Michael Burns is a partner in our corporate practice and our global co-head of energy
Michael leads our energy and infrastructure M&A business in EMEA and has over 20 years' of experience in mergers and acquisitions, capital raises and joint ventures with a focus on the energy and infrastructure sectors.
He began his career advising energy majors on M&A transactions in the conventional energy space and, in the last 10 years, his practice has developed so that he now also advises both strategics and private capital funds and developers on M&A and capital raising in the energy transition (including biogas, hydrogen (blue and green/green ammonia), CCUS, SMRs, renewables, battery storage), circular economy, digital (towers, fibre and data centres) and transportation sub-sectors of energy and infrastructure.
Michael is recommended as a Leading Individual in Legal 500, is regularly quoted in the media, has published chapters in leading energy and infrastructure textbooks and is a member of Chapter Zero, The Directors' Climate Forum.
Examples of transactions on which Michael has advised include:
Energy, energy transition and energy infrastructure
- GIC on its strategic investment, alongside global investment firm Carlyle, in Eneus Energy to support the development of a 14GW+ pipeline of green hydrogen/green ammonia projects
- Sosteneo Infrastructure Partners on the acquisition of 99MW battery energy storage system ("BESS") at Richborough Energy Park and a 249MW BESS at Sheaf Energy Park (both in the UK)
- Mitsui on its investment in Storegga Geotechnologies, the lead developer of a major Carbon Capture and Storage ("CCS") project to reduce the UK's carbon footprint in support of the country's net zero emissions targets
- Antin Infrastructure Partners on the creation of the world’s first large-scale tire recycling group, supported by Michelin - a significant circular economy platform
- IBMS, a biogas to hydrogen developer on its investment by Lazard Asset Management to create the platform Bio4gas
- Brookfield on its $1.87bn acquisition of the East-West Pipeline from Reliance
- an energy major on the joint venture arrangements for the development of green hydrogen projects in Europe
- a Japanese investor on a proposed investment in an energy trading optimisation company
- an Asian energy company on the development of a floating wind project
- a bidder on the proposed acquisition of a stake in National Grid Gas
- New Energy Technology on an equity investment in electrolyser manufacturer Supercritical
- ESB (the Irish energy company) on the acquisition of the supply business So Energy, including the management rollover
- a major infrastructure fund on a bid for Aurora, the Finnish power distribution network operator
- Northleaf Capital on its acquisition of the Douglas Terminal in Belgium
- Macquarie Capital on the formation of the Navigator Terminals platform
- ENGIE, Mitsubishi Corporation and NYK Line on the establishment of their global LNG bunkering joint venture
Digital Infrastructure
- Brookfield on the acquisition of Wireless Infrastructure Group
- Brookfield on the acquisition of a portfolio of UK towers from Cellnex
- a global infrastructure fund on a proposed fibre investment in Germany
- a sovereign wealth fund on a proposed fibre investment in the UK
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