Kirstin Roberts FCIWM
Director | Birmingham
"Kirstin Roberts takes the lead on our account and she has been absolutely stand out. Always available when I need her, quick to respond, strong communicator, highly knowledgeable on a broad range of subjects."
The Legal 500, 2022
Call: 0345 166 6299 Mobile: 0786 678 2532
About Kirstin
Kirstin is an experienced commercial lawyer, who has worked with businesses in the Waste and Renewables sector for almost 20 years, including two 6-month secondments with FCC Environmental (one of the UK’s leading waste and resource management companies). Increasingly Kirstin advises businesses which are implementing their ESG or Sustainability Plans assisting in all contractual requirements around waste reduction, waste re-use, waste recycling and End of Waste. She also advises on packaging issues and net zero provisions in supply chain contracts.
Kirstin is a Fellow of CIWM (Chartered Institution of Wastes Management) and advises companies at all levels of the waste & recycling industry, from acting for EfW and AD facility owners and/or operators to reviewing and negotiating publicly procured contracts such as collections or treatment agreements with local councils, to advising on offtaker arrangements, feedstock arrangements, haulage agreements, SRF and RDF export agreements and waste contract disputes.
Kirstin is listed as a Leading Individual in The Legal 500 (2024 edition).
Memberships
- MCIWM – Chartered Waste Manager with The Chartered Institute of Wastes Management.
The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management is a professional body for the waste management industry in the United Kingdom and other countries. Based in Northampton, it has ten regional centres throughout England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and is a member of the Society for the Environment. It awards the title of Chartered Waste Manager to qualifying members.
Contact Kirstin
Call: 0345 166 6299
Mobile: 0786 678 2532
Notable work & expertise
- Advising a major tyre manufacturer on its proposed joint venture for the recovery of End of Waste products from tyres.
- Advising retailers on contracts for the reduction of their waste or where that is not possible, re-use, repair or recycling.
- Advising on packaging issues under the Plastics Packaging Tax and the upcoming Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging
- Advising on all day to day legal matters for businesses in the Waste and Renewables industry, including contracts relating to the End of Waste, creating T&Cs for the sale of offtake goods and the sale of End of Waste goods.
- Reviews of publicly procured contracts and advising on terms; redrafting contracts with contracting authorities; advising on clarification questions and clarification responses.
- Conducting negotiations with Contracting Authorities under the Public Procurement regime.
At her former firm, Kristin:
- Personally carved out a sector specialism to the extent that considered as an expert in the Waste and Renewables sector at her former firm, with clients such as FCC Environment, Wastecycle, Johnson Aggregates and Severn Waste.
- Client Care lead for FCC Environment. Instrumental in developing the account from being purely corporate to predominantly a commercial team client under a monthly retainer, which has been in place since 2013 (as well as now also instructing the litigation, construction, employment and property teams). Had two secondments with FCC (for 6 month periods) in 2008 and 2012.
- As a Centre Council member with Midlands CIWM, has worked with CIWM, HSE and IOSH, and engaged in industry consultation responses to government, as well as addressing the furtherance of the compliance agenda for applicable legislation and regulations. E.g: IOSH Environment and Waste Management Group response to the Government consultations on the revised Waste Framework Directive and Hazardous Waste Strategy. Also co-hosted a Mock Trial for IOSH/CIWM members based on a national health and safety incident in the waste industry.
- Identified the need for and progressed her former firm's group procurement process for the plc and all subsidiaries. This included the creation of an appropriate governance process, documentation and implementation (including training) across the organisation. The Group FD commented that: “Instigated new processes for the support teams to work to and assesses key contracts of the firm, often at short notice, very well. Given that this work doesn’t help Kirstin personally with her chargeable hours and fees targets we have been extremely grateful to Kirstin … for all her help. She has driven difficult conversations with suppliers and helped achieve the best outcomes on contracts thereby minimizing risk for the firm in the long term. She definitely knows her law and I am glad she is on our side!”
- Improving cross-team engagement and planning, including through the initiation of a weekly call for all team fee earners below associate level in order to create a team spirit across a geographically dispersed team.
- Responsible for coordinating all corporate due diligence work within the national commercial team. A peer outside the team commented that: “Kirstin’s contribution to the team really stands out and is a powerful and important factor in helping achieve greater cohesion and direction within the team. Effectively she takes responsibility for managing the work levels of the non-partner contingent in the team and this plays a vital role in making CTM more effective as a unit.”
- Drafted a Heat Supply agreement with a major water treatment company, advising the SPV – this will be the first of 5 contracts with this water treatment company and have already concluded a heat supply agreement with a different major water treatment company for the same client.
- Advising a supplier of waste wood in terminating contracts in connection with an efw plant as a result of a change in EA guidance on wood fines, having originally negotiated the contract with the efw owner.
- Negotiating a services agreement for the provision of IBA off taking services on behalf of a metals recycler and drafting and negotiating a collection, haulage and treatment contract with the same client’s subcontractor.
- Finalising the Asset Transfer Agreement for a major housebuilder in connection with a Combined Heat and Power plant on an estate and the Energy Services agreement previously negotiated with the housebuilder’s O&M provider.
- Reviewing and commenting on an Energy Services Agreement on behalf of the developer.
- For a major waste company, have just finished negotiating a collections agreement with a local council and currently negotiating another contract with a local council for Provision of Waste Collection, Recycling, Cleansing and Associated Services. Also advising on change of law implications on another contract. For the same client have also, over the years advised on everything from skip hire terms and conditions to haulage agreements, disputes, feedstock agreements and agreements with contractors for efw plants.
Testimonials
"Kirstin Roberts also provides sound advice to make sure that the project remained on track."
The Legal 500, 2024
"Kirstin Roberts is ‘an absolute stand-out’, supplying the team with a first-rate knowledge of the waste and sustainability sector."
The Legal 500, 2022
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