With extensive industry expertise and a strong local and international reputation, our Energy & Natural Resources team serves national and international clients across the full spectrum of the transitioning energy sector. Whether clients seek guidance in corporate and finance transactions, project development, dispute settlement, and regulatory frameworks, we are uniquely positioned to help you achieve your business and strategic objectives.
Our firm distinguishes itself by having a fully integrated sector team consisting of specialists in all relevant areas of law, including corporate M&A, public & regulatory, finance, litigation, competition, and real estate. The team is led by core members from our Corporate M&A practice group who spend 100% of their time working on matters in the energy sector. This enables us to combine highly specialized legal expertise with profound experience in the energy sector. We speak the language of our clients, build strong personal relationships within the sector and understand the challenges of operating in the energy transition.
We are pragmatic and get things done. We know what works and what does not. This enables us to advise our clients in a thorough and practical manner. Our lawyers are trained to think adaptively and act flexibly. Above all, all team members have outstanding personal track records in their field of expertise.
Our corporate energy lawyers form the most active deal team for M&A and joint ventures in the Dutch and Belgian energy sectors. We have an unrivalled track record for successfully completing sale and buy mandates in the energy sector under the most challenging circumstances and deadlines. We work for major energy companies, the government and infrastructure funds that focus on energy transition.
Apart from our sector-specific deal experience, our team has an outstanding reputation and track record for advising clients on the fast-changing energy regulatory landscape and has specific expertise with structuring land rights for large projects, drafting and negotiating bespoke energy contracts (long-term supply of power, gas, heat, hydrogen or biomass, tolling agreements, trading agreements, connection agreements and cross-over arrangements) and ensuring the contracts are bankable to allow for customary (project) financing arrangements in the energy sector. In the area of contentious work, we have a team of litigators (public, civil and arbitration) that handles large and impactful disputes with an impressive track record of winning important cases for our clients.
The team's multidisciplinary skills, experience, network and (sector specific) knowledge is also valued by clients who seek project counsel for large infrastructure related investments in the energy sector, such as energy networks, solar-, wind- and battery projects and contracts, hydrogen projects and contracts, renewable heat, (tank) terminal projects or for traditional oil & gas ventures. The evolvement of the sector and the role governments play in the transition, also increasingly requires our lawyers not only to be business but also politically savvy.
Our practice originally rooted from the oil and gas practice but has evolved into a fully-fledged energy transition focused practice, especially the last few years. Our lawyers are, in addition to being the core of our energy practice, also core members of other sub-teams within our firm focusing on related matters, such as ESG, hydrogen and climate change. These sub-teams, in combination with the energy (transition) practice are rapidly becoming a key focus of the firm as a whole.
We operate at the heart of the energy transition with mandates such as our advice to the Dutch State on the unprecedented framework agreement with the whole sector of regional grid operators, but also less overarching mandates like specific investments in renewable energy, varying from smaller scale solar parks to extreme large wind parks. All such mandates are of a similar value to us, these are all prestigious for the mere fact of being a building block to a low carbon economy, something the team contributes to from a business viewpoint, but primarily because the team has a strong intrinsic motivation to do so.
We seek change and we do so in the work we do for clients like the Dutch State and government owned companies like PZEM, EBN, TenneT and Alliander but also for large corporates such as Shell, Total and Engie. The fact that most of the mandates are won in a competitive process shows that the market recognizes our top tier position.
We embrace the art of adaptive thinking and have an impressive track record for helping clients to complete groundbreaking projects, transactions and litigation in the energy sector:
Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies have significant potential to enable the transition to a clean, low-carbon energy system. Our Benelux Hydrogen team helps you to unlock the opportunities that arise in a constantly evolving landscape. In the shift towards the electrification of Europe's economy, our multidisciplinary team oversees the entire spectrum. Our experts advise and litigate on all relevant areas of law, including:
1) Regulatory (e.g. ETS, health & safety and environment)
2) Advisory (e.g. subsidies, tax, ESG contracting and permitting)
3) Transactions (e.g. real estate, corporate - and project finance and M&A)
From the 'engineer, build and operate phase' of new infrastructure, to designing new trade and certification models, to evaluating existing hydrogen supply chains and strategies, we are there to help you navigate the constant change.
Our team members regularly share their insights and expertise, for instance during client round table sessions, webinars, in blogs and by participating in public legislative consultations.
Our latest Hydrogen team factsheet