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Portrait ofDavinia Cowden

Vini Cowden

Partner

CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
1 West Regent Street
Glasgow
G2 1AP
United Kingdom
Languages English, French

Davinia is a Partner in the Energy & Climate Change Team at CMS.  She has over 18 years‘ experience of advising on complex high value projects and has been with the firm for 20 years.  She acts for public and private sector clients (including investors, funders and contractors) across a broad range of sectors using various delivery models. Davinia has experience of advising on both non-contentious and contentious matters.  She has also recently completed an 18-month secondment to SP Energy Networks where she worked primarily on electricity regulation and matters relating to the RIIO-2 price control review.

Davinia is dual qualified which allows her to practice in Scotland and England and Wales and is  accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a Specialist in Construction Law.  Davinia is also Vice-Chairs and Board Trustees for two Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations: Chris’s House (Centre of Help, Response and Intervention Surrounding Suicide) and the Glasgow School of Art Student’s Association.  

With more than 450 energy and climate change lawyers, including over 100 partners, the CMS Energy and Climate Change practice is one of the largest of its kind in the world. Led from its centres of excellence such as London and Aberdeen, the practice works across 75 offices globally. Building on 40 years of experience advising on power, oil & gas and renewables through to energy disputes, emerging areas and Energy Transition, CMS is uniquely placed to ensure clients receive advice best suited to their commercial needs and to our collective future.

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"recommended"

Legal 500, 2018 and 2020

"She 'gets her sleeves rolled up and she gets on with things'."

Chambers, 2015

"thorough" and "recommended"

Legal 500, 2008

Relevant experience

  • SP Energy Networks on regulatory matters, including licensing issues and drafting.  Advice and support in relation to RIIO-2 price control reviews, including an appeal by SPT to the Competition and Markets Authority.    
  • Investors on bids for, and operational advice on, offshore windfarm transmission assets.
  • A local authority in relation to variations, disputed matters and termination and a contractor on EfW plant and component failure. Also local authorities, investors and funders on various new waste projects.
  • Local authorities and funders on the design, construction, financing and operation of new schools being delivered through the hub programme. Also local authorities, investors and contractors on operational schools PFI projects.
  • Investors on defects and termination of a health PFI project. 
  • NHS Boards on the design, construction, financing and operation of new health facilities being delivered through the hub programme.
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Memberships & Roles

  • Accredited Specialist in Construction Law (Law Society of Scotland)
  • Member of the Society of Construction Law
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Education

  • 2008 – Admitted as Solicitor in England and Wales
  • 2003 – Notary Public
  • 2003 – Admitted as Solicitor in Scotland
  • 2001 – Diploma in Legal Practice (Dip.L.P.), Glasgow Graduate School of Law, Glasgow
  • 2000 – Honours in Law with French Legal Studies (LLB. Hons), University of Glasgow, Glasgow
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Davinia is a Partner in the Energy & Climate Change Team at CMS.  She has over 18 years‘ experience of advising on complex high value projects and has been with the firm for 20 years.  She acts for public and private sector clients (including investors, funders and contractors) across a broad range of sectors using various delivery models. Davinia has experience of advising on both non-contentious and contentious matters.  She has also recently completed an 18-month secondment to SP Energy Networks where she worked primarily on electricity regulation and matters relating to the RIIO-2 price control review.

Davinia is dual qualified which allows her to practice in Scotland and England and Wales and is  accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a Specialist in Construction Law.  Davinia is also Vice-Chairs and Board Trustees for two Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations: Chris’s House (Centre of Help, Response and Intervention Surrounding Suicide) and the Glasgow School of Art Student’s Association.  

With more than 450 energy and climate change lawyers, including over 100 partners, the CMS Energy and Climate Change practice is one of the largest of its kind in the world. Led from its centres of excellence such as London and Aberdeen, the practice works across 75 offices globally. Building on 40 years of experience advising on power, oil & gas and renewables through to energy disputes, emerging areas and Energy Transition, CMS is uniquely placed to ensure clients receive advice best suited to their commercial needs and to our collective future.

more less

"recommended"

Legal 500, 2018 and 2020

"She 'gets her sleeves rolled up and she gets on with things'."

Chambers, 2015

"thorough" and "recommended"

Legal 500, 2008

Relevant experience

  • SP Energy Networks on regulatory matters, including licensing issues and drafting.  Advice and support in relation to RIIO-2 price control reviews, including an appeal by SPT to the Competition and Markets Authority.    
  • Investors on bids for, and operational advice on, offshore windfarm transmission assets.
  • A local authority in relation to variations, disputed matters and termination and a contractor on EfW plant and component failure. Also local authorities, investors and funders on various new waste projects.
  • Local authorities and funders on the design, construction, financing and operation of new schools being delivered through the hub programme. Also local authorities, investors and contractors on operational schools PFI projects.
  • Investors on defects and termination of a health PFI project. 
  • NHS Boards on the design, construction, financing and operation of new health facilities being delivered through the hub programme.
more less

Memberships & Roles

  • Accredited Specialist in Construction Law (Law Society of Scotland)
  • Member of the Society of Construction Law
more less

Education

  • 2008 – Admitted as Solicitor in England and Wales
  • 2003 – Notary Public
  • 2003 – Admitted as Solicitor in Scotland
  • 2001 – Diploma in Legal Practice (Dip.L.P.), Glasgow Graduate School of Law, Glasgow
  • 2000 – Honours in Law with French Legal Studies (LLB. Hons), University of Glasgow, Glasgow
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19/06/2024
CMS - Solving The UK’s Grid Connection Issues
Location: Aberdeen Science Centre, 179 Constitution St, Aberdeen, AB24 5TU
17/04/2024
Bioenergy in Scotland – Scottish Government’s Draft Policy Statement focusses...
IntroductionThe Scottish Government (“SG”) has launched a consultation on its draft Bioenergy Policy (the “SG Bioenergy Policy”), with responses to be submitted by 12th June 2024. This article...
12/03/2024
Significant steps taken to implement Early Competition in onshore transmission...
On 20th February 2024 the Electricity (Criteria for Relevant Electricity Projects) (Transmission) Regulations (the “Reg­u­la­tions”) were published. Due to come into force on 12th March 2024, the Regulations...
22/01/2024
CMS advises National Grid and Scottish Power on Eastern Green Link 1
International law firm CMS has advised National Grid Electricity Transmission plc (NGET) and SP Transmission plc (SPT) on the Eastern Green Link 1 project (EGL1). NGET owns and maintains the high-voltage...
22/12/2023
Great ex-formations – December 2023 update on CCS developments
Since our July article on the development of the TRI licence, the evolution of the legal, regulatory and commercial landscape for the transportation and storage within repurposed geological formations...
22/12/2023
Ofgem Provides Update on Development of Competition in Onshore Electricity...
On 14 December 2023 Ofgem released an update on the development of competition in onshore electricity transmission (the “Update”) setting out its intended focus during 2024. This update is in response...
09/11/2023
The Energy Act 2023
The Energy Act 2023 (the Act) received Royal Assent on 26 October 2023, and represents a significant step in the UK's efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The Act introduces measures to support...
18/01/2023
Accelerating onshore electricity transmission investment: a step forward...
Ofgem has published its decision on accelerating onshore electricity transmission investment (the “Decision”), which follows the consultation in which Ofgem sought views on its proposals to support...
21/12/2022
The Scottish Government Hydrogen Action Plan
Hydrogen Action Plan The plan (published on 12 December 2022) was created in light of the Scottish Government’s vision for Scotland to become a leading hydrogen nation. Recognising the opportunity open...
12/08/2022
Funding announced for pioneering new space technologies
On 20th July 2022, the UK Government announced £3 million funding to support pioneering new space technologies. The funding is to be made available for space-based solar power (SBSP) projects that collect...
28/07/2022
CMS helps the NeuConnect project reach Financial Close
With ongoing support from CMS, NeuConnect Britain Limited and NeuConnect Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG (together NeuConnect) have achieved financial close on their £2.4bn (EUR 2.8bn) electricity in­ter­con­nect­or...
19/07/2022
Energy Bill 2022 - Electricity networks (Onshore Competition and MPIs) 
On 6th July 2022, the UK Government published the Energy Security Bill (the “Bill”) which draws together a range of measures which are aimed at improving independence and security of supply and contribute...