Overview

Guiding complex energy and infrastructure projects with practical legal expertise

We advise on the establishment and operation of energy businesses generating power from renewable sources, including wind farms, solar plants, hydropower and biomass, as well as from conventional sources such as gas and coal, whether based on acquired ownership rights or long-term concession arrangements. Our regulatory work covers licensing, grid connection, price formation and the full sequence of energy, location, building and use permits required to bring a project to operation.

On the projects side, we regularly advise on international tenders and public procurement procedures, the structuring and negotiation of joint ventures and consortia, and the negotiation of sophisticated construction and supply arrangements, with a particular focus on FIDIC-based contracts and EPC, EPCM and PPP structures.

Our approach combines expertise in international construction and energy law with detailed knowledge of the local legal and regulatory framework, enabling us to deliver commercially focused advice on both domestic and cross-border projects. We advise clients in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and represent them in DAB/DAAB proceedings, mediation and international arbitration, including under the rules of the ICC and VIAC.

The team is recommended in The Legal 500 for Projects and Energy in Serbia, where clients note our "deep sectoral knowledge, pragmatic legal advice, and ability to handle complex, multi-jurisdictional matters with efficiency and precision", and our "consistent commercial awareness, which enables [us] to deliver legal solutions that are grounded in business realities".

Services

Project development and regulatory support

advice on the regulatory framework applicable to energy projects, including licensing, grid connection rules and price formation;
support in obtaining energy, location, building and use permits and other authorisations required in the investment process;
advice on the establishment and operation of energy businesses based on ownership or long-term concession rights;
land acquisition, real estate and title support for greenfield energy and infrastructure projects.

Procurement and contract structuring

strategic legal support in international tenders and public procurement procedures;
structuring and negotiation of joint ventures and consortium arrangements;
drafting and negotiation of FIDIC-based construction contracts and EPC, EPCM and PPP arrangements;
negotiation of supply, sub-contractor and sub-supplier agreements, including supply of capital equipment.

Transactions and project finance

legal due diligence for greenfield development and for the acquisition of existing energy companies and assets, covering regulatory and permitting, real estate and contractual matters;
preparation, review and negotiation of transaction documentation, including the transfer of permits and authorisations;
project financing arrangements, including bank facilities, security packages, mortgages, share pledges and pledges of receivables.

Project implementation and disputes

contract administration, risk allocation and implementation support during project execution;
claim management (delay, disruption and additional cost), variations and dispute avoidance strategies;
representation in DAB/DAAB proceedings, mediation and international arbitration, including under the rules of the ICC and VIAC.

Sectors

We advise across the energy and infrastructure value chain, including renewables (wind, solar, hydropower and biomass), conventional power and gas, transport infrastructure (roads, railways and metro systems), utility infrastructure, and industrial and mining facilities.

Selected matters

A representative slice of recent matters, anonymised. We don't publish client names; references are available privately on request.

advising the employer on the negotiation of an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning contract for the supply of wind turbines for one of the largest wind farms in Serbia, including active negotiations with two major wind turbine producers, under FIDIC model agreements;

advising a joint venture member, on the contractor side, on the negotiation of an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning contract for the balance of plant of a wind farm project in Serbia, based on the FIDIC Yellow Book (1999);

advising a contractor on a tender procedure for the hydropower plant, including tender strategy, contractual review and the negotiation of sub-contractor agreements under the FIDIC model sub-contractor agreement for design and build (2019);

advising the employer, a hydropower plant operator, in the implementation of a design and build agreement, including negotiations with the contractor, the negotiation of an annex to the agreement and dispute avoidance and resolution representation;

advising a public motorway company , providing consulting services in support of the construction of a major road tunnel under the FIDIC Yellow Book (1999);

advising international clients on the acquisition of a local energy company, including real estate due diligence focused on title issues and the acquisition of all relevant energy permits;

advising on the development of the first solar plant in the renewable energy sector in Serbia, and on a biomass plant project from the acquisition of land through the location, energy and construction permitting process to project financing.

Have a matter in projects & energy?

Senior lawyers respond personally to every inbound enquiry. We will tell you quickly whether we can help and how we would approach it — including a realistic view of timing and cost.

Get in touch office@bit-law.com

Projects & Energy