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
• drafting support and advice on water and sewerage licences
• 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

"Gordon Downie is praised by clients as “a wonderfully experienced, gifted and responsive individual.” Downie specialises particularly in the regulated industries, such as water, electricity and gas. As such, he provides support to the Water Industry Commission for Scotland in its project to introduce retail competition to the Scottish non-domestic water and waste water markets."
Chambers 2009