For the past seven years, Simon Watt has been the only New Zealand lawyer ranked in this area
Global directory Chambers Global has recognised the climate change work done by Bell Gully partner Simon Watt for the 13th year in a row.
For the past seven years, Watt has been the only New Zealand lawyer ranked in this area. This year, he joins an elite group of just 22 lawyers across the globe honoured for their contributions to climate change.
“Simon is regarded as the best in the business on anything relating to climate change in New Zealand,” a client told Chambers Global.
The directory also highlighted Watt’s experience in providing advice on a wide range of environment and climate matters.
Watt incorporates his environmental knowledge into commercial, banking and finance transactions to generate workable solutions. He is an expert in cross-border transactions, and his clients span the private and public sectors, covering the climate finance, forestry and energy sectors.
He has handled significant local and international climate change issues, and has presented in conferences involving climate change. He has also chaired panel sessions about topics such as carbon trading.
Watt has commented on the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme in the past, and often speaks to the media on climate change. He is a key figure in current legislative discussions involving the topic, Bell Gully said.
The firm overall has played a role in developing climate change legislation, and also advised on what the firm said was the first carbon trade for avoided deforestation in the world.
Earlier this year, Bell Gully also logged the most Tier 1 rankings among NZ firms in the 2021 Legal 500 Asia Pacific.
