BTO Solicitors LLP

BTO Solicitors LLP

bto.co.uk

Member of Mackrell International

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Scotland

BTO Solicitors LLP - Energy

Vikki Watt

Vikki Watt

Partner and Solicitor-Advocate Vikki heads BTO’s top tier Health & Safety, Regulatory and Criminal defence practice. She is a Solicitor Advocate specialising in the defence of health and safety, environmental and white collar criminal prosecutions. With two decades at the top of her field, she is recognized for her accomplished advocacy skills by both clients and professional colleagues alike and combines a sharp analytical mind and empathetic approach. She acts for a number of high-profile Insurers, as well as individuals, SMEs and multinational companies. Instructed regularly at the outset when a major incident or fatality occurs, Vikki has a wealth of experience in advising clients at all stages, ranging from strategic advice in the immediate aftermath of a serious incident to representation at interviews under caution and the conduct of Tribunals, Trials, Fatal Accident and Public Inquiries. This includes providing crisis management and reputational advice at all stages. Vikki is the ‘go to’ Panel solicitor for a number of insurers, LAs, charities and construction companies in health and safety matters and regularly receives referral work from market leaders both north and south of the border. Vikki's non-contentious work also sees her heavily involved in training for other lawyers and clients. She is a regular  presenter on all aspects of health and safety law to bodies such as the MGAA, the Solicitors’ Group, Lloyds of London and provides bespoke training to her private clients.

Deals

  • Acting in relation to the negotiation (and variation) to a now operational lease of a Gas Peaking Plant in Falkirk.
  • Acting for the landowner in the negotiation of a battery storage development at a former sawmill site adjacent to a sub-station with 50MW available capacity.
  • Acting for the landowner, one of the oldest and largest landed estates in Scotland, in the negotiation of a battery storage development at a former sawmill site adjacent to a sub-station with 50MW available capacity.
  • Continuing advice with regard to development, in partnership with Buchanan Community Hydro Society Limited, of a community hydro project on our clients’ land.
  • Acting for the Bank in a term loan secured over the Allt Mor Hydro scheme.

Team Services

BTO’s team is renowned for their commercial and focused legal expertise in the renewable energy sector.  It acts in projects of all sizes, some involving major international funders, others community-driven or privately funded (often joint venture) projects.

It holds an impressive portfolio of deals and clients, acting for commercial developers and operators, community renewables groups and projects, and landowners in diversification of landed estates in wind and hydro developments.

It also has extensive experience of acting for banks and funders across the sector. Of particular note is its unrivalled expertise acting for community groups in all stages of community related projects from inception through to post commission issues.

Specific sector specialisms and experience include: On-shore wind; Hydro schemes; Solar; Biomass / CHP / RHI; Energy from waste; Community renewables; Private wire schemes,; Landed estates; Feed in Tariff and ROCs.

The team has been involved in all manner of transactions and is seeing a continued increase in refinance transactions in the sector, joint ventures and privately funded projects, energy storage, hydro  and work in relation to gas peaking plants.