Bond Pearce

Luke is the head of Bond Pearce's nationally recognized Energy Group and leads a team of twelve real estate lawyers specialising in the energy sector, which includes two partners and two associates.

Luke is a member of Bond Pearce's Management Board and also sits on the firm's Conflicts and Confidentiality Group. He has acted as account management partner for a number of major energy companies.

He has been involved in renewable energy projects since 1990 and specialises in project development work and new generation projects in the energy sector. His team has advised on more than one hundred energy projects in the UK and Ireland. These include gas fired generation projects, on and offshore wind farms, biomass, wave, tidal and energy from waste projects. The team also advises on gas pipelines and electricity grid connection.

Examples of the recent work undertaken by Luke's team include:

• advising on the real estate aspects of the £430m Zephyr/Kaver financings of multiple wind farm projects including full due diligence and the production of certificates of title for 12 wind farms
• advising on the onshore real estate aspects of numerous offshore wind farms including projects at Lincs, Docking Shoal and Race Bank (for Centrica), West of Duddon, and Gunfleet Sands
• acting on the real estate aspects of acquisitions of offshore wind farms including Kentish Flats, Rhyl Flats and Greater Gabbard
• acting for Ecotricity on the acquisition development and financing of the 16 MW Conisholme project, including full title reports and the preparation of certificates of title
• acting for HJ Banks/Banks Renewables in connection with the £30m sale of West of Duddon wind farm
• advising Centrica on the real estate aspects of its successul bid for the Irish Sea zone in the Round 3 offshore wind farms bidding process conducted by The Crown Estate
• advising Centrica Storage on the real estate aspects of a gas storage project.

Luke's clients include both private and public sector bodies and he is recognised as a UK wide leader in the energy sector by Chambers Guide to the UK Legal Profession 2011 and as a leader in his field by Legal 500. Chambers' commentators refer to Luke in the 2010 edition as "continuing to do excellent work" and in the 2009 edition as being "extremely knowledgeable". They also say that he is "a pleasure to work with" and shows "utmost dedication to his clients".