Michael Watson
Partner, Head of Climate and Sustainability Advisory
Michael and his team combine legal, consultancy and public policy expertise to advise clients on Climate and Sustainability/ESG matters, focussing on consultative engagement and advice to enable them to navigate the complex policy and commercial challenges.
Michael's experience
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Advised the Eden Project on structuring their joint venture arrangements in relation to a UK re-wilding project expected to produce BNGs (biodiversity net gain credits) from new wildflower meadow habitats.
- United Kingdom
- Professional & Public Services
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Acted for borrowers/issuers and lenders/arrangers, on major infrastructure and energy financings: first post-crisis project bond with credit enhancement, early bond-financed water projects, and Mutual Energy’s single-asset energy infrastructure bonds in Northern Ireland.
- United Kingdom
- Financial Services
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Advised a range of clients in relation to their proposed sustainability report and approach to climate transition reporting.
- United Kingdom
- Financial Services
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Advised a range of financial services clients in relation to their net zero/ESG commitments specifically addressing “greenwashing” risk and liability, implications for governance and regulatory issues.
- United Kingdom
- Financial Services
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Advised our client, a private equity firm with ten portfolio companies in the scope of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Director (CSRD) wanted to get them ready for CSRD compliance but didn’t have the requisite expertise and looked for external support that promoted training and building capacity in-house.
- United Kingdom
- Financial Services
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Acted for an impact investor in relation to its investments in to impact fund managers to scale up their business.
- £300m
- United Kingdom & Luxembourg
- Financial Services
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Acted for Mutual Energy in Northern Ireland in relation acquisition and project financings of three critical assets:the Moyle Electricity Interconnector; the NI/Scotland Gas Interconnector; the High Pressure Belfast Gas network. Each financed on the capital markets.
- United Kingdom
- Energy & Natural Resources
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Acted for HSBC as Lead Arranger of the bond financing for Aberdeen City Council.
- United Kingdom
- Financial Services
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Acted for Aberdeen Asset Infrastructure funds on the acquisition and subsequent restructuring of the DIF 2 portfolio of PPP Projects.
- Cross-border
- Financial Services
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Acted for the Lead arrangers (HSBC and Santander) on the first Bond Financing of an offshore transmission link in the UK (Greater Gabbard OFTO) and further transactions in this new market. The first Project Bond Credit Enhanced financings from the EIB in the UK.
- United Kingdom
- Energy & Natural Resources
Credentials
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2009Harvard University – Leading Professional Service Firms (management course)
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1995Qualified - Scotland
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1993Edinburgh University – Diploma in Legal Practice
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1993Joined Pinsent Masons
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1992Edinburgh University – LLB
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1990Edinburgh University and University of Pennsylvania (exchange) – MA (Hons) Economics and Accounting
Out-Law / Insight by Michael Watson
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