Environment and Planning – Senior Associate

The Role

The Group specialises in EHS, carbon markets, climate change, ESG, energy and utilities regulation (including electricity market, oil and gas, nuclear, renewables, water, ports and airports) and real estate and infrastructure planning and consenting. The practice spans compliance advisory, transactional, project work, and disputes/litigation. The successful candidate must demonstrate experience in some of these areas, and the capability and appetite to develop their knowledge and skills across other areas covered by the Group.

Who you will work with

As a senior lawyer in the Environment and Planning Group you will be involved with all types of work (advisory, transactional and disputes) and across the sectors covered by the team, and so you will have the opportunity to work with all team members in London and overseas.

The Environment and Planning Group is an integral part of the firm's transactional capabilities, and provides regular support on EHS, regulatory and consenting issues to the Real Estate, Corporate and Finance practices, meaning you would work as an integral part of the cross-practice deal team.

The Group also plays a key role in a number of sectoral and diagonal groups, including the Climate Change Group, the Energy & Infrastructure Group (working closely with the project finance and construction teams), and the firm's global offering on ESG and sustainability services.

What you will be responsible for

As a member of the Group, you will be required to be flexible and adaptable to support the Group's work across the full spectrum of practices and sectors in which it operates. The work of the Group encompasses a wide range of transactional and regulatory/advisory work as well as occasionally litigation. As a result, the workload will be varied, and your role will primarily be to support partners and delegate work appropriately to more junior associates based on current work streams at any given time.

In addition to the traditional EHS aspects of the role, a significant part of the Group's work is in the energy space, providing advice on transactions and projects in the renewables sector as well as advising on the development of new UK energy projects and the regulation of energy utilities both on stand-alone matters as well as advice as part of M&A, infrastructure investments  and project finance transactions.

Other rapidly growing areas are utilities and infrastructure regulation (particularly water, ports, airports), data centres, carbon markets/climate change, and ESG risk and regulation.

You will also be expected to formulate personal objectives which make an impactful contribution towards the Group's business development activities, commensurate with your level of PQE.

What you will do

• Drafting and negotiating environmental warranties and indemnities in respect of M&A and real estate transactions and subsequent post-acquisition advice on claims.
• Providing stand-alone advice on EHS issues including the contaminated land regime and chemicals regulation.
• Drafting and negotiating agreements for transactions and projects in the energy space (particularly renewable), such as basic SPAs (and associated ancillary documents), power and heat supply and other services agreement, coordinating the legal due diligence for clients investing in UK energy projects including reviewing and reporting on planning and environmental issues, and energy matters (including grid connection, fuel and equipment supply, contracts for difference and other renewables incentives, and offtake arrangements).
• Advising on the regulation of the energy market, focused particularly on electricity generation technologies and renewables but also covering gas and electricity distribution, transmission and supply as well as regulation of other utilities and infrastructure.
• Collaborating with the wider firm in advising on ESG and climate change issues in different sectors, in particular on climate- and sustainability-related corporate disclosures and due diligence.
• Advising on emissions trading and voluntary emissions reduction purchase agreements and financing of/investments into carbon reductions and removals projects.
• Advising on regulatory frameworks, licensing issues and emerging regulation in utilities and infrastructure sectors, including drafting responses to consultations, negotiating licence amendments and advising on CMA appeals
• Advising on power, ESG and consenting issues for data centres as part of the wider Data Centre Group
• Supporting clients through the entire planning process including the review of planning applications, statutory agreements, inquiries and legal challenges.
• Advising on consenting and planning issues for major energy and infrastructure projects, including development consent orders, compulsory purchase orders and highways works.

You will also contribute to the Group's growth by assisting on various business development and knowledge-related initiatives including new business pitches, briefings, presentations and knowledge-sharing tasks. 

Your Experience

This is an opening for a senior lawyer who can demonstrate a background within a similar field of (or at least some of) EHS, carbon markets, energy, regulatory and planning work, ideally gained at a City Firm, or at an overseas common law practice with a similar highly regarded profile.  You will have an outstanding academic record.

The ideal candidate should:

• Have experience of assisting in advising major corporates, financial institutions and investors in relation to some of the Group's specialist practice areas
• Have experience of assisting clients in the real estate, industrial and energy and infrastructure sectors
• be able to demonstrate experience of advising on transactional and regulatory matters, including negotiation and drafting of documents, preparation of complex legal analyses and direct contact with clients, counterparties and regulators
• Have a good understanding of the fast-moving ESG agenda and topical issues such as climate change and biodiversity and how they impact on legal practice
• be able to work in teams, sharing knowledge, motivating and coaching juniors, and contributing to overall success; and
• be empathetic, resilient, responsive and reliable

How we will support you

From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and development your skills and knowledge. From formal training, informal coaching and mentoring through to skills-based and technical training and on the job learning.

Who we are

We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.

Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.

Our one firm global strategy is focused on targeted growth led by the needs of our core clients, those who we can best support with the breadth and depth of Clifford Chance expertise, across the sectors and geographies, which matter most to them.

You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.

Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.

Hybrid Working

This role follows our 'balanced' hybrid working approach and as long as business needs allow, you will be supported to work in a hybrid way with the expectation of working from the office for a minimum of 50% of your time.

What we offer including our broad range of benefits and working environment

When you join Clifford Chance, you will have access to a broad range of benefits to support you across many aspects of your personal and professional life including financial, wellbeing, lifestyle, and family friendly benefits. For more information on what we offer specifically in the UK, please visit our What We Offer page on our career site. 

Equal opportunities

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age.  This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. 

Find out more about our inclusive culture here.

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