Iain Elder
DLA PiperDLA Piper‘s power practice fields a team of lawyers with significant expertise in power infrastructure and regulatory issues, routinely advising a range of interconnectors and network operators on matters related to energy generation and storage, including batteries, interconnectors, transmission, distribution, and grid infrastructure. In the nuclear sector, the firm assists clients with disposals, nuclear waste issues, and health and safety matters. Splitting his time between London and Vienna, practice co-head Andreas Gunst is a specialist in energy regulatory and energy trading matters and routinely advises on a variety of optimisation agreements for conventional energy generation and storage in the electricity market, while fellow co-chair Sarah Thomas focuses on energy infrastructure matters related to power generation, energy from waste and electricity transmission. The team also includes Iain Elder, whose practice concentrates on the development and financing of projects in the energy sector, and Kenneth Wallace-Mueller, who assists clients with the implementation of energy regulation issues.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The team is exceptional when it comes to collaboration. I instructed them on a piece of work that required collaboration across many different practice areas, and the collaboration was seamless. Their collaboration with me as an in-house lawyer was also excellent, I was kept informed and any views/observations of mine were received positively.'
- 'Kenneth Wallace-Muller had to get very close to some extremely detailed and complex processes in order to support with this instruction. He was patient and paid impressive attention to details, becoming an important part of our team.'
- 'DLA Piper is unmatched in our field. Over the past 30 years I have experience with almost all of the major legal firms, with DLA Piper being head and shoulders above. We work in over 100 countries and navigated policy for trade, energy, environment, etc. It is rare to find a legal team able to not just advise across these interconnected elements but also actively lead in the creation of effective global frameworks.'
- 'Andreas Gunst is a world-leading specialist in his field and has a unique blend of experience unmatched by any other firm.'
- 'Kenneth showed a great deal of interest in our business model to ensure that the proposed contract structure was a good fit for the needs we had identified. Kenneth acted as an invaluable sounding-board throughout the process, and was readily available to field questions when required. This helped ensure the final contractual framework met our needs and has been actively used to manage our business risk in ways that would previously not have been possible.'
- 'Between these two individuals and their supporting team we successfully navigating global trade and energy markets, convoluted and inconsistent legislation, and rapidly evolving policy. Their work is not only enabling our success but informing and creating legislation across our markets.'
Key clients
- E.ON
- National Grid
- NEOM Green Hydrogen Company
- Statkraft UK Limited / Statkraft Markets
- National Grid - North Sea Link
- SEFE Energy
- KEPCO
- Arcadia eFuels
- Vital Energi
Work highlights
- Advised National Grid Ventures on its joint venture with BP, Shell, Equinor and Total on the Humber and Teeside Carbon Capture Use and Storage Project.
- Advised KEPCO in relation to its bid for the finance, construction, operation and maintenance of a nuclear new build project for two 1.4 GW reactors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- Advised Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) on the UK’s groundbreaking Geological Disposal Facility Project (GDF).
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Andreas Gunst, Sarah Thomas