Tom has worked as a lawyer in the environmental and clean energy space for over 20 years.  He has worked on numerous clean energy projects in the UK and  overseas.  These include a number of ground-breaking deals such as the first utility-scale wind farm in the Middle East, the world's first carbon-financed biomass re-fuelling of a coal fired power station, on a pioneering carbon capture and storage project in the UK.  He has advised on solar, wind, hydro and biomass projects and a broad range of other commercial and regulatory matters in the clean energy sector.

Tom has worked on numerous decentralised energy and district heating projects and related instructions over many years. These include some of the largest district heating schemes in the UK, as well as drafting guidance for the UK Government and pioneering solutions to a number of industry challenges, including supplier of last resort, and chairing the expert Committee of the Heat Trust.

examples of tom’s recent experience include:

• Clean energy funding – leading the legal input into the consortium appointed to manage over £600m funding through the UK Government’s Heat Network Investment Programme and Green Heat Network Fund, devising policies and procedures for assessment of funding applications, drafting guidance on DH project structuring, regulatory issues and optimising electricity revenues and drafting and publishing a suite of standard contract templates (SOMS);

• Green energy strategy – advising a number of large property companies on their green energy purchasing strategies, including behind-the-meter renewable energy generation, storage and electric vehicles, green corporate PPAs;

• Alternative routes to market – helping to develop alternative business models for the sale and purchase of renewable energy, including providing regulatory input into studies into private/virtual private wire models and a local balancing markets;

• District heating projects – advising clients such as the London Borough of Enfield, Energetik, Loka Energy and Lendlease on the structuring, set-up, governance, funding and contracting of some of the largest DH schemes in the UK;

• Energy efficiency – advising on a variety of energy performance contracting models, including acting as special counsel to an NHS Trust helping them develop and implement their energy strategy workstreams, concluding negotiations on an energy performance contract due to deliver the Trust guaranteed energy savings in excess of £1m per year, using a combination of CHP, solar and energy efficiency measures and aligning with their participation in a City-wide district heating scheme; and

• Emerging market renewables – leading the legal input on the development of the first utility scale windfarm in Jordan, helping to create grid connection and power purchase arrangements that catalysed a boom in renewables development in the country, and concluding an integrated solar DBOM, grid connection and power purchase agreements that were then used as the basis of the Egyptian solar programme.

previous work history

Prior to co-founding Lux Nova Partners, Tom was a partner at Temple Bright LLP, head of the energy team at Nabarro LLP (now CMS) and prior to that worked at Hammonds (now Squire Patton Boggs), CMS Cameron McKenna and Mills & Reeve.

academic qualifications

• University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership – Towards Net Zero

• Post-graduate Diploma in Legal Practice – Commendation (College of Law, London)

• BSc(Hons) Environmental Science with Law – 2:1 (University of Hertfordshire)

industry roles

Member of Committee of the Heat Trust (sat as first Chair, 2015-17 and committee member till 2021), Board Member of the UK Emissions Trading Group, Consultant to the UK Environmental Law Association’s Climate Change & Energy Working Party (sat as its Chair, 2005-15), member of the Association for Decentralised Energy. Tom has successfully lobbied Government for change in law, worked with Government Departments developing legislation and given evidence before Parliamentary Select Committees and the National Audit Office on various pieces of energy and environment policy.

Industry Awards

Association for Decentralised Energy’s Consultancy Project of the Year 2016 and Research and Consultancy Project of the Year 2018. Business Green Leaders Award. Recommended Individual, Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.