National Grid hires Gowling WLG partner as UK general counsel
Gas and electric giant appoints permanent GC after five-month search
January 17, 2019 at 06:36 AM
2 minute read
Gowling WLG head of energy Derek Goodban has joined National Grid as UK general counsel.
Goodban joins the FTSE 100 electricity and gas utility company after nearly two decades in private practice at the firm.
He previously spent a period of time in-house at National Grid before making partner at legacy Wragge & Co in 2000.
He replaces Rachael Davidson as National Grid's UK GC after she left the role last August to become GC at National Grid Ventures, a subsidiary company that delivers products and services to customers outside of National Grid's core operations.
Following Davidson's departure, National Grid in-house lawyer Chantal Ackon took up the role on an interim basis while the company searched for a permanent replacement. The overall legal team is led by group general counsel Alison Kay.
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National Grid is due to review its legal panel this year, after appointing 12 firms to the line-up in 2017 for a two-year term.
Addleshaw Goddard, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Bircham Dyson Bell, CMS, Dentons, DLA Piper, Eversheds Sutherland, Herbert Smith Freehills, Irwin Mitchell, Linklaters, Norton Rose Fulbright and Shakespeare Martineau all currently sit on the roster.
The company's earlier review in 2015 saw it identify a number of key requirements from its external advisers, including development and horizon scanning, new technology and KPIs.
Last year, Linklaters advised the company on its £1.2bn sale of its remaining 25% stake in the UK's biggest gas distribution business, Cadent Gas, to a consortium of international investors.
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