Data Centres and Digital Infrastructure

The world around us is changing at a speed that is hard to grasp. As the technology revolution continues to reshape how we live, it is also inevitably reshaping our needs around infrastructure, energy, and the built environment.

We have market-leading lawyers specialising in all the relevant disciplines. Our energy, commercial technology, construction, real estate, planning, telecoms code, banking, corporate, tax, and dispute resolution teams are adept at working closely together and proactively assisting our clients in this sector with the full range of legal issues they face.

We are highly engaged with this exciting asset class. At the intersection of infrastructure and real estate, this work is complex, and it demands a deep understanding of power, technology, real estate and construction. We are one of the few independent law firms in London with the full range of capabilities to serve this fast-growing sector. Our independence gives us a real advantage, allowing us to carefully select overseas counsel to collaborate with us on international projects. Additionally, we are a natural choice for clients whose regular firms do not have an office in England.

Our experience includes advising on:

• Obtaining grid connections, power purchase agreements, and energy solutions and advice more generally.
• Disposals to hyperscale operators.
• Co-location services agreements and leases for businesses with leading data centre operators.
• Overseas data centre developers setting up their UK operations.
• Outsourcing projects, including the transfer of ownership and operational responsibility for data centres.
• Facilities management contracts for data centre managers and owners.
• The full range of construction procurement utilised for major data centre projects.
• Land acquisition contracts, including conditional contracts and options, and the transfer of development rights.
• Applications to local planning authorities to establish lawful use regarding data centre developments.
• The telecoms code.
• Disputes for all sides of the construction industry, including disputes relating to data centres and infrastructure projects.
• Bank financing of data centres.

We can also assist “upstream” with joint ventures, shareholder and investment agreements, and fund formation and administration.