Dearbhla Cantwell
ESG Managing Associate, London
"I have experience advising clients on a wide variety of environmental, social and governance matters. The nature of my role within the Environment & Climate Change practice means that I work on a wide variety of mandates from discrete pieces of regulatory advice to project financings and corporate M&A deals, as well as advising on a range of carbon trading transactions."
Overview
Professional experience
Education and qualifications
Published works
Overview
Dearbhla has experience advising a diverse range of both national and international clients on a broad range of ESG-related matters, including in relation to environmental, health and safety and product regulation. The nature of her role within the Environment & Climate Change team means that she works on a wide variety of mandates from corporate M&A deals and project financings to discrete pieces of regulatory and strategic advice, from an ESG-related perspective. This involves working with many different teams internally and with clients in a broad range of sectors and industries. She also has experience advising on a range of carbon market transactions and on carbon insetting and offsetting projects.
Dearbhla recently also completed a client secondment to the sustainability legal team in Nestle S.A. which involved, amongst other things, advising on the development and implementation of large-scale carbon insetting projects in various jurisdictions within their supply chain as part of efforts to achieve their net-zero targets. This included drafting and negotiation of various contracts with project developers and local landowners, together with advising in relation to corporate reporting and accounting of GHG emissions.
She is an enthusiastic steering committee member of the firm’s Gender Equality Network
Work highlights
- advised National Grid on the environmental and health and safety aspects of the sale of a majority stake in its gas transmission and metering business in the UK (deal value: £9.6bn). This was an important step in National Grid’s previously announced strategy to pivot its portfolio towards electricity and reinforce its role in enabling the UK to reach its net zero targets, while maintaining security of supply for the country. It also strengthens their long-term growth prospects and drives long-term value for shareholders.
- advised Hillhouse Capital on the environmental, health and safety and product liability aspects of its acquisition of the Phillips domestic appliances business (deal value: $4.4bn).
- advised BP on the environmental aspects of its sale of its acetyls and aromatics businesses, the global manufacturer of petrochemicals, speciality chemicals and oil products (deal value: $5bn). The acquisition further strengthened BP's balance sheet and delivered its target for agreed divestments a year earlier than originally scheduled.
- advised NatWest and a consortium of international financial institutions on the establishment of a blockchain based registry and trading platform for voluntary carbon credits. This was a market leading transaction aiming to bring greater liquidity to the secondary voluntary carbon credit market.
- advised a global investment bank on their investment into a portfolio of REDD+ projects across Indonesia, Colombia and Brazil. The mandate included extensive local law due diligence including around host country government and concession related issues, and we worked closely with appointed local counsel to successfully navigate the process.
- advising the International Emissions Trading Association on the development of a full suite of new industry documentation for the trading of verified carbon credits in both the primary and the secondary carbon markets (for both spot and forward trades), as part of a broader effort to support the transition to a green economy by developing robust legal and risk management standards for markets related to ESG activities.
Professional experience
Dearbhla is an enthusiastic steering committee member of the firm’s Gender Equality Network.
Work highlights include:
- advised a global investment bank on the conversion of CERs to VCUs under the Verra carbon standard, together with drafting of the ERPA for the purchase of CERs.
- advising various clients on ESG disclosure and reporting obligations, including in relation to the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures and the UK Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting regime.
- advised export credit agencies and European and Russian commercial lenders on the environmental and social workstream of an LNG project in the Arctic.
- advised a global investment firm on the environmental and health and safety related aspects of its acquisition of technical real estate for edge colocation.
- advised a global alternative asset management company on the environmental and health and safety aspects of its bid for the acquisition of a national water company.
- advised a European modular infrastructure company on the environmental, health and safety aspects of the sale of a minority stake in its business.
- advised a global car manufacturer on the labelling and packaging requirements of car air filter products in the UK.
- advised a multinational technology company specializing in e-commerce in relation to the regulation on the advertising and sale of nitrous oxide in the UK. I am also a member of the firm’s Gender Equality Network steering committee which is responsible for overseeing the running of the network. The aim of the network is to promote the acceleration of gender equality at Linklaters