"Bob has a wealth of legal and commercial experience in the oil and gas sector." "He is an icon in the sector. He's really on the ball and makes transactions run smoothly. He can zoom in and out on complex issues and deliver high-quality solutions."
Chambers UK 2023

Overview

Bob Palmer is a partner in the Corporate & Securities practice of the London office who focuses on the oil and gas sector.

Bob is a Band 1-ranked (Chambers and Legal 500) lawyer with more than 30 years' experience in the oil and gas industry. He joined Mayer Brown in 2019 from another international law firm.

Bob’s practice is focused on advising on M&A, projects and commercial contracts and transactions in the oil & gas space. He acts for clients across the globe, including well-known oil, gas and energy companies, mid-caps and start-ups, as well as service companies, banks and government companies. He also advises on oil and gas-related disputes.

He advises clients on matters around the world: from multi-billion dollar M&A deals to single asset farm-ins; JOAs, UOAs, and SHAs; licences, concessions, PSCs and petroleum agreements; LNG, crude and gas sales and purchases; contracts in the supply chain; financing arrangements and disputes.

Areas of Focus

Practices
Industries

Experience

Examples of experience include:

M&A

Europe & Russia

  • Sale by a UK plc of significant UKCS assets to Norwegian private-equity backed company for $0.7 – 1 billion.
  • Multi-$billion sale of UK & Norway asserts to a European company.
  • Advising an IOC on multi-€billion purchase of producing and development assets on the UKCS.
  • European major on its multi-$billion acquisition of a stake in a super-giant Russian gas field.
  • Sale by a company listed in Italy of assets in the Romanian Black Sea.
  • Farm-out by UK start up to large European IOC of UKCS acreage.

Middle East & Africa

  • Asian NOC selling South Sudan oil & gas upstream business to a UK plc for $1.2 billion.
  • Asian NOC acquiring concession interests in Abu Dhabi.
  • European IOC on acquiring an interest in a new gas concession offshore Abu Dhabi.
  • Advising a UK plc and a PE-backed start-up on the acquisition of Angola assets and subsequent contracts for a deep water drilling campaign.
  • Various oil & gas companies on the acquisition and disposal of assets and companies across Africa.
  • IOCs on market-entry into several African countries.
  • A UK listed company on a major farm-in to assets in Senegal.

Rest of the World

  • Acting for VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE; LSE) in its business combination with TransGlobe Energy Corporation (AIM, TSX, NASDAQ).
  • Acting for parties to oil & gas joint venture in Pakistan and on restructuring their business.
  • Acting for companies buying and selling oil & gas interests in Trinidad & Tobago, Nicaragua, Colombia and Venezuela.
  • Advising European company on the sale of assets in Vietnam.
  • An IOC on its acquisition of offshore assets in New Zealand.

General Corporate & Commercial 

  • Disputes on PSCs and JOAs across the world including in Africa, Europe and Asia.
  • Middle East NOC on various oil & gas contracts in the Gulf and elsewhere.
  • Acting for seller in long term sale of LNG from Australia to China.
  • Asian NOC on gas pricing issues in long term LNG contracts.
  • A UK LNG regas company on various commercial matters.
  • Advising a service company on an alliance with a PE-funded exploration company, including a synthetic equity remuneration model.
  • Preparing various standard service contracts for oil & gas companies.
  • Training and coaching client in-house teams on various oil & gas legal matters.
  • Several IOCs on operational and development contracts: production, pipeline, FPSO, FSRU.
  • Refinery companies on development, modification, feedstock and off-take.

Perspectives

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Events

News

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Education

Cambridge University, BA (Hons), Law MA

College of Law, London

Admissions

  • England and Wales
  • Band 1: Oil & Gas. Bob Palmer possesses significant expertise in the oil and gas sector and regularly advises on significant acquisitions in the upstream market. He primarily assists with transactions involving assets in emerging markets and North Sea developments. "Bob has a wealth of legal and commercial experience in the oil and gas sector." "He is an icon in the sector. He's really on the ball and makes transactions run smoothly. He can zoom in and out on complex issues and deliver high-quality solutions." Chambers UK 2023.
  • Listed as a Leading individual for Oil and Gas, ‘Bob Palmer and Rob Hamill are class acts’, Bob Palmer is an excellent lawyer and a wonderful board room advisor’. Legal 500 2023.
  • Bob Palmer possesses significant expertise in the oil and gas sector and regularly advises on significant acquisitions in the upstream market. He primarily assists with transactions involving assets in emerging markets and North Sea developments. "He is very experienced and one of the top names in oil and gas." "He is a very commercial and pragmatic solicitor." Chambers UK 2022.
  • Listed as a 'Leading individual' for Oil and Gas, 'Bob Palmer – he really stands out. He is responsive, extremely knowledgeable and pleasant to work with. Very capable and experienced. He also offers high quality strategic advice to boardrooms.’ Legal 500 2022.
  • Listed under 'Other key lawyers' for Energy and Infrastructure. Bob Palmer is the lead partner for oil and gas work. Legal 500 2021.
  • Listed as Band 1. Bob Palmer  possesses significant expertise in the oil and gas sector and regularly advises on significant acquisitions in the upstream market. He primarily assists with transactions involving assets in emerging markets and North Sea developments. "He is an experienced transactional oil and gas lawyer. He understands the market and can structure his advice to suit the particular state of the industry at any one time." "He has strong technical skills, great commercial acumen and knows the industry backwards." Chambers UK 2021.
  • Listed as Band 1 and a 'Leading Individual' for Oil & Gas. Chambers UK 2020.
  • Listed under 'Other key lawyers' for Oil and Gas. Legal 500 2020.
  • Bob has been ranked top-tier for oil & gas by Chambers and Legal 500 for several years and is in Legal 500’s Hall of Fame for Oil & Gas.  Clients say: “We know we will always get great, tailored advice from Bob Palmer…He has a genuine understanding of our business needs and has proven himself invaluable”. Chambers 2019. 
  • “He is very well experienced in commercial transactions in the oil & gas industry, and is a strong and logical negotiator.” Chambers 2018.
  • “He is tough, but pragmatic. He knows how to get things done.” Chambers 2016.