Alex Sharples is an Energy Partner in the Dispute Resolution and Litigation team at Trowers & Hamlins. Alex joined Trowers & Hamlins in February 2021 after 11 years in London at city litigation heavy-weight Herbert Smith Freehills LLP and is ranked in Legal 500.
Alex has extensive experience in advising and representing Energy clients in relation to complex and high-value disputes ranging from international arbitration and High Court litigation to managing international disputes in different jurisdictions across the world. He has frequently advised on disputes of a multi-party and/or cross-border nature, in various industry sectors.
Alex has regularly advised major energy companies and smaller operators in relation to disputes arising out of the likes of long-term gas sales, transportation and processing agreements and exploration and development projects.
He has worked with clients on some of the most high-profile oil & gas cases to come before the English courts in recent years. These include cross-border disputes in the context of major development projects, drilling contracts and gas sales agreements. He has advised on claims arising out of projects in the UK, Europe, Norway and West Africa. Alex also has extensive experience of working with foreign counsel and managing disputes in foreign jurisdictions, in particular in the Middle East.
Uisdean Vass has some forty years’ experience in the international and UK oil and gas business. In North America, his friends often know him as “Hugh”.
Uisdean has been on a long and winding law firm journey through the oil patch.
Admitted in Scotland and Louisiana, Uisdean graduated with an LLB Honours from the University of Edinburgh (1982) and went on to study for an LLM (1985) specializing in oil and gas law at Louisiana State University. After practicing with Stone Pigman Walther Wittman & Hutchinson of New Orleans for five years (1987-92), he joined London-based Clyde & Co’s new Caracas office as Senior Oil and Gas Associate. This move was neatly timed to catch the great Venezuelan Oil Opening which continued for most of the 1990s. In 1997, Uisdean founded the Caracas office of Calgary-based Macleod Dixon, and in 2001 he went on to open the Rio de Janeiro office of the same law firm.
After seventeen years in the Americas, Uisdean returned home to Scotland in 2003, where he promptly became Head of Oil & Gas, in Maclay Murray & Spens LLP (MMS), one of Scotland’s premier law firms. In 2007, Uisdean won the accolade of Scottish Corporate Lawyer of the Year. After nearly ten years leading MMS, Uisdean left to join Bond Dickinson LLP as a partner. He subsequently served as Head of Oil & Gas in Ledingham Chalmers before taking the exciting (and a little scary) decision to form his own legal consultancy, VassPetro Limited, in 2020.
Uisdean’s practice is heavily oriented towards upstream oil and gas, licensing, upstream deals including farmouts and asset sale & purchase agreements, joint operating agreements, product sales agreements and commercial agreements between oil companies of every kind. Uisdean has also worked extensively on the financing of upstream transactions, be they debt, equity or capital markets. Uisdean has advised on transactions in some thirty countries. He has also taken a big interest in oil and gas regulatory matters, and in the UK, he is known as a respected commentator on the UK’s “maximizing economic recovery” regulatory regime. Additionally, Uisdean is also active in advising operators on oil service and construction contracting.
Uisdean is a prolific writer and commentator on oil industry issues. He is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese along with a dash of Scots Gaelic. He is a countryman through and through and a keen gardener.
Uisdean has been a member of the AIEN since 1995. He served as Co-Chair for the AIEN’s Model Contracts Seminars in Edinburgh, Scotland (2015) and in Banff, Alberta (2016). Shortly afterwards, he was appointed as one of three Co-Chairs for the drafting of the Asset Sale Purchase Agreement, which is most recent AIEN model form delivered in 2019. Uisdean is a member of AIEN’s Europe Regional Committee.
Joseph Tobing is presently Vice President Legal at Borr Drilling. Joseph is a seasoned oil and gas professional with over 25 years of experience in legal, commercial, compliance, and leadership roles across multiple jurisdictions. He has worked with some of the world's leading oil and gas organizations, showcasing his expertise and dedication to the industry. Most recently, he served as Legal Director for Africa, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific at Transocean (NYSE: RIG), the world’s largest offshore drilling company, before joining Borr Drilling (NYSE: BORR) in July 2017.
Joseph graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Indonesia and began his career with Unocal (now Chevron, NYSE: CVX), where he supported E&P activities in Indonesia and Southeast Asia for over seven years. In January 2002, he pursued further education at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law & Policy at the University of Dundee, earning his LL.M in Petroleum Law and Policy. He subsequently joined Hess Corporation (NYSE: HES), where he spent seven years in roles based in both Indonesia and the United Kingdom.
Throughout his career, Joseph has been involved in various aspects of the oil and gas industry, including:
Legal and Commercial Compliance: Engaging in petroleum block bidding rounds, exploration, project evaluation, and contract negotiations for drilling and oilfield services. Leadership: Managing legal departments, leading regional legal and compliance teams, and establishing business operations in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. Strategic Network Development: Building and maintaining strong legal and business networks in the United Kingdom, Asia, Australia, and Africa.
Joseph is an active member of several prestigious organizations, including the International Bar Association (IBA), the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN), and the United Kingdom Energy Lawyers Group (UKELG).
Alexey Nikulin is a seasoned international energy lawyer working with MOEVE (formerly, CEPSA) Legal Department in Madrid.
Alexey has advised on and negotiated a variety of complex commercial transactions internationally.
Prior to joining MOEVE, Alexey has worked in the Legal Department of Shell Group, where he had supported a number of international projects and joint ventures, including as part of his assignments in Brunei Darussalam and the Netherlands.
Alexey is passionate about knowledge sharing and continuous development and is a keen AIEN member.
Laura Petrie is a partner in the Energy and Infrastructure team of Brodies LLP. Laura's experience includes advising UKCS upstream and midstream operators and licensees on joint venture and operational matters, transportation (including the use of FPSOs) and decommissioning matters. She has also undertaken a range of work for service sector companies including advising on alternative and collaborative contracting structures, bespoke terms and conditions, project contracting and industry standard forms (including LOGIC and NEC3).
She also has extensive experience in advising upstream, midstream and service sector clients in respect of M&A work including acting on oil and gas related issues arising for listed upstream and service sector companies in respect of reverse takeovers and fundraising as well as project development including terminal and pipeline construction, carbon capture, utilisation and storage projects and hydrogen production and storage projects.
Laura is a regular contributor to OGV Energy magazine's monthly column, which she has done for over seven years, as well as regularly contributing articles and commentary to other publications and local press. She has authored a chapter on transportation in the third edition of Oil & Gas Law: Current Practice and Emerging Trends ed. Greg Gordon, John Paterson and E. Usenmez. Laura has been a tutor on the Energy elective course of Aberdeen University's Legal Diploma for fourteen years and acted as senior tutor for that course for the last eight years
Dr. Leon Moller, is Course leader for Oil, Gas and Renewable Energy Law (LLM/MSc); & International Environmental Law LLM/MSc, Law School, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland. Dr. Moller is a member of the multi-disciplinary Hydrogen Research Group at Robert Gordon University and is involved in international research collaboration with Kobe University on the law of the sea. Leon is an academic lawyer with teaching and research specialisms on Maritime Law, Contract Law, Oil and Gas Contract Law, Energy Law, Hydrogen Law, International Law of the Sea, and Deep seabed mining.
Leon has a PhD on the Law of the Sea and LLM in International Natural Resources Law from the University of Dundee, Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP) in Scotland. Leon is a member of the UK Energy Institute (MEI), UK Society of Legal Scholars (SLS), Law Society (Namibia & England and Wales). Previously Leon worked as solicitor in Aberdeen, Scotland and advised energy and oil and gas companies on their UK North Sea and West Africa operations. He also worked as Petroleum Commissioner (Namibian Ministry of Mines and Energy); Legal Officer (National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia); and legal consultant (Commonwealth Secretariat, London).