Through 2022, the energy sector continues to hold major opportunities for litigators, particularly in the energy transition market. As businesses look toward a transition from traditional oil and gas to alternative energy sources, components of the large scale energy shift like renewable energy, electric vehicles, battery storage, and carbon capture are quickly becoming hot specialty areas for firms and lawyers.
Not only does energy litigation present options for expertise in cutting edge, burgeoning markets, but firms that already have established expertise in practice areas such as mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, private equity, and environmental law are seeing new opportunities to translate skills into the energy litigation sector. Particularly over the past two years, firms have seen enormous growth in renewable projects.
The growth of the energy transition market is likely to fuel new hot areas for litigation while more key players enter the industry. As more energy companies go public, shareholder disputes and shareholder activism will take center stage. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) activists have already begun asserting themselves by pressuring companies to reduce their carbon footprints. Such activism by shareholders is likely to increase in popularity as renewables become more ubiquitous.
Antitrust litigation in the energy sphere may also become more popular, as regulators may take a renewed interest in anticompetitive practices in the sector – particularly if renewable companies begin merging. Contract disputes and other commercial litigation will also likely see a boon as more and more companies enter and begin doing business in the industry.
As alternative energy initiatives attract energy sector investments, the opportunities for law firms grow. To stay informed about energy transition litigation trends and more, follow the RapidFunds LinkedIn page for detailed updates.