IJInvestor Awards: Orrick Named Legal Adviser of the Year, Europe 2023

Orrick has been named “Legal Adviser of the Year – Europe” at the 2023 IJInvestor Awards, which recognize best-in-class transactions and organizations across the international energy and infrastructure industry.

An independent panel of judges honored Orrick for having “played a key role on some of the leading regional transactions.” The judges cited the firm’s “focus on European renewables – with each example pushing the envelope on existing market conditions and moving it further, creating helpful precedents.”

"We are delighted about this award as it recognizes the investments we have made in our European E&I platform, and our commitment to helping clients achieve stellar results,” said Evan Stergoulis, Orrick’s co-head of global renewables.

“With the arrivals of partners Werner Brickwedde, Christophe Lefort, Paul Loisel, Marine Jamain and Albert Yu in the past year, we have added significant talent to our pan-European Energy Transition platform,” Stergoulis said. “Our continued growth allows us to stay ahead on market developments and help clients push the boundaries on precedent-setting transactions.”

In 2023, Orrick’s pan-European team advised on the GBP 1.141 billion sale of the transmission assets of the 1.3GW Hornsea II offshore wind project, in which Orrick advised a joint venture owned by Orsted and AXA IM. In France, Orrick advised Ardian’s EUR 1.4 billion acquisition of a majority stake in GreenYellow, a French pioneer in decentralised solar energy production and efficiency. In Germany, Orrick’s M&A team advised Vantage Towers on its multibillion-euro infrastructure deal with Vodafone, KKR and Global Infrastructure Partners.

IJ Global also highlighted Orrick’s considerable involvement in offshore wind M&A, with a particular focus on offshore transmission owner (OFTO) disposal. Orrick has advised on 14 completed divestments. This specialisation has seen the firm advise on some of the first offshore wind JV arrangements in jurisdictions where the sector is in its infancy – France, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Poland, Estonia and Bulgaria. Notably, Orrick worked on a Wind and Solar Farm Developer's (Europe) sale of three offshore wind projects in Finland and CIP’s partnership to develop offshore wind in Estonia and Latvia.