Linklaters Adds U.S. Environmental Offering in Further Expansion of Renewables and Energy Transition Platform

Linklaters is pleased to announce that Lauren Bachtel has joined the firm’s New York office as a senior counsel in the Energy & Infrastructure Group. Lauren is the fifth major hire for Linklaters’ U.S. Energy & Infrastructure Group in the past five months, following the arrivals of Partners Ron Erlichman, Marius Griskonis, and Judy Kwok in New York, and Senior Counsel Diana Jeschke in Washington, D.C.

“Lauren’s unique experience in the public sector and in private practice will immensely benefit our clients as they navigate complex environmental permitting and compliance issues in addition to a rapidly evolving ESG landscape,” said Ron Erlichman, who co-heads Linklaters’ Energy & Infrastructure Group in the Americas alongside Marius Griskonis. “We are thrilled to welcome her as we continue the expansion of our U.S. energy transition and renewables offering, which is now unmatched in the U.S. and globally.”

Lauren, a former U.S. Department of the Interior and American Wind Energy Association lawyer, assists clients with navigating complex environmental permitting and compliance issues across all types of projects and transactions. She has extensive experience with permitting, compliance, and litigation — with particular expertise in the offshore wind sector — under the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Mineral Leasing Act, Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

Lauren also assists clients with establishing and complying with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policies and programs, environmental justice policies and programs, and broad climate and carbon policies and programs. She joins Linklaters from Mayer Brown.

Linklaters is at the forefront of the market advising on the development and financing of complex, large-scale projects, highly structured transactions, and mergers and acquisitions in the energy and infrastructure sector across the globe, particularly in connection with renewable and carbon transition projects. The firm is ranked Band 1 for Projects & Energy in Chambers Global 2022, and was recently recognized with IJ Global’s North American Power Deal of the Year Award, Climate Adaptation Award, and Americas Renewable Energy ESG Award; IJ Investor’s Americas Conventional Power and Grid Infrastructure Deal of the Year Award; PFI’s Americas Hydrogen Deal of the Year Award; and IFLR Europe’s Project Finance Deal of the Year Award.

Lauren continues a series of significant hires for Linklaters in the U.S. In addition to the recent Energy & Infrastructure arrivals, the firm has also in the past year added Structured Finance and Derivatives partners Peter Williams and Joseph Gambino in New York, U.S. Head of Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Andrew Gaines in New York, and Financial Regulation partner Don Waack in Washington, D.C. Effective May 1, the firm has also promoted three partners in the U.S.: Patrick Ashby (Dispute Resolution), and Gabriel Grossman and Michelle Lo (Tax) — as well as four counsel: William Huynh (Antitrust & Foreign Investment), Mark Dawson and Andres Loera (Banking), and Nicholas Atwood (Energy & Infrastructure).