Environment

Our Environment related experience pools together a significant group of expert lawyers. The legal services we provide in the environmental sector extend to every aspect of environmental law, from performing extensive environmental analysis together with well known international environmental auditors and regulatory counselling, to assisting and negotiating the transfer of environmental liabilities from past polluting activities, assisting our clients in the issuance of complex environmental operating permits, authorizations and licenses for their industrial projects.

We are committed to assisting our clients with the challenges posed by ever-stricter national and European environmental regulation. During the last decade, we have gathered significant expertise in the environmental sector, as many foreign and Romanian companies moving to consolidate and expand their operations are bound to comply with the new Romanian environmental requirements following the massive regulatory changes that took place in the last few years as result of transposing EU environmental legislation. Our team brings substantial expertise and higher level of technical understanding to this complex and rapidly changing area of law. Our lawyers are recognized lecturers, trainers and speakers in various conferences, seminars, workshops and roundtables organized on environmental issues.

A selection of our recent instructions includes advising:

The Ministry of Economy and Hidroelectrica (a leading State-owned energy producer), as part of an international consortium, in connection with the construction of Tarnita-Lapustesti Hydropower Plant, with an installed capacity of 1,000 MW, and estimated to require an investment in excess of EUR 1.3 billion. Leading work included a comprehensive due diligence exercise on relevant environmental liability and permitting matters for the operation of the proposed hydroelectric pumped-storage green field project.
Enel Distribuzione SpA on the successful EUR 112,000,000 privatisation of two subsidiaries of Electrica S.A. - Electrica Banat S.A. and Electrica Dobrogea S.A. We advised Enel on all environmental legal matters related to the transaction, including proposals for the material amendments of the current environmental legal framework in the energy sector.
Gabriel Resources, a major Canadian mining group, in relation to the exploration and exploitation of the biggest gold and silver mining site in Europe: Rosia Montana. We assisted the client through all the stages of the most extensive environmental impact assessment procedure ever conducted in Romania, as well as in all other matters related to environmental permitting and compliance, including Romanian and EU standards and BATs.
Oz Minerals Limited, a leading Australian based mining company with a focus on copper, in connection with its bid for the privatization of Cuprumin S.A., company which holds the mining rights to the largest copper deposit in Romania, accounting for some 60% of the total national copper reserves. Legal work included performing an in-depth due diligence process in connection with the current environmental condition and the environmental compliance issues with focus on a full-range of permitting requirements in relation to the future operation of the company.
Enel during all the requisite procedures related to obtaining all the environmental permits required to implement the client’s wind power projects in Romania and other environmental issues related to the project. The process involved extensive environmental due diligence exercises, scheduling, implementation and risk management of the permitting process.
Transocean, the world’s largest offshore drilling contractor, in connection with the environmental issues related to its prospective drilling operations in the Romanian exclusive economic zone of the Black Sea.
Eolian Project, a major investor in green energy projects, in connection with various environmental issues related to the development of several wind farm projects in Romania, including obtaining the environmental permits, providing legal advice with regard the acquisition of the wind turbines necessary for implementing the project, as well as day to day legal assistance.
Sagacarbon SA, a subsidiary of Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations France, in connection with the implementation of the first transactions in Romania under European Union Emissions Trading Scheme concerning greenhouse gas emission allowances for 2008-2012. We advised on relevant national and EU legislation in connection with the EU-ETS trading scheme, providing legal opinions on transactions validity and capacity of Romanian counterparts and participating as speakers in joint conferences on implementation of the trading scheme and the mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol in Romania.
Electrolux Romania S.A., a subsidiary of AB Electrolux, the largest European household appliances maker, in connection with the environmental liabilities entailed by the sale-purchase of a land property affected by historical contamination
Halliburton, one of the world’s largest providers of products and services to the oil and gas industry, in connection with all environmental considerations entailed by a contemplated acquisition of a division of a major Romanian oil company.
Sometra, a Romanian metallurgic producer part of Mytilineos Holdings, in connection with the company’s integrated environmental authorization and permitting requirements, as well as assessing the consequences and the environmental obligations arising from mandatory Romanian legislation.
Arcelor Mittal (former Mittal Steel), on all the environmental legal matters related to the acquisition of Mittal Steel Galati S.A. (former Sidex S.A.), the largest Romanian steel producer, well known as the local State - owned company with one of the biggest past pollution liability; further advising on the environmental legal issues related to the acquisition of other Romanian steel producers, such as Siderurgica Hunedoara, Petrotub Roman, Tepro Iasi and C.S. Resita.
Occidental Oil and Gas Corporation (U.S.), one of the largest independent oil and gas producers in the world, in connection with its bid for the privatization of the National Oil Company Petrom S.A. (the biggest oil company in Romania). We advised the client on all environmental legal matters arisen from the project (including permitting, EU regulation impact, past pollution coverage, third parties liabilities etc.).
Strabag AG, a leading construction company active in all fields of the construction industry works, in connection with a soil contamination with volatile organic compounds, including performing a risk assessment considering the relevant Romanian and EU legal requirements.
General Electric Corporation in connection with their joint venture with Turbomecanica S.A. We advised the environmental specialists of G.E. in the extensive environmental due diligence performed on the relevant site and supervised the activity of the international environmental auditors appointed by the client to make the technical inspections of the site. We also assisted our client in the negotiation of past pollution liabilities and issuance of the necessary environmental permits.
GlaxoSmithKline, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical producers, for an extensive environmental due diligence in connection with the acquisition of the largest private pharmaceutical groups of companies in Romania.
Suez Lyonnayse Des Eaux (ONDEO), the largest France based company for water distribution, for an extensive environmental due diligence in connection with the privatization of Public Water Corporation.
Transgold S.A., the operator of a gold facility production in Baia Mare, in connection with an extensive environmental due diligence and advice on various environmental related matters.
Retained for the performance of an extensive environmental due diligence in connection with the privatization and private sale of Azochim S.A. Savinesti, Astra S.A. Ploiesti and Sofert S.A. Bacau, three major state owned companies specialized in chemical production.