United Kingdom - Scotland • Projects, energy and natural resources
Burness Paull LLP
Burness Paull LLP draws experience from specialists across a broad range of disciplines to offer a full-service oil and gas offering, encompassing regulatory, corporate finance, dispute resolution, employment and health and safety, also being active at the forefront of the transition to net-zero. The team is led by Bob Ruddiman, who has ‘excellent upstream experience and market knowledge unrivalled in the local market’, and regularly represents energy majors, independents, utilities, and private equity houses across multiple jurisdictions. Consultant Brian Hemming has over three decades of experience advising on M&A deals, joint ventures and project agreements; director David Smith left in June 2022 for an in-house role at Energy Legal Solutions.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The practice is unique in that it combines solid legal work with pragmatic business solutions where needed. This is refreshingly different from many practices which approach from a 'legal' perspective only.’
‘Bob Ruddiman provides really practical business advice and a good broader view of the business needs.’
‘Bob Ruddiman is highly experienced and incredibly useful from a strategic point of view. Bob is ideal for issues that require gravitas, and particularly helpful for issues at board level.’
‘A team with a broad focus and experience. Team head Bob Ruddiman has excellent upstream experience and market knowledge that is unrivalled in the local market.’
‘The team has restructured to bring together its traditional M&A practice (which had a substantial oil and gas focus), its upstream practice and its renewables practices under a single "energy" practice. This seems to have allowed it to operate on a leaner basis, reacting and pivoting to where the opportunities are without carrying the costs of true specialist teams.’
‘Bob Ruddiman is extremely personable, quickly able to understand issues and come up with practical solutions, often with reference to his deep experience.’
‘Burness Paull's oil and gas practice has a wide breadth of expertise and always provides advice with rapid response time.’
‘Brian Hemming is knowledgeable and vastly experienced.’
Key clients
- Ancala Midstream
- Tailwind Energy
- Kellas Midstream
- Savannah Petroleum
- i3 Energy
- Anasuria Hibiscus
- National Oilwell Varco
- Harbour Energy
- EnQuest
- NZTC (Net Zero Technology Centre)
Work highlights
- Advised Savannah Energy on its readmission to the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange following the completion of its $407m acquisition of ExxonMobil’s upstream and midstream asset portfolio in Chad and Cameroon.
- Advised i3 Energy plc on its secondary placing of existing shares by two of its principal shareholders for an aggregate consideration of £16.2m.
- Advising a client in respect of the acquisition and conversion of a drill ship to become a low emission FPSO for deployment in the redevelopment of a significant UKCS oilfield and to acquire an equity interest in that oilfield.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading individuals
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Bob Ruddiman