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Simone is a partner based in Reed Smith’s London office. She advises banks, hedge funds, utilities, and energy and commodity companies on a variety of transactional, cross-border regulatory, compliance, and risk management matters within the energy sector.
Experience
Representative matters
Representative matters
Advised a global telecommunications company on its entry into a 5 year corporate PPA with one of the Big 6 energy companies, as well as the associated tender process, including on the regulatory obligations arising following entry into the agreement
Advised clients on entry into, and the negotiation of, the industry-standard PPA developed by the European Federation of Energy Traders
Developed a standard form PPA for an oil major moving into the power and gas sector
Power and Gas Trading
Advised a global telecommunications company on its entry into a 5 year corporate PPA with one of the Big 6 energy companies, as well as the associated tender process, including on the regulatory obligations arising following entry into the agreement
Advised clients on entry into, and the negotiation of, the industry-standard PPA developed by the European Federation of Energy Traders
Developed a standard form PPA for an oil major moving into the power and gas sector
Advised a large French utility on the negotiation of multiple PPAs (both physical and financial, with a CfD element), with different types of market participants, including banks, utilities and suppliers
Advised a new entrant to the electricity supply market on their standard form PPA
Advised numerous companies, including suppliers, hedge funds, banks and utilities, on their entry into the UK power and gas markets, and expansion into mainland European markets
Advised clients on the impact of the EPEX SPOT technical incident that led to the decoupling of the EPEX SPOT market from the interconnected European Single Day Ahead Coupling
Advised an international investment bank on deal structuring, drafting and negotiation of documentation for the provision of energy management and trading services at multiple European power plants
Advised banks and hedge funds on the membership of major EU energy exchanges and grid/system transmission operators
Advised clients in relation to the negotiation and drafting of trading agreements (including EFETs, ISDAs, and GTMAs), novation, amendment documents, and ancillary credit documentation, and liaising with internal credit and front office functions
Advised Energy Traders Europe (in Reed Smith’s capacity of external English law advisors) on queries on the EFET CSA
Advised Energy Traders Europe on the impact of Russian sanctions on trading under the EFET Gas Agreement
Advised Macquarie Bank on concluding its gas storage and optimisation transaction with one of Germany’s largest gas companies, Verbundnetz Gas AG (VNG)
Asset acquisitions and disposals
Advised Bunge on the sale of its global sugar trading business to Wilmar
Advised Anglo American on the sale of its niobium and phosphorous business to China Molybdenum
Advised an international investment bank on a unique multijurisdictional repurchase facility in relation to uranium held in storage facilities located in the United States, France and Canada
Advised Macquarie Bank on its acquisition of Société Générale’s OTC energy commodities portfolio
Advised Macquarie Bank on its acquisition of Cargill’s global oil business
Advised Engelhart Commodities on the disposal of its Colombian coffee business to Sucden
Advised an international investment bank on a unique multijurisdictional repurchase facility in relation to uranium held in storage facilities located in the United States, France and Canada
Worked on two market-leading disposal and acquisitions of uranium trading businesses
Advised Reuben Brothers Capital in its purchase from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. of Metro International Trade Services, a global metals storage business, with more than 180 warehouses around the world
Advising Morgan Stanley on the disposal of its European power, gas and emissions business to Shell, and on the disposal of its base metals business
Regulatory and Compliance
Advising on a global food and agri-business on various UK and EU regulatory matters, including with respect to EMIR compliance
Advised a global sugar trading business on its policies and procedures with respect to MiFID II compliance matters
Advised international organisations on the UK Bribery Act; preparing and delivering training in relation to it
Advised clients on UK and EU regulations and legislations relating to the energy and financial services sectors, particularly EMIR, REMIT, the Benchmark Regulation, MAR and MiFIDII
Advised clients on the preparation of compliance manuals and procedures, and delivering attendant training sessions
Assisting a wide range of clients in responding to enquiries from futures exchanges and financial and energy regulators.
Advised clients on UK financial services regulation, including applications for FCA authorisation and de-authoisation
Recognitions
Band ranked in Chambers UK 2026 for Commodities: Derivatives & Energy Trading
Listed as Up and Coming in Chambers UK for Commodities: Derivatives & Energy Trading, 2024-2025
- Listed as a Rising Star in The Legal 500 UK for Derivatives (including commodities), 2020
Credentials
Education
Education
- College of Law, LL.B.
- College of Law, LL.M., (Distinction)
- University College London, BA (Hons)
Professional admissions & qualifications
Professional admissions & qualifications
- England and Wales
- Ireland
Professional affiliations
Professional affiliations
- A patron of Norwood, a leading UK charity supporting people with learning difficulties and children and families in need. Serves on the Norwood Young Lawyers’ committee
- Trustee of the Yorkshire Ballet Seminars Charity
- A Liveryman of the Haberdashers’ Company
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