The clean energy team at Bristol-headquartered national law firm TLT has hired the former general counsel of green energy firm Ecotricity as a partner.
Tom Cowling, pictured, joins TLT as a partner in its commercial services group after more than eight years at the Stroud-based energy pioneer. 
While there he advised on several milestones for the company, including its Ecobond fundraising, the set-up and growth of the Electric Highway – the UK’s leading electric car charging network – and the launch of its green energy-powered mobile phone service Ecotalk.
He also advised Forest Green Rovers – the world’s first vegan and carbon neutral football club, owned by Ecotricity founder Dale Vince – and is a trustee of charities The Green Britain Foundation and Sustainability in Sport.
Tom will continue to advise Ecotricity across its operations as the company a longstanding client of TLT. He will also work with TLT’s clean energy team to grow the business and develop its range of services supporting organisations in the clean energy sector.
This will include working with clients looking to encourage wider take-up of clean technologies, including opportunities for electric vehicle (EV) charging and storage in retail, leisure and real estate.
Tom will also play a lead role developing a new TLT general counsel (GC) consulting service for small-to-medium sized organisations – a role in which he will draw on his in-house experience working with growing businesses operating in regulated and complex environments.
His arrival is part of TLT’s ongoing growth strategy in the clean energy sector – partners Nick Shenken and Nick Pincott and legal director Joanna Hamilton have all joined in the past year while clean energy banking & finance partner Gary Roscoe was named individual of the year for projects, energy and natural resources at the 2019 Legal 500 UK awards and the firm was once again acclaimed as a leading global adviser by Clean Energy Pipeline 2018.
TLT clean energy sector leader and head of its real estate group, Maria Connolly, said: “Tom brings in-house experience and real sector insight to an ambitious and growing team of specialist clean energy lawyers. At TLT, we are passionate about how we can build our business to support this crucial sector and Tom’s arrival is a core part of developing and improving what we can do.”
Tom added: “From financing investments in new sources of energy to protecting the business and brand of growing and successful organisations – I’m looking forward to using my experience to support TLT’s clean energy sector clients and helping to promote the opportunities around clean tech to a wider commercial market.”
