Environment & Climate Change | UK

Dentons is recommended for its excellent industry knowledge, particularly within the waste and energy sectors. 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 demonstrates considerable prowess in environmental insurance work and has recently been active advising on environmental liability risks in the context of insolvency proceedings. The firm also handles Environmental Agency investigations, and offers further experience in ESG matters.

Latham & Watkins has a highly skilled team that has experience in 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 human rights, health and safety and environmental law, often within the context of planned project finance or asset transactions. It offers proven expertise in low carbon and climate change mandates, alongside considerable strengths 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.

On 1st May 2024, Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling merged to form A&O Shearman. The firm has a strong practice with an international profile in environmental law. It acts for many large multinational clients and offers a thriving transactional practice in the healthcare, consumer goods and infrastructure sectors. The firm regularly handles permitting issues and potential regulatory risks in low-carbon energy projects. Its key lawyers advise across chemicals, health and safety, and human rights issues.

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 impresses with its handling of environmental insurance work. In addition, it frequently advises clients on the environmental regulatory compliance aspects of real estate and corporate 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.

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 real estate transactions that have significant contaminated land implications. It also advises international funds on compliance with carbon reporting requirements and assists corporate and financial sector clients with developing governance policies to limit environmental risk.

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.

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 the greenhouse gas reporting regulations.

DLA Piper offers a broad practice in a variety of contentious and non-contentious environmental matters. The firm advises notable clients in the technology, chemicals and financial services sectors. It also offers advice on amendments to ESG-related legislation, including the EU Corporate Sustainability Directive.

Baker McKenzie acts for a wide range of national and international corporates on compliance with REACH, WEEE, RoHS, energy efficiency and emissions regulations, alongside 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.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer regularly handles large pieces of environmental litigation, 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 also advises on regulation and environmental issues in commercial transactions.

Herbert Smith Freehills offers in-depth knowledge of the environmental regulations governing energy and infrastructure projects, such as shale gas exploration, nuclear and power transmission projects. The firm also advises on environmental risks in corporate/M&A transactions and issues of contaminated land liability including in relation to sales and purchases of brownfield sites. It is well equipped to handle a range of contentious work, such as the defence of multinational corporates in high-profile mass tort claims.

Mayer Brown is recognised for its notable environmental 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.