Shepherd and Wedderburn delivers commercial and practical legal advice, enabling water sector clients to achieve their objectives. We have strength, depth and experience in all key legal areas and in particular support clients with legal expertise in Banking; Competition and Regulation (including merger control); Construction and Special Projects; Corporate Finance; Employment; Pensions; Planning and Environment; PPP; Property and Public Law.

In recent work, we have advised clients in relation to:

• the development of competition in retail water and wastewater markets;
• the regulation of water and wastewater prices and the setting of price controls;
• corporate acquisitions and re-structuring;
• water abstraction activities;
• wastewater treatment plants;
• procurement and contract structures;
• planning and environmental issues;
• relationships with other utility companies; and
• connection agreements.

The following is a selection of our clients:

• Independent Water Review Panel
• Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation
• Pennon Group
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency
• Water Industry Commission for Scotland
• Water UK

"Peers consider “very practical” Gordon Downie to be “great with clients and an excellent team player.” A member of the Law Society of Scotland's Competition Law Committee, his ongoing work in the competition aspects of non-domestic retail water and sewerage markets has especially impressed sources. "
Chambers 2008