication to ESG initiatives extends beyond his client work to driving internal change at the firm; he is a member of the firm’s sustainability committee. Externally, he spreads his knowledge via his written and spoken thought leadership. He recently participated in a discussion on ESG impacts and stakeholder balance in connection with new infrastructure projects in Mexico at event organised by the International Chamber of Commerce. He also contributed a chapter on ESG regulation in Latin America to a book on ESG and the commitment to a sustainable world, written by over 20 specialists and published by Tirant lo Blanch.
Ross Fairley chairs Burges Salmon’s renewable energy team and its net zero services, advising developers, investors, and public sector clients on clean energy contracts and regulations.
Recently, he was part of the team advising Bristol City Council on its City Leap initiative involving the appointment of a partner for a 20-year joint venture that will deliver up to £1bn of investment in low carbon energy infrastructure in Bristol and support its aim of becoming a carbon neutral city by 2030.
Fairley’s expertise spans a wide range of technologies, including wind, hydrogen, biomass, wave and tidal, solar, and geothermal energy. In addition to his legal work in these areas, he chairs Renewable UK’s Strategy Forum and is deputy chair of the UK Hydrogen Energy Association.
A prominent speaker on clean energy issues, he also acts as mentor in the Entrepreneurial Women in Renewables scheme and serves as a trustee for Avon Wildlife Trust.
Garret Farrelly brings two decades of expertise to his roles as head of Matheson LLP’s energy, natural resources, and utilities group and chair of the firm’s ESG Advisory Group. His comprehensive practice encompasses all facets of energy and sustainability law, with a focus on ESG legislation and the sale, acquisition, and financing of renewable and green energy infrastructure. Farrelly is particularly well-regarded for the extent of his experience advising on major wind power projects.
Farrelly has played a pivotal role in shaping Ireland’s renewable energy framework. Farrelly contributed to the design and implementation of the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS), including drafting the legal elements of the RESS terms and conditions for the Department of Communications, Climate Action, and Environment.
Farrelly’s influence extends beyond client work. Underscoring his commitment to advancing the energy transition on both a national and European level, Farrelly participated in the EU’s Green Deal panel, contributing to the roadmap for achieving a sustainable and climate-neutral economy by 2050.
Catarina Brito Ferreira has been a part of Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados’ longstanding energy law team for over 20 years. Her work involves advising clients on M&A transactions, project agreements, and regulatory matters in the renewable energy sector. Ferreira has assisted a myriad of clients with matters of energy production concerning wind, hydropower, solar, and biomass projects.
Alongside her work, Ferreira represents the firm at the Energy Law Group, an international network for law firms specialised in energy. Demonstrating her expertise externally, Ferreira is a lecturer at the Portuguese Catholic University, teaching the post-graduate course of energy law.
At McDermott Will & Emery LLP, renewable energy and private equity lawyer Carl Fleming has built a reputation for his ESG expertise. He is known for his work on significant energy transition deals, including the world’s first zinc battery financing for Pine Gate Renewables, the first hydrogen fuel transaction for hydrogen-powered trucks with Bayotech, and the first renewable natural gas debt financing in the US.
Fleming’s influence extends beyond legal practice into advisory roles at the highest levels of government. Appointed by the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations to the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee (REEEAC), he advises the Secretary of Commerce on wind, solar, battery storage, and electric vehicles. He also chaired the White House’s first hydrogen roundtable, contributing to the US hydrogen roadmap and participating in the US-Germany hydrogen consortium.
Fleming is a prominent thought leader, regularly speaking on renewable energy and ESG, lecturing at multiple universities, and publishing and contributing to books. His insights are featured not only in the firm’s own legal updates, but also in major media outlets, including Reuters and Forbes.
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.
