Energy and infrastructure: legal capacity for projects and regulation

Short answer: Energy and infrastructure companies need extra legal capacity mainly in five situations: project development, construction with many supply and works contracts, grid and regulatory matters, energy supply contracts, and transactions or financings. Demand comes in peaks, so an interim legal counsel for energy or a small project team, part-time or full-time, is often the most efficient way to cover it.

This guide is for general counsel, heads of legal and project leads at utilities, grid operators, project developers and industrial companies running their own energy projects in Switzerland and Germany. It sets out typical workstreams, suitable profiles, a step-by-step approach and the differences between the two countries.

The starting point: where legal capacity runs short in energy and infrastructure

Legal capacity usually runs short when several project phases run at once. A company develops new assets, expands existing ones, negotiates supply contracts and answers requests from the regulator, often with the same small team.

• Many long-term contracts: land use, supply, construction, maintenance and offtake contracts often run for many years and need attention throughout.
• Regulated markets: grid access and network charges are overseen by a regulator. Submissions, statements and data deliveries have fixed dates.
• Project peaks: tendering, contract signing, commissioning and the claims phase create far more work than normal operations.
• Transactions: buying, selling or financing project companies requires a fast due diligence across many contracts.

Energy & Utilities and Real Estate, Construction & Infrastructure are among the sectors in which Alpinum Solutions has supported assignments over the last 24 months.

Typical workstreams and suitable profiles

The right support depends on the workstream. The table maps typical tasks to profile and level.

Alpinum Solutions provides project lawyers for construction, real estate and infrastructure law as well as compliance professionals through staff leasing or freelancing, as individuals or as a team. Export control and sanctions work is covered by a separate service, sanctions, trade compliance and export control.

A six-step approach

A clear process makes the extra capacity effective quickly and keeps knowledge in the company.

1. Define the workstreams: which tasks stay with the core team, which go to the interim professional and which to a law firm?
2. Size volume and dates: number of contracts, project phases, regulatory deadlines and internal board dates.
3. Set the profile: practice area, level, languages, workload (20–100%) and location.
4. Choose the engagement model: staff leasing if the professional works in your team and systems; freelancing for a defined package such as a due diligence.
5. Provide the working basis: contract templates, review template, approval rules and a day-to-day contact.
6. Plan the handover: contract register, open points and deadlines in a format the project team or legal department can maintain.

Our guide on managing interim assignments with objectives, reporting and metrics shows how to steer the assignment once it starts.

Roles and capacity

Support ranges from a single professional for one workstream to a project team with a team lead for large reviews.

• Senior lawyer (7+ years' experience): negotiates complex contracts, prepares submissions to the regulator and manages law firms on the company's behalf.
• Experienced lawyer (3–6 years): handles day-to-day contract work, variations and the contract register independently.
• Junior lawyer (0–2 years): captures contracts against a review template, for example in a due diligence.
• Compliance specialist: screens suppliers and components for sanctions and export control risks and documents the checks.

Typical assignment scenario: a company in the construction and real estate sector brings in specialist interim lawyers to add capacity for reviewing and negotiating construction and project contracts, handling variation claims and providing legal support for major ongoing projects.

Selected profiles are usually available within 48 hours; the start date is agreed between the company and Alpinum. In staff leasing, the client holds the right to give professional instructions; in freelancing, the professional works independently within the agreed mandate.

Switzerland and Germany: what differs

The workstreams are similar in both countries. The regulator, the terminology and the contracting entity differ.

The construction and real estate rules in detail are covered in real estate, construction and infrastructure projects: planning legal capacity. How to implement new rules in a structured way is explained in regulatory change management.

Limits and risks

• No legal advice from Alpinum: Alpinum is not a law firm. Legal assessments, proceedings before authorities and courts and the approval of contracts stay with the legal department or an instructed law firm.
• Specialist knowledge: grid regulation and energy trading require relevant experience. Test it in the interview using concrete cases.
• Loss of knowledge on long projects: construction projects often outlast an assignment. Plan a clean handover or keep the same person through the claims phase.
• Confidentiality: grid and market data are sensitive. Use personal access rights and sign a confidentiality agreement.

Frequently asked questions about legal capacity in energy and infrastructure

When does an interim legal counsel for energy make sense?

When a project or deadline creates much more legal work for a few months than the core team can handle, for example during tendering, contract signing, the claims phase or a transaction. An interim legal counsel works in your team and systems. Opinions, proceedings and contentious questions remain with a specialist law firm.

What experience should the professional have?

That depends on the workstream. For construction and plant contracts, experience with variations and acceptance counts; for grid and regulatory matters, experience with regulatory proceedings and network charges; for supply contracts, commercial contracting experience. For capturing contracts in a due diligence, junior profiles with a clear review template and an experienced team lead are often enough.

Can interim lawyers prepare submissions to the regulator?

Yes. A senior professional can prepare submissions, statements and data deliveries and align them with the business. Responsibility for content and filing stays with the company. In staff leasing, the professional receives professional instructions from you; in freelancing, the package is described precisely in the mandate.

Staff leasing or freelancing for an energy project?

Staff leasing fits when the professional works in the project team for months, uses your systems and takes direction from you. Freelancing fits defined packages such as a due diligence or a revision of contract templates. Both models work part-time or full-time, for individuals or a team.

How quickly can support start?

Selected profiles are usually available within 48 hours. The start date is agreed between the company and Alpinum and depends on availability, access rights and onboarding. Plan the extra capacity as soon as a project milestone or regulatory deadline is in sight.

Next step

Alpinum Solutions is the leading provider of interim legal & compliance in the DACH region. Describe your project, workstreams and timeline; you will receive selected profiles for staff leasing or freelancing.

• Construction, real estate and infrastructure law: project lawyers
• Real estate, construction and infrastructure projects: planning legal capacity
• Roles & practice areas: all guides on roles and practice areas
• Discuss your needs

Last updated: 10 November 2026.