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Andrew Brown

Partner

England & Wales

+44 (0)20 3319 3700

andrew.brown@keystonelaw.co.uk

Andrew is a property lawyer specialising in renewable and clean energy projects with a particular focus on solar, battery, on-shore wind, anaerobic digestion and other waste-to-energy projects.

His expertise has afforded him the opportunity to advise clients in relation to some of the UK’s ‘first of their kind’ projects, including the first direct to grid anaerobic digestion project.

Andrew acts for landowners and landed estates, developers, and funders in the development, financing, and acquisition of a variety of projects including large (NSIP) solar schemes and portfolio financing and disposals.

Expertise

Andrew advises on refinancing, funding, and asset management, working with lenders and borrowers to structure practical, efficient finance solutions across property and commercial transactions.

Experience

  • Acted for an institutional investor in its £20 million investment in the UK’s first direct to grid anaerobic digestion project.
  • Acted for a battery storage developer to procure construction financing for its portfolio of projects with Goldman Sachs.
  • Acted for a PLC which are one of the largest owners of rooftop solar assets in the UK in the acquisition and refinancing of a portfolio of rooftop and ground-mount solar sites.
  • Acted for a syndicate of three institutional investors in relation to a £70 million debt financing for the construction of a 100-megawatt battery storage facility (BESS).
  • Worked with the stakeholders of the largest community-owned solar farm to procure construction financing for the project.

Andrew advises on agricultural tenancies, unregistered land, land rights, easements, landlord and tenant matters, and option and lease negotiations, supporting rural landowners and estates in managing and securing their property interests.

Experience

  • Acted for two landed estates in relation to a nationally significant (NSIP) solar scheme, including the negotiation of surrenders and variations to existing agricultural tenancies.
  • Acted for a farming client with the negotiation of a large battery storage project (BESS), including the registration of a large portion of the unregistered land where the project was to be located.
  • Acted for a landowner who formed a joint venture with a solar developer for the construction and subsequent acquisition of the scheme by the landowner.
  • Acted for a business focused on rewilding former agricultural land with the development of an EV charging car park and battery storage scheme that was being developed within greenbelt land.
  • Acted for a farming family in relation to the negotiation of an option for lease relating to a wind farm and supplemental battery storage facility.
  • Advised for landowners and developers in relation to the negotiation of access and cable easements with DNOs and statutory undertakers to facilitate the development and energisation of renewable developments.

Andrew supports clients on renewable energy projects, site acquisitions and disposals, project re-gears, asset life extensions, and due diligence, guiding developers and landowners through the lifecycle of energy and infrastructure assets.

Experience

  • Acted for a battery storage developer in its £90 million disposal of a portfolio of flexible power generation facilities.
  • Acted for a waste management company in a pipeline of acquisitions of waste treatment facilities, including a recycling and skip rental company (£62 million acquisition).
  • Acted for an energy fund with its sale of a £33 million battery storage project.
  • Acted for an energy-from-waste operator in relation to the freehold acquisition of land near a large Amazon distribution facility where energy was being supplied to the facility through a power purchase arrangement.
  • Worked with a venture partner of Thames Water in the preparation of template property documents to facilitate the land rights required for the construction of a heat network which connects into Thames Water’s sewers.
  • Acted for developers in the creation of bespoke land agreements for renewable energy schemes including those involving data centres and crypto mining hubs.

Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.

Recognition

Member of the Agricultural Law Association (ALA)

Andrew qualified as a solicitor in 2017. Prior to joining Keystone Law, he worked at the following firms:

  • Burges Salmon
  • TLT
  • Knights