The last months have been ominous for the people and economies of the world. With the war in Ukraine, the world economy is at a risk of becoming as fragmented as it was during Cold War days, and the energy sector is first in line for disruption as more markets look for ways to avoid purchasing energy from Russia.

The geopolitical breakdown is putting a strain on the transition to carbon-free energy, as hydrocarbon production must ramp up to stabilize prices in the face of the Ukraine war. Private equity investors continue to favor energy innovation and renewables, as they steer their investments toward more environmental, social and governance (ESG) ends. The response to COVID-19 and the abatement of that pandemic has triggered inflation, and spurred energy consumption, but another of the pandemic’s legacy is an expansion of litigation for nonperformance of contacts.

This report, which details the topics discussed at our flagship Energy & Commodities Conference, gives you an updated picture of a rapidly evolving situation, and makes clear: We are seeing new kinds of litigation and expect this situation to produce even newer kinds of unforeseen litigation. We invite you to reach out to any of our authors to discuss the issues we address and what they mean for your organization.