Data centres

Data centre assets are becoming increasingly attractive to investors of all types – growth capital, buyout, real estate and, increasingly,  infrastructure investors – due to the long-term, inflation-linked cash flows and risk-adjusted yields on offer. 

However, the development pipeline for new data centres is struggling to keep up with the growing demand, with new developments needing to find innovative solutions to the limited availability of land, water and power, as well as navigating complex approvals and permitting processes. Securing a stable, clean and affordable power supply is fast becoming a key constraint on new developments, along with delays in grid connection and construction and supply chain challenges. 

Globally, data centre operators are also needing to navigate evolving regulatory frameworks, with the sector experiencing an increased focus from regulators, intelligence agencies and other government bodies due to the importance of data centres from a national security and critical infrastructure perspective. 

Our Telecommunications team brings extensive experience in the rapidly evolving data centre sector, leveraging industry insight and a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in this industry.  We advise developers and owners, investors and consortiums, operators, suppliers and customers on matters spanning the full data centre lifecycle – from initial investigations, through to structuring and investment, design and construction, financing, energy procurement and supply agreements, operation and maintenance, customer contracting and end-of-life and exits.  

We also advise clients on privacy, cybersecurity, national security and foreign direct investment issues, and our multi-jurisdictional offering enables us to support clients facing complex regulatory landscapes across different jurisdictions.