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CMS lawyers can provide future-facing advice for your business across a variety of specialisms and industries, worldwide.

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Global Reach
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Apart from offering expert legal consultancy for local jurisdictions, CMS partners up with you to effectively navigate the complexities of global business and legal environments.

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Energy Consenting & Real Estate

Our Energy Consenting & Real Estate team can help you navigate the full range of legal challenges associated with the energy sector including advising on planning matters for offshore wind farms, securing land rights for data centres, and more

We are acting on some of the biggest and most innovative current UK projects, taking a leading role on many of the UK’s most significant energy projects. In 2020 CMS was appointed (following competitive tender) on one of the UK’s first major hydrogen generation projects – Project Cavendish for National Grid. This complements our continued work on offshore wind, including mandates in The Crown Estate Round 4 for three major players: Equinor (formerly Statoil), EDF Renewables, and Flotation Energy. In 2020 we continued advising on several DCO matters, including for Stag Energy, Cadent, SSE and Equnior. These included successfully securing a series of change orders to the Dogger Bank Offshore Wind Farm DCOs (3,600MW), the biggest offshore windfarm in the world. There is also an increased appetite in the market for energy companies to look to their compulsory purchase powers, and we are advising SSE, Red Rock Power and Greenlink on promoting CPOs (including acting for the promoter in the first online CPO inquiry in November of this year).

Our recent experience related to energy consenting and real estate includes advising:

  • SSE and Equinor on all planning matters for the Dogger Bank A and B offshore wind farms, two 1.2GW projects forming part of the world’s largest offshore wind farm 
  • On Cleve Hill Solar Farm, the biggest UK solar project situated in Kent. It will provide enough power for nearly 100,000 homes and is being developed on a subsidy-free basis. We were successful in securing voluntary land rights for its 350MW solar DCO project in Kent, including for the cable route to the Point of Connection and easements in relation to flood defences. 
  • A major energy company on its consenting strategy for a multi-phased hydrogen production facility and associated infrastructure.
  • A major company on a number of new gas pipeline projects and the promotion of DCOs. CMS is currently advising on the promotion of two NSIPs for gas pipeline diversions as part of Highways England schemes.
  • A major tech company on rapid expansion into numerous European countries to secure land rights for new data centre sites. We have also advised on securing new electricity connections for the developments and on associated energy regulatory compliance. 

To find out more about other related services you can visit the Energy & Climate Change expertise section

Awards & Recognitions
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    "It's a strong team that is very commercially minded."
    Chambers, 2024
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    "CMS has a strong multi-disciplinary team of specialists which enables them to tackle complex problems."
    Chambers, 2024
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    "CMS always adopts a can-do, proactive approach to finding solutions."
    Chambers, 2024
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    "The team is extremely helpful and quick to respond."
    Chambers, 2024
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    "CMS understands the industry, our business and can give relevant, concise and commercial advice."
    Chambers, 2024
  • Quote
    "The team is always proactive and responsive."
    Chambers, 2024
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    "They are demonstrating rapid and impressive growth in which the quality of domestic and international work is conducted to an exceptional standard. I would suggest their practice matches and exceeds a number of their London competitors."
    Legal 500, 2024
  • Quote
    "Very knowledgeable and also with offices in the right place to really assist their clients."
    Legal 500, 2024

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    Cross-Border Financial Services 2025 webinar series

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    Power Sector: Managing Risks

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    Risk Essentials: Conduct issues for in-house lawyers: new SRA guidance and beyond

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    12 Jun 2025

    Supply Chain Issues in the Food and Drink Sector

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    25 Jun 2025

    CMS Consumer & Retail Conference - Navigating through change

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    02 Sept 2025

    In-House Essentials: Articulating value and effective reporting

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    22 Sept 2025

    Skills For Future Facing Teams: How to maximise your ability to deep work in a world of distraction

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    25 Sept 2025

    Digital In­fra­struc­ture & Data Centres - Key Market Trends

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    21 Oct 2025

    Residential legislative update

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    26 Nov 2025

    Reform of commercial landlord and tenant legislation for England and Scotland

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