Overview
David Birchall advises clients on the full range of energy transactions in the mid- and downstream fields, including types of commodity trading matters, conventional, renewables and clean-tech projects, energy and infrastructure projects, regulation and waste, including waste-to-energy schemes. Having practised as an energy corporate, regulatory and projects lawyer since 1993, he also worked from the start of the renewables and physical commodities trading legal market, in the UK, throughout Europe, the United States and beyond.
David advises major corporations, banks and industry participants on corporate and commercial matters, and energy and infrastructure projects issues, including the following:
- Buying and selling energy companies, assets, portfolios of trading positions and combinations thereof
- All aspects of energy and infrastructure projects, including advising on all project documents from developer, supplier and contractor perspectives, shareholder matters and financing arrangements
- All underlying physical documents relevant to trading all commodities
- Bespoke documents for buying and selling gas, power, coal, metals and oil
- Structured deals in the energy and infrastructure space
Results
- Advised on conventional power plants, gas facilities (including gas storage), renewables projects (including solar projects, onshore and offshore win, tidal, combined heat and power (CHP) and waste-to-energy projects) for the likes of InterGen, Greater Gabbard, London Array, CG Power, Glennmont, EDFE, SSE, Airtricity, Infinergy, the ENER-G Group, Orange, Veolia, Morgan Stanley, npower and others
- Provided guidance on a broad range of commodities trading matters to industry participants, including Mercuria, Gazprom, Gazexport, Cadoil, Gunvor, ADDAX, RWEST, SSE, DONG and Statkraft, and to banks such as JP Morgan, Macquarie, UBS, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley
- Advised on corporate, commercial and restructuring matters for corporate and commercial clients such as the Charities Aid Foundation, Elephant Communications, Marmalade Insurance, The Energy Consortium and BlueBay Investments, and utilities, banks and trading houses such as SSE, EDFE, npower, ADDAX, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley
Recognitions
- The Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom, Energy & Natural Resources Law, 2009 – 2025
- Chambers Global 2016 – 2018
- Chambers UK 2017 – 2020
- Acritas Stars 2020, listed among independently rated lawyers
- The Legal 500 UK 2020 leading lawyer in Commodities – derivatives and physicals
Community
- McDermott, London Pro Bono Committee
- St. Matthias Club for Young People, Hackney, chairman, 1995 to present
Credentials
Education
Downing College, University of Cambridge, BA, Law, 1989
St. Edward’s College, Liverpool
Admissions
The Law Society of England and Wales
Languages
English
French
