Patrick Wallace

Patrick Wallace is a Visiting Professor at The Dickson Poon School of Law, specializing in international transactional law, energy, and infrastructure sectors. He advises on major project financings, joint ventures, and regulatory reforms across developed and emerging markets. Currently a partner at Simmons & Simmons, he previously led Freshfields’ Frankfurt office and co-founded the firm’s Africa practice group.

Education:

• LLB and Maîtrise en Droit from King’s College London and University of Paris 1 (Pantheon-Sorbonne), 1982
• LLM at Harvard Law School, with research at UC Berkeley (via Harkness Fellowship)

Research Focus: Energy sector deregulation (e.g., UK electricity reform), cross-border infrastructure projects (e.g., Dabhol power plant, Nabucco gas pipeline), and comparative contract law. He emphasizes innovative legal solutions for complex negotiations in energy and infrastructure.

Awards & Recognition: Harkness Fellowship (USA), consistently ranked as a top-tier lawyer in Legal 500 and Chambers for resolving intricate legal issues.

Teaching & Academic Contributions: Teaches comparative electricity law to LLM students and leads executive seminars on oil/gas law. Advocates for the Anglo-French dual degree program he graduated from.

Career Highlights:

• Negotiated landmark projects in Cameroon, Sweden, Kenya, and Central Asia
• Managed cross-border law firm mergers (e.g., Freshfields-Bruckhaus Deringer)
• Advised on Africa’s largest foreign investments in energy infrastructure