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The Quadrant Chambers Annual Energy Disputes Event returns to an in person event! Herbert Smith Freehills is delighted to be partnering with Quadrant Chambers in hosting their 2022 event at our London offices.

The event will be chaired by Quadrant Chambers' Simon Rainey QC, and Áine McCartney, Head of Legal Operations at Nordex Group will give the in-house perspective. Áine will join energy experts Chris Smith QC and Gaurav Sharma from Quadrant Chambers. We are delighted that Herbert Smith Freehills' London-based Energy Disputes Partner James Baily will also be speaking on the panel.

This session will focus on the most pressing issues facing those operating in the energy industry today, from spiking energy prices and resource shortages caused by war, to the challenges of decarbonisation, including climate change litigation and shareholder activism. The panel will address legal issues ranging from contractual mechanisms for restoring parties’ bargains to default, termination and frustration events. They will also look at tort claims and the importance of environmental, social and governance policy in the context of future legal risk.

The discussion will revolve around three particular areas:

  • Volatility in Today’s Energy Markets, looking at recent major events that have changed the economic landscape, from the legacy of COVID to the war in Ukraine and sanctions, and the way in which they have dramatically impacted oil and gas prices. The panel will consider contractual issues and challenges, including price reviews and hardship, shortfall provisions and liability caps, force majeure, frustration and default events.
  • Current Challenges for Renewable Projects, focusing on the in-house perspective and the challenges associated with doing business in the renewable industry as it experiences tremendous growth in the face of ever-increasing demand, and as established operators look to increase their expertise and investment in wind, solar and other renewable projects.
  • ESG Policies and Regulating the Future Energy Industry, examining the extent to which traditional energy and natural resource companies will face claims in the coming years from stakeholders in relation to the environmental and human rights impacts of their operations, in a world that is decarbonising and trying to create a level socioeconomic playing field for everyone.

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Key contacts

James Baily photo

James Baily

Partner, London

James Baily