What is the sustainable economy?
We see it as working in a way that achieves long-term sustainable economic growth that protects our communities, and preserves and restores the planet’s natural resources. Our joined-up, cross-disciplinary teams work closely with many organisations, businesses, institutional and private investors, landowners and developers whose activities and objectives align to a sustainable future.
Legal advice – purpose at the fore
Our lawyers are specialists in the fast-developing legislation around biodiversity and natural capital, its impact on landowners, farmers, developers and local authorities and their role in habitat conservation and mitigating climate change.
We also work closely with investors, boards, fund managers and foundations with strong ESG values and mandates to help them to build sustainable and responsible businesses or investment portfolios.
We advise clients on low carbon property development, clean energy, green infrastructure projects and impact investing.
We offer cutting-edge legal advice in Sustainable Agriculture and Technology. Combining our commercial, agricultural and regulatory expertise with specialist sector insight, we help our clients to fulfil their ambitious aims for food security and nature conservation.
This work takes place against the backdrop of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, The Paris Agreement and the UK Government’s legal commitments to reduce carbon emissions.
Natural capital
The availability of payments for the preservation of natural capital and associated environmental services offers many new opportunities to a wide range of landowners, investors and specialist advisers alike. We work with organisations and individuals who understand this new marketplace and care about how land management affects the environment. Find out more about our work on the country’s first-to-market habitat bank for biodiversity net gain
Sustainable Agriculture and agri-tech
Sustainable Agriculture aims to repair the problems of climate change and the biodiversity crises. Using pioneering technologies, the sector also aims to find a solution to long term food security. Find out more about our work with WWF and Tesco exploring insect protein as animal feed, and our sustainable agriculture conferences in Sustainable Agriculture and Agri-Tech.
Impact Investing
Impact investing challenges traditional approaches to generating return on investment. We advise on debt and equity investments into sustainable UK businesses and throughout the Global South on behalf of development funds and other impact investors. As well as delivering a financial return, these investments produce measurable positive impacts on society and the environment. Find out more about our expertise in impact investing.
Energy
Energy that harnesses the world’s natural power is essential to delivering on net-zero commitments. Our Energy team is experienced in the generation, distribution and construction of clean energy projects, which use emerging new technologies and innovative financing or business structures. Find out more about our work with clients in the energy sector.
Sustainable Real Estate Development
A sustainable economy needs infrastructure, workplaces and homes that are climate resilient, energy efficient, technologically integrated and deliver societal, wellbeing or biodiversity benefits for users. It also needs smart solutions for managing waste and natural resources. We advise public authorities, investors, developers, landowners and planners on a wide range of sustainable infrastructure, real estate and resource management projects.
Recent experience
Advice on an innovative partnership between Environment Bank Ltd and specialist alternative asset manager Gresham House to introduce a first-to-market compliance solution driving biodiversity net gain (BNG)
Advice to Triodos Bank in establishing its own crowdfunding platform offering a range of bonds and equities issued by organisations focusing on positive environmental and social impact
Advice to Natural Capital Research (NCR) on investment round led by Schroders and Oxford Science Innovation. NCR is a data-led science-based organisation which specialises in measuring natural capital assets globally
Working with a client to set up a trading platform to connect landowners with developers to enable them to purchase credits for nutrient neutrality and biodiversity net gain on their projects. Michelmores’ team reviewed and advised on the draft agreements for the deals between developers and landowners
Acting for a large, landed estate to draft the legal agreements for a Landscape Scale Recovery Scheme with DEFRA and with multiple tenants, commons graziers and other occupiers. As part of the Environmental Land Management Scheme roll out, complex issues of land tenure, carbon ownership and apportionment of risk and reward between the stakeholders were addressed
Advice to InsPro Limited on waste and waste permitting, agricultural exemptions for business rates, tax, commercial and intellectual property. InsPro is a bio-conversion network with a mission to transform food waste into nutritious feed and fertiliser using black solider fly larvae
Advice to the Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF) on the establishment of Global Access Health (GAH), a social enterprise enabling access to affordable state-of-the-art medical technology for the Global South, and the subsequent acquisition by GAH of Mologic (a leading UK developer of lateral flow and rapid diagnostic technologies combatting high risk tropical diseases)
Advice to Global Medical Investments GMI AB (GMI) on the sale of Sweden Ghana Medical Centre (SGMC), a provider of premium private cancer care treatment in Ghana to Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT)
Advice to Mama Bamboo on its EIS share offer for investors on the Triodos Bank UK Crowdfunding website. Mama Bamboo’s award-winning sustainable baby products are made using 100% compostable bamboo fibre. The company is the only UK nappy brand to be B-Corp certified
Michelmores’ Agricultural Team contributed to the UK’s first report on the future of insect protein in pig, poultry and aquaculture feed, ‘The Future of Feed: a WWF roadmap to accelerating insect protein in UK feeds’, produced by WWF and Tesco. The team provided guidance and support on the key legislation, regulations and recommendations that are laid out in the Roadmap
Advice to rewilding charity Trees for Life on a bond issue on the Triodos Bank UK Crowdfunding website in order to raise £2m to part-fund the world’s first rewilding centre in the Scottish Highlands
Advice to Solar Growth Limited, managed by Armstrong Capital, on its acquisition of 39 commercial rooftop solar systems. The team advised on the due diligence, transaction documentation for the acquisition, and on the secured funding arrangements
Advice to Octopus Renewables on the acquisition of Innova Energy’s portfolio of 57 commercial rooftop solar PV assets in the UK
Advice to Oxygen House’s property division, Grenadier Estates, on all of its real estate and construction projects. Providing flexible precedent green leases and construction contracts with a commitment to sustainability from project inception to occupation which will encourage the adoption of energy efficient technologies and collation of energy data
Advice to Novo Holdings and DSM Venturing on their Series A investments into Deep Branch Biotechnology, a UK-based carbon recycling biotechnology company.
Advice to Immune Macro Biotic Technology (IMBT) on a full range of commercial matters, including collaborative/joint venture arrangements and intellectual property related matters. IMBT are a UK-based research business focused on developing the use of anti-microbial peptides in insect farming.
Advice to Bamboo Finance and DOEN Foundation on two rounds of investment into BBOXX, a designer, manufacturer and distributor of solar powered battery packs in the developing markets
Advice to Multibox Limited, a UK-based producers of insects for feed reared on vegetable waste, on regulations governing the use of animal bi-products and processed animal protein in animal feed, the use of insects in animal feed, waste and intellectual property
