London Team Strengthened with Appointment of Senior Energy Lawyer as Consultant

Our national energy team expands with the addition of senior energy lawyer Matthew Collinson, who has joined our London office.

Matthew brings almost two decades’ experience spanning private practice and senior in-house roles. He originally qualified as a barrister in 2008 and later as a solicitor in 2011.

He has held the chief legal and compliance role at organisations such as Igloo Energy, Last Mile Infrastructure, OVO Energy, Zapp and Complete Technology Group, and has served on boards of several companies operating under the auspices of Ofgem regulation. He has also worked as a consultant solicitor and legal adviser across the energy, technology, water, telecoms and infrastructure sectors.

With expertise in commercial contracts, regulatory affairs and sectoral regulation, Matthew has a proven track record of building legal functions from scratch, advising on high-value procurements, and shaping regulatory policy through submissions to Ofgem and DESNZ.

Recent work highlights include leading strategic IT procurements for a UK airport terminal project; delivering regulatory affairs submissions that influenced developing energy policy; and standardising global distribution agreements for a multinational technology business.

Matthew said: “I first appointed Shakespeare Martineau to a panel many years ago while working as general counsel, and I was impressed by the firm’s understanding of both the energy sector and the commercial realities faced by businesses.

“Returning to private practice with the firm allows me to work with a wider variety of clients while keeping close to real-world outcomes. The intersection of utilities, technology and social policy is a fascinating and fast-moving space, and I’m excited to help shape how we and our clients engage with it.”

Andrew Whitehead, head of energy, added: “We’re really pleased to welcome Matt to the team. He brings a wealth of experience from senior in-house roles and consulting, including at some of our clients, with particular strength in regulated infrastructure across energy, water and telecoms. His mix of commercial and regulatory expertise, along with his wider industry profile, will be a huge asset as we continue to grow our energy practice and ESG offering.”

Matthew’s arrival coincides with the recruitment of two newly qualified solicitors, to bolster the team’s capabilities in the face of ongoing growth in client activity and broader political, legal and regulatory developments across the utilities sectors.