Overview
Jacqueline Hill is an attorney in the ESG practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s London office. Jacqueline advises clients on environmental, social and governance matters, including the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, the EU Taxonomy, voluntary and compliance carbon markets, and good governance.
Jacqueline has 25 years of experience as a legal and compliance professional in commodities, having commenced her legal career in the corporate departments of international law firms before moving in-house in London and now returning to private practice. Jacqueline brings unique commercial experience not only from working closely in-house with business clients but also through her time in a commercial origination role in voluntary carbon markets.
Jacqueline has increasingly focused on sustainability and the energy transition over recent years, supporting the environmental products trading business and acting as the global focal point for power within the legal team at Shell. In Jacqueline’s commercial origination role in voluntary carbon markets, she was deal lead in closing a long-term offtake from a nature-based project, and she negotiated and transacted sales of voluntary carbon credits to intermediary and corporate buyers seeking to utilise credits for emissions that could not be avoided as part of their sustainability strategy. Jacqueline has enjoyed working closely with corporates to understand their sustainability strategy and providing advice in navigating this market with reputational safeguards at the forefront.
Jacqueline has held the role of general counsel of the UK-based trading business of a major oil and gas producer, where she developed the legal team and compliance function. She has advised senior executives and the board on business strategy, expansions into new products and jurisdictions, and regulatory developments. Prior to this, she was senior counsel and head of compliance in the trading subsidiary of one of Europe’s largest power producers, where she supported physical and financial commodity transactions and was responsible for the global compliance function, advising the company on financial services regulation.
Accolades
- British Legal Awards, Finalist for In-House Legal Team of the Year, 2012
- The Lawyer, Finalist for In-house Lawyer of the Year, 2011
- Petroleum Economist, In-House Legal Team of the Year 2008
Education
- University College of Law, LL.M., 2016
- Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment, Diploma in Investment Compliance, 2011
- University of Melbourne, LL.B., 1998
- University of Melbourne, B.A., 1995
Representations
Carbon
Acted as the lead lawyer for Shell Energy Europe:
- Investing long term in an afforestation project in Latin America in return for the carbon credits generated by the project.
- Negotiating the structure and contracts for an EU ETS Allowance repackaging scheme providing fixed income returns to institutional investors.
- Advising on transactions under bespoke sale and purchase agreements and industry standards, including IETA agreements.
Acted as the commercial originator for Shell Energy Europe:
- On various sale and purchase agreements for voluntary carbon credits from afforestation, conservation, cookstoves and biogas projects, including working with intermediary and corporate buyers.
- Participating in various tenders to supply voluntary carbon credits to corporate buyers seeking to utilise carbon credits towards their net zero goals.
- Negotiating a long-term offtake of carbon credits from an afforestation project in Africa.
- Assessing and delivering a proposal for a potential compliance market opportunity in Europe.
Power
Acted as the lead lawyer for Shell Energy Europe:
- In a number of confidential financial hedging arrangements with renewable power projects in Europe and the purchase of guarantees of origin from these projects.
- Offtaking renewable power from the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind project owned by the Crosswind Consortium (in which Shell is a 79.9% shareholder) and the sale and purchase of 380MW power to Amazon.
- Entering into a Power Purchase Agreement with a major tech company purchasing power from an offshore wind farm, including the green certificates.
- Reviewing and advising on a battery storage agreement.
Commodities
Acted as senior legal counsel and general counsel in the trading arms of three major energy companies, including one of Europe’s largest power producers and two of the largest oil and gas producers in the world. In these roles:
- Negotiated financial and physical energy trading contracts in respect of gas, power, oil, freight and carbon credit products. Developed a joint venture for a gas storage facility in Belgium.
- Advised on structured finance products with several retail energy providers, including security arrangements in return for providing power and gas on extended credit terms, sometimes involving the provision of carbon credits and power certificates to these retailers.
- Advised on gas storage and transportation auctions and price review processes across Europe.
Compliance and Regulation
Acted as the global head of compliance in the trading arm of one of Europe’s largest power producers and also in the trading arm of one of the largest oil and gas producers in the world, including:
- Developing policies, procedures and training programs to support operations in the UK, U.S., Singapore, France, Switzerland and Germany.
- Advising on the regulatory strategy in respect of MIFID II and the implementation of REMIT and EMIR.
- Launching anti-bribery and corruption programs and due diligence procedures for third-party contracts.