Expertise

Sara has been at AG for over 15 years. Sara specialises in the regulated sectors, acting for SGN on the innovative "gas to the west" gas transmission pipeline and is currently day to day lead on the novel Havant Thicket reservoir project where we are acting for Southern Water Services. 

In addition, Sara advises on transport, being part of the mobilisation and assurance teams to the Department for Transport on the West Coast Partnership and most recently advising on the government covid-19 bail-out for train operating companies. 

Sara has a lot of expertise in negotiating and documenting complex commercial and financial arrangements for energy generation schemes including in relation to wind, CHP and energy from waste. 

Energy
  • Lead advisor to Scotia Gas Networks in relation to the Gas to the West project which involves the financing and construction of a high pressure gas Network from Belfast to the West of Northern Ireland and the subsequent variation to the HP Licence and project structure to incorporate changes to the timing of financing.
  • Advising a multinational utility provider on the minority sale of an off-shore wind farm. Sara was the day to day project lead, working with one of the "big four" accountancy firms to deliver a vendor due diligence report which could be relied on by the winning bidder.
  • Advising Sonne Solar on a rooftop solar project involving the properties of a major supermarket chain.
  • Advising a developer in relation to a decentralised energy scheme involving complex property issues and public and private sector offtakers.
  • Advising a fund on the potential purchase of a minority stake in an energy from waste project, which included providing a buyer due diligence report on all relevant project documents.
  • Advising an investor on a project relating to clinical waste developments.
Transport
  • Advising the DfT on the multi-billion pound West Coast Partnership. Sara's role included advising the DfT on assurance elements of the project and leading on the mobilisation aspects of WCP.
  • Advising the DfT on the Emergency Measures Agreement for the West Midlands franchise.
  • Advising the DfT in respect of the West Midlands franchise competition. Sara acted as the lead DfT contact.
  • Advising Merseytravel and the West Midlands Combined Authority on the bus services options assessments relating to the options available to the Mayoral Combined Authorities following enactment of the Bus Services Act 2017.
  • Advising a national infrastructure manager on various Implementation Agreements, Asset Protection Agreement, connection contracts and works agreements across several different projects.
  • Advising Hitachi Rail Limited in respect of its bid to First Group in relation to the West of England franchise and the TransPennine Express franchise which reached financial close in July 2015 and March 2016 respectively and on its bid to Nexus.
  • Advising SeaLink on its acquisition of Tower Transit Group, the UK aspects of its acquisition of Transit Systems.