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Claire Wallis

Partner

CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
Saltire Court
20 Castle Terrace
Edinburgh
EH1 2EN
United Kingdom
Languages English

Claire Wallis is a partner in the Real Estate Team based in Edinburgh, specialising in energy and renewables projects. Claire has extensive experience advising a variety of energy clients on the real estate aspects of a broad range of energy projects including wind farms (both onshore and offshore), battery storage projects, grid stabilisation developments, solar farms and hydro schemes. Claire’s experience includes a number of Scotland’s most significant projects, for example advising Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Limited on the onshore property aspects of the Beatrice offshore windfarm. 

Claire has extensive in house experience, having spent over a year on secondment with SSE Renewables Developments (UK) Limited where she was responsible for management of the property aspects of their large portfolio of onshore wind farm projects and a year on secondment to Vattenfall Wind Power Ltd where she dealt with a broad range of agreements for onshore and offshore wind farm developments and the related property diligence.  

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"Clients are particularly impressed by the quietly efficient Claire Wallis for renewables projects."

Legal 500, 2019

"a name to note at senior associate level for Energy (excluding oil and gas)."

Legal 500, 2018

Relevant experience

  • Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Limited on the servitudes and other land agreements which acquire the rights necessary to deliver the onshore transmission infrastructure to connect the electricity generated by the Beatrice offshore windfarm in the Outer Moray Firth to a National Grid Electricity Transmission Substation at Blackhillock, Keith over a route spanning approximately 20km and owned by 30 separate parties.
  • SSE on the real estate aspects of the implementation of the 133MW Strathy South wind farm in the North of Scotland including terminating and varying existing land agreements and putting new land agreements in place with both landowners and third party developers.
  • SSE on the real estate aspects of the sale of a 49.9% stake (£635m) in its Stronelairg and Dunmaglass wind farms to Greencoat UK Wind Plc in partnership with a UK pension fund whose investment is managed by Greencoat Capital. 
  • Aviva on the acquisition of a 49% stake in Crystal Rig III and Brockloch Rig Windfarms from Fred Olsen Renewables AS. 
  • GLIL Infrastructure LLP on its 49:51 equity partnership with global renewable energy investor Cubico Sustainable Investments in relation to an operational wind and solar portfolio covering 18 sites across the UK (including 5 in Scotland).
  • Brookfield on the property aspects of the acquisition of a 1.2GW portfolio of development onshore wind projects from PNE.
  • ESB on acquiring a 50% stake in Neart na Gaoithe Offshore Wind Farm.
  • Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Limited on the borrower financing aspects of the Kincardine Offshore Wind Project in relation to property reporting and security.
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Education

  • 2003 – Dip LP, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh
  • 2002 – Law, LLB (Hons), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh
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Feed

10/10/2023
Consultation on Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) reform in Scotland
As part of the race to net zero, the Scottish Government is consulting on proposals for the reform of the current Energy Performance Certificate (“EPC”) regime (the “Con­sulta­tion”). The Consultation...
13/06/2023
Carbon Offsetting Schemes – a risky business?
Carbon off-setting schemes involve the generation of pending issuance units (PIUs) which are essentially a promise of a carbon credit in the future, sold as a climate benefit. PIUs can be purchased from...
04/11/2021
Road to COP 26: reimagining energy: Scotland v Eastern European perspectives...
Hydrogen Many countries across Europe and beyond have set targets for reducing carbon emissions with the UK enacting the net-zero target into law just over two years ago. As a result, governments are...
08/10/2020
Spotlight Scotland - The Future of Renewables
In our second Future of Renewables webinar of 2020, a mix of CMS and invited speakers will look at developments in the renewables industry in Scotland over the last six months and what 2021 (and beyond)...
17/06/2020
Power Up - Varying, Optimising and Repowering Renewables Projects
Wind turbine technology is moving forward rapidly, with step-changes in size, capacity and efficiency. Increased government support - inclusion of onshore wind and solar in the Contracts for Dif­fer­ence...
02/08/2019
Crown Estate Scotland releases “Pre-Launch” ScotWind Leasing documents
Following the May 2018 launch of ScotWind Leasing, the new round of offshore wind leasing in Scotland, Crown Estate Scotland has now released near-final documentation to enable developers to start preparing...
02/09/2016
Implied Servitudes in Scots Law
A recent Inner House decision revisits implied servitudes in Scots law and sets out the issues which should be considered when determining whether there has been an implied grant of a servitude right...
30/08/2016
Parking the issue: Vehicular parking rights in Scots law revisited
Servitude rights of vehicular parking - the right to park on land, although not specifically provided for in ownership deeds - has been the subject of much discussion in the courts. The issue reached...