Global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) has today announced that leading energy regulation practitioner Stefan Schröder will join the firm as a partner in Düsseldorf. Schröder will join from Hogan Lovells, where he served as global head of its energy transition group, by mid-year at the latest.

Schröder is a longstanding advisor of major European energy infrastructure operators and investors, on energy trading, emissions trading and renewable energy law in relation to energy transition and beyond. He represents clients in regulatory proceedings and related complaints and appeals, as well as in civil law proceedings, both before ordinary courts and in arbitration.

Highlight client work includes representing several gas transmission system operators in complaint proceedings against fundamental network fee regulation decisions of the German energy regulatory authority and appeal proceedings in front of the German Federal Supreme court, and advising Versicherungskammer Bayern – Germany's largest public insurer – on the acquisition of a gas network operator.

As a highly ranked regulatory expert, Schröder will further strengthen Freshfields' energy law and infrastructure practice, and will join a market-leading team including, among others, Ulrich Scholz, Ralph Kogge, Natascha Doll, Andreas Ruthemeyer and Mirko Masek. Andreas Ruthemeyer, a leading practitioner on infrastructure financing for energy transition, joined the firm in January this year.

Markus Paul, Regional Managing Partner Continental Europe, explained: "With these latest appointments, we are strongly positioned to advise energy transition and infrastructure investors on their M&A transactions as well as in regulatory and litigation matters."

"We are very pleased about the appointments," energy partner Ulrich Scholz added. "We look forward to working closely together to navigate our clients through current energy transition challenges and opportunities in even greater depth and breadth.”