Environment & Climate Change | UK

Ashurst acts for a wide range of clients on environmental transactions, litigation and projects. It is recommended for its advice on acquisitions, sustainability and ESG-related matters. The firm regularly assists clients with an array of regulatory and environmental permitting matters.

CMS houses a leading group with an extremely broad range of capabilities, offering recognised expertise in both contentious and non-contentious environmental law. The firm's areas of strength include permitting, energy efficiency, climate change and contamination issues, alongside notable experience of transactions involving significant environmental risk. It has a wide-ranging client base including government entities, financial institutions and major corporates. The team is also able to provide clients with strategic advice on environmental compliance obligations.

Latham & Watkins has a highly skilled team that has experience across a wide range of environmental matters and benefits from the firm's high-quality corporate and finance offering. It handles the environmental and climate change aspects of numerous cross-border transactions, often analysing potential environmental risks, as well as advising on ESG corporate reporting. The firm demonstrates experience in contentious matters, including high-profile environmental class actions. Its lawyers act for an impressive array of leading corporates, energy companies and investors.

Linklaters advises numerous international clients on the overlap between health and safety and environmental law, often within the context of planned project finance or asset transactions. It offers expertise in low-carbon and climate change mandates, alongside considerable strength in handling regulatory and civil litigation matters relating to contaminated land and water pollution. The firm counts a number of leading corporates and financial institutions among its distinguished client base. It is also active in assisting consumer goods companies with the environmental law aspects of transactions.

A&O Shearman is a trusted adviser to clients across non-profits, financial institutions and companies in power and hydrogen. Its team handles carbon matters, climate change agreements and decarbonisation work. It shows further involvement in power agreements, regulatory and contentious work.

Dentons is recommended for its excellent industry knowledge, particularly within the energy sector. It handles a mixture of transactional and regulatory work with a strong track record in both international and domestic M&A transactions that entail significant environmental liability and compliance issues. The firm also handles Environmental Agency investigations and offers further experience in ESG matters.

Freshfields regularly handles large environmental litigation cases, including the defence of high-profile pollution claims. The firm acts on permitting and environmental compliance matters for clients in the oil and nuclear sectors. It assists global manufacturers and oil companies with Environment Agency investigations and prosecutions in cases of marine pollution. In addition, the team advises on regulation and environmental issues in commercial transactions.

Norton Rose Fulbright advises on all stages of infrastructure, energy and residential development projects. Its advice spans the analysis of contaminated land and potential remediation costs, through to post-acquisition environmental permitting and planning applications. The department offers proven expertise in waste matters, including waste-to-energy projects and advice on waste transportation. It also demonstrates additional sectoral strengths in the commodities and transport fields. The team works in tandem with the firm's energy practice to advise clients on issues such as climate change and air pollution.

Clifford Chance frequently deals with international matters, leveraging its broad network of global offices to handle major transactional and development mandates. It offers deep experience coordinating the environmental aspects of inbound and outbound investments into low-carbon, energy-from-waste or gas-fired power generation businesses, alongside roles advising on the environmental aspects of UK nuclear projects. The firm also advises corporates in relation to compliance with chemical regulations and GHG reporting regulations.

Slaughter and May continues to demonstrate a diverse environment practice. The group advises on climate transition plans and ESG mandates, with a regulatory focus. Clients range from energy companies to financial institutions.

Travers Smith is notable for its expertise in regulations governing the production and distribution of chemical and electrical products in Europe, acting for a strong client roster including major US and Asian corporate clients. The team offers environmental advice on a variety of commercial transactions and projects ranging from high-value energy or chemicals deals through to smaller transactions that have significant contamination implications. It also advises international funds on compliance with carbon reporting requirements, and assists corporate and financial sector clients in developing governance policies to limit environmental risk.

Baker McKenzie acts for a wide range of national and international corporates on compliance with WEEE, energy efficiency and emissions regulations. It also offers expertise in handling regulatory investigations and product regulation. The team operates as part of a global climate change offering, advising key international clients on emissions trading matters. It is routinely instructed by clients from the technology and manufacturing sectors.

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner has a strong reputation for its advice on environmental issues associated with major development projects, corporate transactions and real estate matters. Its lawyers advise on issues concerning contaminated land, water pollution and waste. The firm is known for its handling of environmental insurance work. In addition, it frequently advises clients on the environmental regulatory compliance aspects of real estate and corporate transactions.

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer offers in-depth knowledge of the environmental regulations governing energy and infrastructure projects, such as nuclear and power transmission projects. The firm also advises on environmental risk in corporate/M&A transactions and issues of contaminated land liability, including in relation to the sale and purchase of brownfield sites.

Hogan Lovells is routinely instructed by a wide range of high-profile clients, including big international names from the technology and automotive sectors. It also offers expertise in handling oil and gas production assets, PFAS and diesel emissions matters.

Mayer Brown is recognised for its notable environment practice. The firm advises high-profile clients on a range of complex environmental issues surrounding corporate transactions, EU allowances and regulatory challenges. It advises clients in sectors such as chemicals, financial services and energy, among others.

Reed Smith has a solid team with in-depth knowledge of a wide range of matters including carbon markets, ESG and weather risk management, among numerous others. The firm also demonstrates broad expertise in PFAS and decarbonisation matters.

White & Case has a broad practice, offering in-depth knowledge of environmental regulations and ESG matters, such as CRSD advisory work for high-profile clients from the food manufacturing and tobacco sectors. The firm also advises on EUDR work and criminal offences related to areas protected under environmental law.