Stephenson Harwood’s London office has hired former Osborne Clarke partner Matthew Bodfield as it seeks to enhance its corporate offering in the energy and infrastructure sector.
Bodfield brings 20 years’ experience advising clients in the energy transition and infrastructure sectors. He made partner at Osborne Clarke in 2016, being promoted successively up the ranks after joining the firm from Irwin Mitchell, where he trained and qualified in 2006, spending four years there.
His practice focuses on renewable energy, including solar, onshore wind and hydro power, as well as broader energy transition assets such as battery storage, EV infrastructure, grid stability and heat pumps.
Bodfield advises investors, developers and energy supply companies on acquisitions, disposals, investments, joint ventures and corporate reorganisations, with particular expertise in early-stage asset acquisitions and developer platforms.
Jonathan Cripps, the firm’s head of infrastructure, said energy transition work was a strategic priority for the firm – one of the five priorities set by outgoing CEO Eifion Morris. Morris will be replaced in January by the firm’s head of banking James Linforth as the London firm eyes a potential merger with European firm Taylor Wessing.
Cripps said: “The UK’s energy transition is fuelling unprecedented growth in renewables, with generation capacity expected to triple over the next decade, compared to the last 15 years. At the same time, surging demand from AI, data centres and new infrastructure is opening a wealth of opportunities.”
He added: “As clients aim to diversify into a broader range of assets, and engage in projects earlier in their lifecycle, Matthew’s deep expertise in complex, blended investment strategies will strengthen our platform, enabling us to help them navigate this dynamic and rapidly evolving market.”
Tom Nicholls, the firm’s head of corporate, said: “Matthew brings an established practice and deep energy sector expertise that will strengthen our corporate team and broaden its sector reach.
“His specialist energy M&A capability is a clear differentiator, which, when combined with the firm’s wider sector relationships, will create significant opportunities for growth and support the development of long-term M&A relationships with our institutional clients.”
Bodfield, writing on LinkedIn, said that following a short, enjoyable break from practice, he was “excited to start as a partner in the corporate team at Stephenson Harwood, after many happy years with Osborne Clarke”.
Bodfield is one of a sequence of carefully targeted individual hires across Stephenson Harwood’s London office, having invested in private wealth – an area it also seeks to grow – with the arrival of private wealth specialist Nicola Simmons, and in shipping law – an area in which it is well known – with the arrival of maritime partner Jennifer Lavelle.
Bodfield’s arrival also follows the strategic acquisition of DLA Piper’s former office in Thailand, adding to its Asia-Pacific network with a four-partner, 40-lawyer addition in Bangkok.
The Thai arrivals more than offset the earlier departure of a five-strong Hong Kong private client team to Charles Russell Speechlys.
Email your news and story ideas to: [email protected]
