Sectors

Energy, Utilities & Environment Sector Solicitors

Legal advice for businesses operating in the energy, utilities & environment sector

Our energy, utilities and environment solicitors are expert legal advisers to the industry, including individual and institutional investors and funders, technical advisors, developers, entrepreneurs, utility firms, environmental and waste technology companies, landowners, aggregators, CICs, inventors and environmental scientists, contractors and suppliers and have vast experience in the sector.

We have direct industry-relevant expertise in environmental law, including planning matters and liaison and negotiation with local government and planners, regulation and regulatory matters, government support and subsidies.

Our offices are in Sheffield, Birmingham, Cambridge and London if you need a meeting, but we typically work remotely to keep our overheads low which enables us to offer our innovative pricing packages.

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What our energy, utilities and environment solicitors do

From interpreting the latest changes to feed-in tariffs, to understanding the application of emerging technologies in renewable energy and power such as solar, wind and hydroelectric, our dynamic team of expert energy, utilities and environment solicitors can ensure you keep up-to-date and legally compliant, as well as proposing innovative solutions in this challenging field.

Our specialist energy, utilities and environmental solicitors ensure that they stay up-to-date with emerging technologies on a global level. We understand that our clients need to be flexible and responsive to new and emerging technology, in particular in relation to energy storage, and we have particular expertise in the relevance and applicability of energy law in community energy projects.

As a law firm specialising in the energy sector and energy law, we’ve advised clients who finance or construct renewable energy projects such as solar farms, wind turbine and hydro-electric plants, liaising with investors, landowners and manufacturers and advising on transactional and regulatory matters. Harper James’ energy, utilities and environmental lawyers have a broad range of expertise in these challenging sectors, and have advised energy companies on transactions and projects focussing on various aspects of energy law.

  • Our energy-from-waste solicitors can advise you on the multitude of issues arising during the construction, maintenance and management of waste-to-energy solutions, including anaerobic digestion projects, energy from waste plants, and waste solution projects including transportation and handling, connection to grid and greening technology projects.
  • Our specialist oil and gas lawyers cover a range of advice including upstream, midstream and downstream transactions, exploration and exploitation of new territories, licensing, concessions and shared service arrangements, acquisitions and disposals, exploration and development activities, production, processing and refining, pipelines, transport and storage.
  • Harper James’ team of nuclear lawyers can advise on new build, commissioning and de-commissioning nuclear installations, processing and transportation of waste over the short-, medium- and long-term, operational issues at plants, and have advised on a range of regulatory issues on a global level, including in the developing world

Legal advice for energy, utilities and environment businesses

Whatever the nature of your business in the energy, utilities and environment sectors, we understand that environmental technology changes quickly. As well as providing specialist legal advice in the energy, utilities and environment field, our lawyers have experience in the most pressing issues such as:

Intellectual property

We can help with protection of your IP, IP disputes, developing an IP strategy for your energy, utilities or environment business, and protecting and challenging patents.

Funding and construction finance

We can advise on financial aspects of energy, utility and environment projects, as our banking and finance team along with our construction finance experts co-operate in a collegial manner to ensure the seamless delivery of your project from day one. If you are an investor, or seeking capital for your energy project, our venture capital team has extensive knowledge and experience in dealing with third-party investors.

Joint ventures and contract disputes

Our venture capital, corporate and M&A teams can help structure energy transactions such as joint ventures and start-ups, and our commercial disputes and corporate teams work together to resolve disputes arising in energy contract transactions and environmental projects to protect your contractual rights.

Commercial property

Whether your project involves a green- or brown-field site, our team of commercial property solicitors are on hand to help you liaise with landowners, government, investors and partners to ensure that underlying property issues are correctly identified, documented and managed.


Testimonials

What our clients say

Harper James provides my small growing business with a scalable, reliable, team-oriented approach to legal advice. Whenever we face a problem, I know that Harper James are there to provide helpful and cost-effective advice, to scope out the options, make clear the costs and risks, and give me the information I need to make decisions.
Bryn Richards CEO, Aeristech
As a University spin-out getting the right team of lawyers to support our emerging business was fundamental and the team are always available to provide us with the invaluable guidance and support we require.
David Hodgson CEO, Amalyst
Our longstanding relationship has enabled us to get deals over the line quickly and efficiently, with minimum fuss or kickback from opposing lawyers representing the companies we’re investing in. I find the legal team at Harper James efficient, smart and personable. Speed is of the essence for early stage investing and Harper James recognises this and acts accordingly.
Kieran Hill COO, Ascension Ventures
The team at Harper James have demonstrated time and again that they have a deep understanding of the issues facing entrepreneurial businesses and their funding.
Charles Smith Director, Interpac Limited
They adopted a proactive approach to overcoming issues, and their knowledge of the sector and investors and preparedness to identify novel solutions has proved extremely beneficial.
Charles Smith Director, Interpac Limited
Harper James swiftly solves problems with a minimum of fuss. I strongly recommend them and they are a pleasure to work with.
Jean de Fougerolles CEO, Ascension Ventures
Harper James provides my small growing business with a scalable, reliable, team-oriented approach to legal advice. Whenever we face a problem, I know that Harper James are there to provide helpful and cost-effective advice, to scope out the options, make clear the costs and risks, and give me the information I need to make decisions.
Bryn Richards CEO, Aeristech
As a University spin-out getting the right team of lawyers to support our emerging business was fundamental and the team are always available to provide us with the invaluable guidance and support we require.
David Hodgson CEO, Amalyst
Our longstanding relationship has enabled us to get deals over the line quickly and efficiently, with minimum fuss or kickback from opposing lawyers representing the companies we’re investing in. I find the legal team at Harper James efficient, smart and personable. Speed is of the essence for early stage investing and Harper James recognises this and acts accordingly.
Kieran Hill COO, Ascension Ventures
The team at Harper James have demonstrated time and again that they have a deep understanding of the issues facing entrepreneurial businesses and their funding.
Charles Smith Director, Interpac Limited
They adopted a proactive approach to overcoming issues, and their knowledge of the sector and investors and preparedness to identify novel solutions has proved extremely beneficial.
Charles Smith Director, Interpac Limited
Harper James swiftly solves problems with a minimum of fuss. I strongly recommend them and they are a pleasure to work with.
Jean de Fougerolles CEO, Ascension Ventures

Energy, utilities and environment solicitors with sector expertise

Our energy sector solicitors are very experienced, many having worked as partners in top 100 law firms. Some of their previous work with energy, utilities and environment companies includes:

  • Advising a client who provides full end-to-end systems and services for UK energy suppliers and businesses entering the energy market.
  • Acting for a UK manufacturer of structures for nuclear application. Defending and passing on claims of defective workmanship in relation to welding and non-destructive testing.
  • Acting for a range of commercial property landlords and tenants regarding solar panels on roofs.
  • Dispute resolution of contractual disputes relating to the provision of utilities, as well as waste management and recycling contracts.
  • Acting for a major plc in the compulsory purchase and contractual purchase of agricultural land in connection with the laying of four major gas pipelines across approximately 300 miles of the country.

Find out more about our solicitors with specific energy, utilities and environment experience within their respective practice areas here:


Pricing plans

Legal support designed
to fit your business needs

Our three transparent pricing packages are designed to give you the widest possible access to high-quality legal advice, whatever the size and nature of your business:

City

Straightforward access to senior solicitors at a competitive rate.

An affordable solution for businesses needing one-off legal support. Receive ‘City’ partner-level expertise at a fraction of ‘City’ prices.

On-Demand

Providing you with priority access to a dedicated panel of highly experienced solicitors.

Fully account managed quarterly subscription service for businesses with more complex legal needs.




What next?

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Our offices

A national law firm

A national law firm

Our commercial lawyers are based in or close to major cities across the UK, providing expert legal advice to clients both locally and nationally.

We mainly work remotely, so we can work with you wherever you are. But we can arrange face-to-face meeting at our offices or a location of your choosing.

Head Office

Floor 5, Cavendish House, 39-41 Waterloo Street, Birmingham, B2 5PP
Regional Spaces

Stirling House, Cambridge Innovation Park, Denny End Road, Waterbeach, Cambridge, CB25 9QE
13th Floor, Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester, M1 4BT
10 Fitzroy Square, London, W1T 5HP
Harwell Innovation Centre, 173 Curie Avenue, Harwell, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QG
1st Floor, Dearing House, 1 Young St, Sheffield, S1 4UP
A national law firm

To access legal support from just £145 per hour arrange your no-obligation initial consultation to discuss your business requirements.

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