Renewables without Subsidies: The New Normal

John Deacon Partner Energy, Infrastructure

London

John focuses on energy projects, carbon finance and trading, and infrastructure law, with a particular emphasis on renewable energy and distributed generation both conventional and unconventional.

John's experience began with UK wind projects and has moved into a broad spectrum of global renewable energy projects, including onshore/offshore wind, biomass, large hydro, run-of-river hydro, energy-from-waste and PV (ground and rooftop). John acts for developers, banks, equity providers, employers and contractors in this field. He has advised on projects around the world, including Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe and across the European Union.

Chambers UK ranks John as a leading individual in the Energy and Natural Resources field and Legal 500 UK positions him as “a highly regarded figure in the renewables space.” Clients describe John as a “strong negotiator” who can “easily defuse contentious situations.”

Edward Humphries Partner Energy, Infrastructure

London

Edward has a particular focus on commodities and the development, financing, acquisition and disposal of domestic and international projects in the energy sector.

His commodities experience ranges from the transactional and regulatory aspects of physical and cash-settled trading to more bespoke, complex and structured arrangements. These include the establishment and roll-out of trading platforms and businesses, long-term sales and supply agreements, corporate PPAs of all forms (including derivative-based synthetic / virtual contracts), trading services agreements, swaps, repurchase transactions, commodity-backed prepay (and other financing) structures and trading portfolio, company and asset acquisitions.

Edward also has a significant amount of experience in relation to thermal and renewable energy assets (the latter including wind, solar, biomass, storage and hydro technologies), as well as large mining, toll road, telecoms and other infrastructure projects. 

In this regard, he has advised on numerous high-value and strategic M&A transactions, projects and project financings, and has specialist knowledge in relation to system, supply, offtake, concession, O&M, EPC and other underlying arrangements. His projects-related clients include sponsors, corporates, utilities, trading houses, equity and debt funds, and other debt-providers (primarily banks and credit support organisations).

He has advised in each of these areas, across the UK, Western and Eastern Europe, Africa and other key emerging markets, for almost 20 years, spending an extensive portion of this time acting as in-house counsel to utilities, trading houses and an international investment bank.

Edward is individually ranked by Chambers UK and recognised by Legal 500 as both a “Leading Individual” and “Next Generation Partner”.