Oil & gas: area of practice

最好的部分是一个石油和天然气的律师getting to work on high-profile, strategically important and topical projects and transactions.

Oil and gas solicitors are involved in all aspects of the oil and gas sector, ranging from M&A transactions involving oil and gas assets, the financing and development of oil and/or gas projects, to high-profile disputes between key players in the oil and gas space.

The work is very varied and may involve helping clients to buy or sell oil and gas assets or companies, creating joint ventures, developing oil and gas infrastructure such as pipelines or terminals or infrastructure to support the energy transition, putting in place contracts to enable parties to trade oil and gas on a short or long-term basis or giving regulatory advice. Clients include international oil companies (IOCs), national oil companies (NOCs), trading houses, financial institutions and banks, construction companies, authorities and host governments.

What does a typical transaction in oil and gas law look like?

There is no such thing as a typical transaction, and the timelines and number of people working on a matter can vary significantly depending on the nature of the work, the size, scale and complexity of the transaction and the client’s commercial objectives.

In a large-scale M&A transaction where we are acting for the buyer, the transaction will typically start with a due diligence process, followed by the negotiation of a sale and purchase agreement and then a period after signing during which any conditions precedent need to be satisfied to move to completion of the transaction. Straightforward M&A transactions may last between three and six months, but this can be significantly longer if the transaction is particularly complex. Project development work tends to involve drafting contracts needed to develop infrastructure and these projects tend to last longer than the M&A transactions, with transactions lasting between six and eighteen months (and sometimes considerably longer).

What is working life like for an oil and gas lawyer?

Working hours are normally from 9.00 am to around 7.30 pm, though it can vary depending on how many transactions are happening at the time and whether a transaction is close to signing or closing. This means there might be months in the year when it’s quieter and a trainee can leave early; it also means there will be other months when late nights and weekend work are required.

最好的部分是一个石油和天然气的律师getting to work on high-profile, strategically important and topical projects and transactions, which are often in the news and which are often innovative and intellectually challenging. The downsides are that activity levels in the sector are often closely linked to oil price movements, so it can be difficult to predict the pipeline and flow of work.

What opportunities for travel are there in oil and gas law?

The oil and gas industry is a global business and consequently working in this sector means that you will have the opportunity to work with people from a diverse range of cultures and work on transactions involving a diverse range of jurisdictions. This also means that travelling is common, as often you will need to visit clients who are based outside of the UK or attend negotiation meetings in places where it is convenient for the relevant parties to meet. Recently members of our team have travelled to various countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America as part of transactions.

What will a trainee lawyer do in an oil and gas department?

Trainee tasks are varied, but include conducting due diligence, drafting and research, attending negotiation meetings with clients, as well as conditions precedent tasks; these are the various documents and formalities that need to be satisfied before a transaction can close. There is plenty of scope for client contact and trainees are encouraged to take on as much responsibility as they can handle, with appropriate supervision.

Sector-specific commercial knowledge is important for trainees in this practice area. During the process of a transaction the commercial aspects are often as important, if not more so, than the black letter law.

What skills do oil and gas lawyers need?

• Commercial awareness and an interest in the sector.
• The ability to analyse projects and transactions from different perspectives.
• An appreciation of each party’s concerns and objectives.
• The ability to work methodically and manage a diverse workload.

Types of law practised

• Contract.
• Banking and finance.
• Corporate.

JULIA DERRICKis a partner in the projects (energy & resources) group atASHURST LLP. She graduated with a degree in geography from the University of Edinburgh in 2003.