Andrew Whitehead > Shakespeare Martineau LLP > Birmingham, England > Lawyer Profile

Shakespeare Martineau LLP
NO 1 COLMORE SQUARE
BIRMINGHAM
B4 6AA
England

Work Department

Energy

Position

Senior Partner & Head of Energy

Career

Andrew is a specialist energy regulatory and contracts lawyer, who works with a range of utility and developer clients and funders to help them manage regulatory and legal risk in a fast moving and complex environment. Andrew is also currently our elected Senior Partner.

With a wealth of experience from nearly 25 years’ advising clients in the UK energy and wider utilities sector, Andrew heads up our national Energy & Projects team. His clients include the Great Britain electricity and gas system operators, network owners, power generators and developers, one of the UK’s LNG terminals, and a variety of retail energy suppliers. Andrew’s work also extends to the roll out of electric vehicles and associated infrastructure, where his clients include energy suppliers and charge point infrastructure providers.

Andrew has worked on some of the major transition projects in the Great Britain energy sector over the last decade, including the development of balancing frameworks, the evolution of competition in metering services, and the introduction of EU Network Codes notably to facilitate market coupling across the power interconnectors linking the UK to continental Europe.

“The energy sector is fast moving and high profile, and so the challenge – which is what makes the job so exciting – is to work alongside clients as part of their team, helping find and develop practical solutions to often complex problems. And quite often, there’s a shiny new asset or facility to show for everyone’s efforts, which is incredibly rewarding. “

Memberships

Andrew sits on the editorial board of Renewable Energy Law & Policy Review, and is a board member of Associated European Energy Consultants.

Lawyer Rankings

West Midlands > Projects, energy and natural resources > Energy, project finance and PFI

(Hall of Fame)

Andrew WhiteheadShakespeare Martineau LLP

Shakespeare Martineau LLP boasts especial strength in the energy sectors, with an array of private providers included in its clientele. The firm is experienced with public tender advice and is also well-versed in renewable energy mandates, advising on battery and solar projects. Its national presence also allows for regional-specific advice when necessary. Andrew Whitehead spearheads the practice, specialising in energy regulation and contracts for utility providers and developers. Martyn Thorpe joined in February 2023 from an in-house position, whilst Selina Hinchcliffe joined from Browne Jacobson LLP in April 2023.

London > Projects, energy and natural resources > Power (including electricity and nuclear)

Shakespeare Martineau LLP’s power practice advises a wide range of clients on complex power-related matters. The team routinely advises on electricity interconnectors, generation and distribution issues, the development of new electricity system restoration services, and litigation related to pipelines, cables, and other operational assets. Regulatory and contracts specialist Andrew Whitehead heads up a team which includes Mark Bartholomew, noted for his extensive expertise in restructurings, electricity interconnectors and cross-border trading arrangements post-Brexit. On the contentious side, Tim Speed handles a variety of contractual, commercial, and insolvency disputes in the utilities sector.