Across both the public and private sectors, environmental considerations are a priority.
Competition law heavily influences the boundaries within which public sector decisions are made – shaping procurement, subsidy control and regulatory enforcement. We work alongside government and regulatory bodies to navigate complex challenges, and equip our clients with confidence through strategic, precise and robust advice.
Our Competition and Regulatory team advise on a vast scope of UK and EU competition law including Competition Act 1998, Enterprise Act 2002, Subsidy Control Act 2022, Windsor Framework, Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, EU state aid rules and the Foreign Subsidies Regulation. We also advise some of the UK’s largest regulators across the full breadth of their regulatory roles.
Our clientele consists of central and local government bodies, regulators and private clients across sectors including energy, infrastructure, media and healthcare. Our work extends from large-scale national programmes, through to competition investigations and high-profile transactions, where our aim is to help clients navigate complex regimes to achieve their commercial and policy objectives.
Our expertise within competition, subsidy control and procurement law places us at the forefront of public projects and partnerships. Regular clients include stakeholders across government and regulated sectors, who trust us to maintain legal compliance, without losing sight of policy and commercial priorities. We help clients structure collaborations which comply with multiple regimes simultaneously, whilst delivering favourable outcomes. Our broad experience in applying the Subsidy Control Act 2022, alongside EU State aid law and the Foreign Subsidies Regulation, makes our advice clear, precise and practical, as we aim to help our clients navigate an often complex legal landscape.
We are experienced in advising clients on matters of collaborations, alliancing models and inter-authority agreements, where the cross section between lawfulness and prohibited conduct is assessed. These projects are typically high-value and high impact, which makes compliance with the Chapter I Prohibition and Cartel Offence essential.
We review legal and regulatory frameworks and structures which are policy-driven and ensure that the result achieves commercial objectives, whilst avoiding risks of legal non-compliance. Our approach is based on innovation, consistency and pragmatism.
We advise on matters such as abuse of dominance allegations, including claims of monopoly/monopsony power. These matters are often highly sensitive and carry significant regulatory and reputational risks. We ensure that our analysis is clear and rigorous, with a focus on dispute resolution whilst safeguarding business strategies. We develop solutions which comply with both competition law and also meet wider objectives our clients set.
Our team has extensive experience in advising on UK merger control, government oversight of foreign takeovers and competition investigations by the CMA. We advise clients through regulatory processes, prepare submissions, and issue high-quality advice on possible challenges and solutions. Being aware of the impact merger clearance can have on negotiations, we work efficiently to ensure transactions are commercially and regulatorily compliant.
We advise some of the UK’s most high-profile regulatory bodies, including Ofgem and Ofwat, on the full scope of their statutory functions. Our work spans advising on licensing (including new forms of licence and code), enforcement, market design and governance, and the development of policy and guidance. We combine technical legal analysis with a deep understanding of regulatory landscapes, ensuring our advice is both practical and strategically aligned with our clients’ wider objectives.
Our team is highly experienced in supporting regulators on complex projects with significant public interest impact, from infrastructure investment frameworks and market reforms, enforcement action and dispute resolution. We pride ourselves on delivering clear, pragmatic advice and legal support that enables regulators to carry out their duties effectively while maintaining transparency, accountability and fa
We are committed to helping local authorities to meet their green goals and achieve their Net Zero targets.
As part of this commitment, we are offering 10 hours of pro bono legal advice to one local authority each quarter on green projects in the feasibility phase.
As part of our commitment to helping local authorities innovate in the green space, our infrastructure and energy partner, Steve Gummer has teamed up with Steve Cirell to produce a series of thought pieces about what local authorities could be doing to further the green agenda.
Read moreRetrofitting represents the single biggest environmental challenge as the UK seeks to keep its net zero commitments. This series aims to provide legal and policy ideas for retrofit.
Read more18 September 2025
Smart metering is becoming a central part of the UK water industry’s digital transformation, offering opportunities to improve efficiency, customer service and sustainability. As water companies move toward smarter infrastructure, legal, regulatory and procurement challenges are emerging, particularly around data management, privacy and system security. Understanding these issues is key for water companies, regulators and…
Read more30 July 2024
On 25 July 2024, the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) introduced the Great British Energy Bill, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the strategy for this new policy. What is GB Energy? Great British Energy (GB Energy) is one of the new UK government’s flagship policies: a state-owned company to increase renewable…
Read more10 July 2024
Following Labour’s rise to government after the general election, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves announced a key series of reforms centred around stability, investment, and reform. These proposals aim to kickstart economic growth and improve living standards through increased infrastructure. A key step outlined by Reeves was the government’s announcement to lift the ban…
Read moreSteve, Head of Net Zero at Sharpe Pritchard LLP, has extensive experience in regulated and net zero projects.
He specialises in environmental matters, electricity projects, power purchase agreements, and district heating. Steve advises on PPP structures, complex project finance, and works with public authorities on subsidy control, competition, procurement, and commercial contracts.
Get StartedWe are committed to reaching net zero. As part of this commitment, we work to reduce our carbon footprint year on year, driving sustainability throughout our organisation.
Recycling and reducing landfill through donations of useable equipment
Office supplies delivered by electric delivery vehicles
Our office is powered by 100% renewable electric energy
Powering down to save on energy consumption
Where it’s necessary to print, a new tree is planted for every tree’s worth of printing
