Approach
Energy and infrastructure transactions are cross-border, document-heavy and time-critical. Our approach is simple: a senior partner leads, English- and German-law advice comes from one firm, and capacity is assembled for the mandate rather than carried as overhead.
Our Aim
To be the first-choice Anglo-German counsel for investors, developers and corporates in energy, infrastructure and real assets: senior advice, clear accountability and documentation.
International
Our clients include investors, developers, buyers and sellers, and publicly, privately and state-owned companies, we regularly advise:
- on English law M&A and project finance;
- as international lead counsel working with leading independent firms for local law advice;
- on German M&A and project finance; and
- German project development and regulatory work.
We work with independent law firms in over 17 countries including the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
How we staff mandates
Hargrove: advice led and delivered by the responsible partner for mandates within our English- and German- law capability.
Hargrove Extended: for larger mandates, an extended team of experienced counsel, led and supervised by the responsible partner.
Hargrove+: for multi-jurisdictional mandates, we act as lead counsel and coordinate independent co-counsel, as your single point of accountability.
What clients gain
Clear advantages over a traditional international law firm model include:
Partner-led: a partner leads every mandate from first call to closing.
Lean cost base: minimal internal overhead.
Independent choice of co-counsel: the best-suited local firm for each mandate.
Focused conflict profile: no global client book to clear against.
Magic Circle training, boutique delivery.
Germany
Germany has excellent independent law firms that, within their specialisms, are on a par with the practice groups of international firms. Where a mandate calls for specialist German expertise beyond our own, we work alongside them.
Responsible business
Hargrove is guided by principles of integrity, this includes implementing and regularly reviewing policies that relate to the environmental, social, and governance. We are increasingly covering issues around ESG for clients requiring a broader approach to be taken to target supply chains during due diligence including in relation to financing and W&I insurance implications.
We apply a small number of specific, documented practices:
- Travel: we take the train rather than fly where the journey is reasonably possible by rail (for example to Frankfurt, Düsseldorf or Amsterdam), subject to client requirements; colleagues are encouraged to commute by bicycle or public transport.
- Paper: files are kept digitally by default; we print only where necessary and use recycled paper.
- Energy: our Hamburg office is supplied with electricity from renewable sources as well as a sustainable district heating system provided by the Hamburger Energiewerke.
- Suppliers: we use regional suppliers where possible.
- People: we are an equal-opportunities employer with an established flexible and remote-working policy.