Member Profiles

Derek has over 20 years of experience advising and counselling global and domestic businesses on their major corporate, land and energy projects on a UK and international level. Derek has project managed the delivery of legal services on several infrastructure and renewable energy projects both onshore and offshore, each valued in the hundreds of millions. Recently, he has led and advised on several significant M&A deals and strategic energy portfolio investments including the sale of Rio Tinto’s UK Smelter and power operations. He has a track record in advising on natural resource regulation, low carbonisation projects, university commercialisation, and complex joint venture and consortium deals. He is a non-executive board member and trustee for a number of organisations and up to March 2020, held the position of Honorary Consul of the Republic of Korea in Scotland. Derek co-ordinates international cross border projects and trade and is Chair of the global legal network, Lexwork International in Europe and Asia. Clients comment that he provides a real understanding of all sides of every issue, as well as possessing great business acumen and an innate appreciation of project risk. Sector experience includes: UK external legal advice lead on M&A sale of Rio Tinto UK Smelter & Power operations in Scotland and England (£330m) Co-ordinating external legal advice on c.450MW Viking Energy Wind Farm project on Shetland Co-ordinating Scottish legal advice on acquisition of 49% share of 24 wind farms with global capacity of 550MW in deal worth c.£700m. Scottish adviser on off shoring and on shoring ownership of strategic land assets Project lead for land corridor legal issues to link 1.5GW offshore wind farm Legal advice lead on sale of key Scottish assets for global food ingredients business Formula One and European Athletics Sponsorship contracts Regulatory advice on private legislation for large hydro schemes and Electricity Regime Adviser on major energy plant and steel components cross border supply (£50m) UK advisor and co-ordinator of Indian legal advice on a social project as part of India’s 100million toilets project to offer privacy and promote feminine hygiene AREAS OF EXPERTISE: Energy Real Estate Corporate

Penelope Warne is The Senior Partner and Chairman of the UK Board. She is also Head of Energy. Penelope, an oil and gas specialist, joined the firm in 1993 to set up the Aberdeen office and has a strong growth track record. In 25 years, she has transformed CMS’ practice in Scotland from one person in Aberdeen to the market leading practice in Scotland due to the combination with Dundas & Wilson in 2014. As the Energy practice group leader, she opened offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Brazil, Mexico and Dubai. Her practice spans the globe advising clients in the oil and gas industry in the North Sea, the US, Norway, Brazil, EMEA and Russia. Penelope is at the cutting edge of oil industry issues, she is active in thought leadership and trains oil industry lawyers in her role as an Honorary Fellow and Trustee of the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy at Dundee University. She is also a member of the Foundation Board at IMD, the highly acclaimed international business school based in Lausanne, Switzerland. CMS runs its Partner Induction Programme in conjunction with IMD and also runs a scholarship programme for associates to secure places on IMD’s Building on Talent programme. Penelope is ranked as a Leading Energy Expert in both Chambers and Legal 500. She was also ranked in “The Sunday Times Britain’s 500 Most Influential” in 2015 and also in 2016 as one of only 20 in the law category, and was recognised as a leading innovative individual by the Financial Times in 2015. She was awarded 'Best in Energy, Natural Resources and Mining' at Euromoney's Europe Women in Business Law Awards in 2012 and 2013, and has been recognised in The Lawyer's Hot 100. Penelope works globally with governments, energy industry specialists and academics and is a member of the Oxford University Vice Chancellor's Circle. Penelope is a great supporter of Diversity & Inclusion and is proud to lead the fundraising in her firm for War Child, who provide safe havens and education for children in war zones.

Peter is a Partner and the Head of Private Wealth. He specialises in trusts, tax and estate planning, specifically acting for high net worth individuals, particularly those with cross-jurisdictional affairs, trustees and beneficiaries of UK and overseas trusts, and executors and administrators of estates, including those involving disputes. Peter also regularly advises entrepreneurs, business owners and landowners on their estate planning. Peter has particular expertise in advising clients with a US element to their affairs.

Sarah is an experienced valuer with a career spanning over 21 years, most of which has been in the valuation team at Savills (after four years in the retail investment team).  She provides valuation advice for a variety of purposes including dispute resolution, loan security, taxation, internal purposes and Charities Act.  She specialises in valuing commercial and development properties.  Sarah is also an RICS Registered Valuer and an RICS Registered Expert Witness with circa 15 years’ experience providing expert valuation advice.  She has experience working on numerous complex, multi-faceted and often high-profile disputes.  Her contributions have included: her participation in legal meetings / conferences, mediations and without prejudice expert meetings; the preparation of CPR and FPR compliant court reports; giving evidence to the court orally (High Court in March 2010, March 2016 and March 2023 and Nottingham County Court in October 2023); and experience as both an expert witness and a single joint expert witness. She has had experience providing expert valuation advice in the context of the following types of dispute: Agency misrepresentation; Breaches of lease clauses; Building services defects; Construction defects; CPO proceedings; Financial remedy proceedings; Loss of opportunity; Mis-sold insurance; Option price / profit share / overage assessments; Ownership changes; Restrictive covenants; Restrictive lease clauses; Rights of light; Sale at an undervalue; Section 18 valuations Solicitor's negligence; Specific performance of contracts; and Surveyor's negligence. Internal Responsibilities Sarah is currently joint head of Savills' internal expert witness steering group.  Over the course of 2010-2013, she was the valuation best practice committee representative for Savills’ UK commercial valuation division. Education, Qualifications and Affiliations RICS Registered Expert Witness - May 2022; RICS Expert Witness Certificate - January 2022; RICS Registered Valuer - 2010 onwards; Member RICS - 2004 onwards; MA Property Valuation and Law, City University – 2004; and MA Geography, Downing College, University of Cambridge – 2002.

Edite Ligere’s practice focuses on the regulation of artificial intelligence, global financial regulation, banking, insurance, human rights, consumer protection, charity law, data protection, machine learning and cyber security.