The continued growth of storage, emergence of hydrogen and the impact of lower power prices despite the Covid-led economic crisis has forced wind leaders to look hard at their strategies. While many utilities, manufacturers and developers had already turned to complex M&A transactions and financial structures prior to Covid-19, these deals will be key for firms to achieve growth in increasingly competitive global markets.

The ability of these firms to successfully overcome these challenges and protect future investments is directly linked to the deals they can execute, and the calibre of the legal teams behind the transactions.

This is according to the Legal Power List 2020, the latest report published by industry intelligence service A Word About Wind. The report ranks the 100 most influential lawyers active in the global wind energy sector and offers in-depth analysis of the market trends that have shaped - and will continue to shape - the market.

Lawyers play vital roles in enabling companies to execute their strategies, by making moves into emerging markets either organically or via M&A deals or partnerships. These deals have supported utilities that have been growing in emerging offshore wind markets in Asia, Europe and North America over the last two years, and it is only because of their expert teams that such deals have been possible.

The activities of these legal experts play a great role in supporting industry growth. For example, offshore wind in the Asia-Pacific has soared. In the last twelve months, the offshore capacity forecast for the region has quadrupled to 43GW by 2027, as Japan followed in the footsteps of Taiwan in securing financing for its first large-scale offshore wind project. But developers and investors still require expert advice so they can navigate political and regulatory risks, as well as a lack of local infrastructure.

These investors and developers will continue to rely heavily on legal advisors - not only for creating watertight contracts in the initial stages, but, if necessary, to take legal challenges to the courts. In the Legal Power List 2020, A Word About Wind ranks the most influential lawyers who operate in-house and in private practice.

Richard Heap, Editor-in-Chief, A Word About Wind, said: "While wind has so far been resilient despite the Covid-led financial crisis, the market is facing huge change. We all know that the oil and gas industries have suffered punishing losses in the first half of 2020, and the wind industry will be able to take advantage of this if companies can get deals and developments done.

"Companies and those who advise them will need to adapt fast for an energy market that could look very different in 18 months' time, and lawyers will be key to negotiating these challenges in a tough economy. That's why we think this is a good time to look again at the top lawyers in wind and celebrate the very best in the Legal Power List 2020. These are the people who have helped companies to negotiate the challenges they have faced in recent years, and they all need to be on top form as this global health crisis - and its economic impacts - continue to evolve", he added.

Now in its third edition, the Legal Power List 2020 is the latest in a series of reports and proprietary insights published exclusively by A Word About Wind. The report covers key themes that will feature in the panel discussions for Financing Wind North America 2020 conference.  The conference is a part of the global Financing Wind series, delivered in partnership by A Word About Wind and parent firm, Tamarindo Group.

Financing Wind North America takes place on September 2nd and 3rd and includes panel discussions and debates between senior investors, lawyers, and other industry leaders. For more information about this event visit - https://northamerica.financingwind.com

The Legal Power List 2020 is published exclusively for A Word About Wind's rapidly expanding international membership of energy developers, financiers and investors.

A Word About Wind | www.awordaboutwind.com