Acting for engineering contractors, government and public sector bodies, and institutional investors, the energy, project, and construction team at CMS supports clients with a wide variety of matters, including regeneration, nuclear power, and energy-from-waste projects. Chris Hallam heads the team and has significant experience in structuring, negotiating, and drafting contracts for energy, construction, and infrastructure projects. Nick Case specialises in dispute resolution procedures and dispute avoidance in the sector, while Tim Williams focuses on nuclear and renewable energy development. Helen Achilleos is another notable member of the team.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- Richard Linton and Jack Duncanson both worked extremely hard and left no stone unturned in formulating the advice provided. They took pains to understand the industry in which we operate and the technical aspects of the dispute in which we are involved.
- The firm provided effective, pragmatic advice based on the information that was provided.
- Exceptional client service and a pleasure to work with. Lucy Bailey is a real standout superstar.
- The CMS Energy & Projects team is known for its strong international reach and practical, sector-focused approach across the full lifecycle of energy and infrastructure projects. It brings together lawyers from across jurisdictions to provide clear, commercially grounded advice on complex, often cross-border matters.
- Lucy Bailey - Lucy is pragmatic and solutions-focused, with a strong command of both the law and the commercial realities of building and running a case. She combines technical expertise with clear, strategic thinking, ensuring clients receive advice that is both robust and practical. Overall, she is a great asset to the CMS energy and construction disputes team. Nick Case - Nick has extensive experience handling complex, high-value disputes across the infrastructure and energy sectors. He is particularly adept at getting to the heart of issues quickly and developing clear, practical strategies for resolution. He combines deep technical expertise with strong commercial awareness, allowing him to guide clients through challenging matters with confidence and clarity.
- Our go-to team offers the best overall service among all the legal firms we instruct.
Key clients
- AtkinsRealis
- Mace Construction
- The MEH SZC Alliance
- Sanofi SA
- Dragados Construction
- Polish Government
- Ansaldo Nucleare S.p.A.
- Sargent & Lundy Engineers Ltd
- Flour B.V.
- Equitix
- National Grid Electricity Transmission PLC
- Equans Group
Work highlights
Advising separate joint ventures comprising international contractors on the C3&4 new build nuclear plant and the C1 nuclear retubing and refurbishment project at Cernavoda, Romania (combined contract value c 5.2bn Euros).
Advised National Grid Electricity Transmission PLC on the £4.3bn EGL2 subsea cabling project, the longest HVDC cable in the UK and will be the UK’s single largest electricity transmission project, providing enough electricity to power two million UK homes.
Advising five nuclear contractors on the c £4bn Sizewell C MEH alliance contract.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Helen Achilleos
Practice head
Chris Hallam
Other key lawyers
Nick Case; Tim Williams; Helen Achilleos