Paul Davies is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and is a member of the firm’s Corporate Department and Africa Practice. He advises on the environmental aspects of corporate transactions in addition to a wide variety of other work, including the management of contaminated land, the insurance of environmental risk, climate change, health and safety, asbestos, and waste management issues.
Mr. Davies has experience in the following areas:
- Environmental health and safety
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Real estate
- Project finance
- Litigation and dispute resolution
Mr. Davies is recognized as a Thought Leader for Environment by Who's Who Legal: Thought Leaders 2017 and 2018, and was the only European lawyer named for the distinction from 2011 to 2017. He is described by clients in Chambers Global 2018 as “a well-respected practitioner,” and in Chambers UK 2015 as “the most commercial and deal-focused environmental lawyer in London.” Mr. Davies was named among Europe’s Top 10 Innovative Individuals for being “at the forefront for environmental law in Europe and Asia” and actively collaborating with environmental consultancies to “promote knowledge sharing” and to develop innovative products by FT Innovative Lawyers Report 2019.
Who’s Who Legal 2017 notes that “with significant expertise in Chinese environmental law and policy,” Mr. Davies “is a go-to lawyer for transactions in the region.” Clients in Chambers UK 2018 say Mr. Davies “has a deep sector specialism and a truly global mindset” and “is often at the forefront of new trends.”
Mr. Davies’ representative transactions include advising:
- Trafigura Limited and Trafigura Beheer B.V. on the high profile personal injury claim by over 30,000 claimants from the Ivory Coast – one of the largest pieces of environmental litigation ever brought before a UK court*
- Puma in relation to environmental issues associated with transport and storage arrangements on a pan-African project*
- A commodity trader in relation to ship-to-ship transfer arrangements in Nigeria*
- A petrochemicals group on the potential acquisition of downstream marketing and distribution business in West Africa*
- A joint venture involving a coastal petroleum storage business in West Africa*
- Consortium involving Shell, Greenergy, and Vopak in relation to the acquisition of a refinery and redevelopment into a terminal*
- SABIC on the acquisition of Huntsman’s UK petrochemicals business and providing support to SABIC in relation to pipeline arrangements*
- Companhia Siderurgica Nacional on the implications of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme*
- A global petrochemicals group in respect of soil and groundwater issues at one of the largest refinery complexes in France*
- A major bank and sovereign wealth fund in connection with various environmental complaints under the OECD Guidelines*
- On a substantial case involving the alleged pollution of the water supply on an island in the Indian Ocean*
- A large US chemical company in connection with a major water pollution incident in South London and threatened group proceedings, and liaison with both the local health and safety bodies and national authorities regarding potential investigations*
*Matter handled prior to joining Latham