Mark Richards
Mark Richards
Mark Richards
Partner and Regional Practice Group Leader - Energy, Environment and Infrastructure
Biography
Mark is the EMEA Head of the Energy, Environment & Infrastructure Team with extensive experience in providing multi-disciplinary advice to public and private sector clients. Clients include Amber Infrastructure, 3i, Nord LB, Ingenious Renewable Energy and Barclays Bank.
He works on a wide range of high value, innovative and complex infrastructure projects and has been involved in some of the most high profile infrastructure deals, including the first PF2 transaction to close in the UK. Mark has particular experience in:
- equity (including secondary market trades);
- debt structures;
- infrastructure fund trades;
- leasing/structured finance; and
- concession based structures.
As a non-executive director and global council member of the International Project Finance Association, Mark regularly writes chairs and addresses audiences on Global PPP and infrastructure structures.
Areas of Focus
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Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure
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Electric Vehicles & Charging Infrastructure
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Environment
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Real Estate
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Finance
Client Story
Getting vertiport pioneer Skyports off the ground in Dubai
London based start-up Skyports Infrastructure has announced its pioneering ‘vertiport’ operations in Dubai in collaboration with Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) and electric air taxi provider, Joby Aviation.
- Chambers UK, Projects: PFI/PPP, 2021
- The Legal 500 UK, Infrastructure, 2021
Admissions
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England and Wales
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New York
Related Capabilities
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Environment
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Real Estate
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ESG & Energy Transition
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Nuclear
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Renewables & Storage
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Water & Utilities
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Financial Institutions
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Electric Vehicles & Charging Infrastructure
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Infrastructure
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Energy Transition
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Finance
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Public Sector
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Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure
Experience
- Renewable Energy - Advised a client on various renewable energy portfolios, leading on the financing and acquisition of US$150m of ground mounted solar and onshore wind assets.
- Oil - Advised a national oil company on various financings including their USD$750m corporate facility and their various trade financing and commodities receivable transactions.
- Schools - Advised Amber Infrastructure on their successful bid in the £2.4bn government-backed ‘Priority Schools Building Programme’ using a unique financing model of a bespoke pooled aggregator funding vehicle. The deal was awarded European Social Infrastructure Deal of the Year at the IJGlobal Awards.
- Mersey Gateway Bridge - Advised 3i infrastructure on its investment into the Mersey Gateway Bridge, a public-private partnership project which involves the design, build, finance and operation of a 1km tolled bridge across the river Mersey in Liverpool.
- Hamina-Vaalimaa motorway - Advised the Finnish Transport Agency on the construction of the €660m E18 Hamina-Vaalimaa motorway to carried out on a Public-Private Partnership project model. The Finnish Transport Agency is seeking competitive tenders for service contracts, which include financial planning, building design, road construction, and road maintenance.
- UK Military Flight Training System - Advised UK Military Flight Training System (UKMFTS) leading the finance, equity and concession agreement negotiations on behalf of UKMFTS project team acting for the Ascent Consortium (Lockheed Martin Corporation and VT Group plc) in relation to the wholesale outsourcing of military flight training.
Related Insights
Insights
Oct 23, 2025
Oct 23, 2025
Structuring shell and core data centre developments: Legal strategies for scalability and flexibility
This is the second in a ten-part article series on the legal strategies shaping the future of data centre development in the UK.
The UK data centre sector’s expansion is increasingly dominated by the shell and core development model. Hyperscale and major colocation tenants are seeking to deploy capital efficiently, accelerate their time-to-market, and retain maximum control over their proprietary technical environments. In response, developers are delivering powered shells – buildings with foundational power and cooling infrastructure but without tenant-specific fit-out – as the market standard.
This approach provides tenants with the freedom to customise their IT architecture. But it also presents developers and investors with complex legal and commercial challenges. The core objective is to create a flexible, scalable asset while ensuring a secure, bankable investment that meets the stringent criteria of institutional finance.
The success in shell and core projects depends on the seamless integration of planning, development, construction, leasing and regulatory strategies. A misstep in one area can cascade through the project, affecting finance, tenant relationships and operational performance.
This second instalment of our Insight Series examines the legal frameworks underpinning these developments, from the structure of development management agreements and lease contracts to the regulatory considerations shaping the market.
Awards
Oct 16, 2025
Oct 16, 2025
Chambers 2026 UK guide ranks BCLP in 36 practice areas and recognises 76 individual lawyers
In the 2026 edition of Chambers UK BCLP received 36 practice area rankings and 76 individual lawyer recognitions. This year, the firm is recognized in six new practice areas and improved to a Band 1 ranking for Commercial Contracts, as well as a Band 2 ranking for Hotels and Leisure.
Insights
Oct 14, 2025
Oct 14, 2025
Mastering powered land transactions for UK data centres
This is the first in a ten-part article series on the legal strategies shaping the future of data centre development in the UK.
The UK’s data centre market is entering a period of rapid expansion, set to grow from $10.7 billion in 2024 to $22.7 billion by 2030. This is being driven by the computational demands of artificial intelligence, the widespread shift to cloud services and the relentless rise of enterprise-level computing. The result is a highly competitive market for powered land.
For hyperscale operators, institutional investors and specialist developers, the acquisition of these sites is no longer confined to the parameters of conventional real estate. Instead, it’s now a complex, high-stakes convergence of energy regulation, planning law and strategic commercial negotiation. Successfully navigating this landscape to deliver projects on time and on budget requires commercially astute legal advice to mitigate risk, unlock value and achieve market-leading outcomes.
In this article, we explore the legal, regulatory and commercial strategies that underpin successful data centre development, from planning consent and power supply agreements to ESG integration and emerging technological requirements.
News
Oct 01, 2025
Oct 01, 2025
The Legal 500 UK 2026
News
Sep 25, 2025
Sep 25, 2025
BCLP Advises STRABAG:Equitix Consortium on first of a kind £2.9bn Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme
Insights
May 20, 2025
May 20, 2025
UK Water Infrastructure: A Waterfall of Investment Opportunities, RAPID success?
The UK's water sector is not just evolving; it is undergoing a monumental transformation, presenting infrastructure investors with an extraordinary chance to participate in building a more resilient and sustainable future while securing robust financial returns.
The combined forces of population growth, the escalating climate crisis, and the urgent need to upgrade aging infrastructure are driving an unprecedented wave of investment in critical water projects. This is not simply about pipes and reservoirs; it is about shaping the future of a vital resource, and the “RAPID: Building a resilient future – a Major Projects guide for investors" published in 2025, is your essential roadmap to this dynamic and expanding market.
News
Apr 30, 2025
Apr 30, 2025
BCLP advises SatixFy on the English law aspects of its proposed acquisition by MDA Space
News
Apr 29, 2025
Apr 29, 2025
BCLP advises SatixFy on securing £1.8 million contract from the UK Space Agency
Insights
Apr 29, 2025
Apr 29, 2025
How will the newly created NISTA accelerate infrastructure delivery?
Between 2015-2025 the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) carried out an important function in assessing the UK’s long-term infrastructure needs, setting the infrastructure agenda and providing independent advice to the Government.
However, from 1 April 2025, the NIC ceased operating and was combined with the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) to form a new unit within HM Treasury called the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA). In this Insight we explore how this change might accelerate infrastructure delivery.