ESG Lawyer of the Year 2025 – Simon Davies

Eversheds Sutherland partner Simon Davies was chosen by the independent panel of judges as the IJGlobal ESG Lawyer of the Year for 2025 with one judge giving him “big props for the baseload PPA development”.

Another of the judges said: “Simon has led more than 4GW of clean power agreements and advised on the world’s largest corporate PPA.

“His legal innovations in baseload PPAs and cross-border energy procurement have enabled corporates to meet net zero goals, with significant influence on commercial ESG strategy across Europe.”

Simon is a partner on the Eversheds Sutherland global energy team, specialising in complex commercial transactions and regulatory matters within the clean energy sector.

He advises corporates, developers, utilities, and financiers on global energy and carbon offsetting projects, with expertise in PPAs, grid connections, subsidies, gas purchase agreements, and carbon offtake regimes.

Simon co-leads the EMEA PPA practice, and over the last 2 years he has led negotiations for more than 4GW of clean power agreements across EMEA, including large-scale offshore wind, onshore wind, and solar/battery storage projects.

He was also the leading adviser for the largest corporate PPA partnership in the world.

Additionally, he spent 2 years in-house at RWE Supply & Trading, working on energy trading activities and implementing PPAs and trading contracts for UK renewable generation assets totalling over 1GW.

Simon is recognised in the industry as a leading legal adviser within EMEA energy markets for corporates seeking to reduce their carbon footprint and align with their Net Zero strategy.

The submission states: “Simon has been the lead adviser to corporates and renewable generators in respect of a number of complex green power and green gas arrangements across EMEA.

“These contracts ultimately help corporates to reduce their own carbon emissions and also contribute to the overall stability and development of the renewable energy grid.

“These agreements also support the expansion of wind energy infrastructure in Europe, strengthening the reliability of clean energy supply and advancing the region’s climate goals.”

It continues: “Simon's ability to navigate complex regulatory landscapes and deliver tailored solutions demonstrates a commitment to driving sustainable practices and supporting clients in achieving their sustainability and ESG goals.

“For example, Simon has been instrumental in designing novel legal structures which are now widely used in the market for such clean energy arrangements, such as first-of-a-kind baseload power purchase agreements to ensure that corporates are able to purchase a stable load of electricity, despite most renewable plants being intermittent generators.

“Simon has developed innovative mechanisms that have enabled a record number of corporates and renewable generators to conclude bankable contracts, even amidst regulatory uncertainty relating to price capping measures and locational pricing consultations across multiple EMEA markets.”