Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH

Energy LawAntitrust LawInternational Trade Law

Dr Angelo Vallone has advised clients on all matters relating to energy management law, including renewable energy law, since 2006. He has since actively concerned himself with the significant market changes and the related legislative changes that were necessitated by the liberalisation of the energy markets brought about by European law, and with numerous state interventions in the course of the “energy transition”. As a result, he has a wealth of experience in the energy industry and in-depth market knowledge. His clients include energy-intensive undertakings, energy providers, system operators, plant operators, direct sellers, project developers and financial investors, amongst others.

A focus of his advisory services is the “special equalisation scheme”, i.e. the procedures to obtain a limitation of the renewable energy surcharge (“EEG surcharge”) for power-intensive undertakings at the German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control. Angelo Vallone advises companies already before they file their application in order to ensure that their application for a limitation is capable of being approved; however, he also represents his clients in pending application and appeal proceedings. In many cases, his advisory services have helped his clients obtain an approval notice despite prior announcements that such approval would be denied. Furthermore, he advises companies on restructuring issues with a view to ensuring that an existing limitation of the EEG surcharge is not put at risk or that such a limitation can be claimed in future. In addition to this, Angelo Vallone advises energy-intensive undertakings on other privileges in relation to the surcharge, on possible ways to reduce the network fees, and on network connection and network usage matters.

Another focus of his work is providing regulatory advice to electricity grid and gas network operators, in particular with regard to incentive regulation issues and access to grids and networks. Angelo Vallone has represented his clients in a large number of successful appeal proceedings before the Higher Regional Court of Dusseldorf and the German Federal Court of Justice since 2006, and he has in-depth knowledge of the regulatory developments that have taken place since the introduction of network regulation in Germany.

Angelo Vallone additionally has extensive experience regarding energy-related M&A and financing transactions. In the past 15 years, he has acted as an advisor in numerous network transactions and advises both project developers and financers on the development of photovoltaic systems and wind turbines in Germany. Furthermore, he has advised on the development of gas power station projects in the past and continues to advise industrial companies in connection with the construction and financing of, and with obtaining funding for, cogeneration plants. Angelo Vallone is also very experienced when it comes to representing his clients in energy disputes before German courts and arbitral tribunals.

Dr Angelo Vallone studied law at the University of Bonn (Germany), where he also gained his doctorate with honours for a thesis on an antitrust law topic. He was admitted to the German Bar in 2006 and has since worked exclusively in the area of energy management law. From 2006 to 2010, he worked for the Cologne office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where he focused on energy regulation and antitrust law. Subsequently, Angelo Vallone worked for a large German power utility company in the civil and antitrust law department. He joined Luther in 2011 and has been a Partner since 2017. Angelo Vallone is a frequent publisher on current issues in energy law and a regular speaker at seminars, conferences and symposia.