“They are my immediate and first port of call for any sensitive matter that has a PR or reputation management dimension.”
As one of the world’s most complex and scrutinised industries, we advise organisations across the sector, from traditional oil & gas companies to renewables, energy transition pioneers and institutional investors.
We specialise in reputation management, litigation PR and public affairs support for corporates and HNWI operating in the energy sector.
Our team of experts includes former journalists, litigation specialists, regulatory strategists and communications professionals with deep energy and cross-sector experience.
With more than 16 years of experience advising clients under intense scrutiny and through periods of high reputational risk, we are trusted by boards, legal teams and investors to deliver results when it matters most — during regulatory pressure, stakeholder disputes, activist campaigns, and crises.
Clients turn to us for strategic communications around public perception, regulatory change, crisis management, project announcements and litigation. Whether in renewables, hydrocarbons, hydrogen or infrastructure, we help clients shape their narratives, defend their reputations and communicate with clarity and confidence.
We work worldwide to manage reputation, mitigate risk, shape public perception, and communicate value. Maltin PR understands the intersection of political, regulatory and reputational pressures in the energy sector.
Whether supporting oil majors navigating geopolitical scrutiny, renewables firms championing the energy transition, or private equity investors, our Energy PR Practice delivers the expertise, discretion and impactful communications required.
Joint venture, deal & transaction communications
Energy deals are often high-stakes, multi-jurisdictional and politically sensitive. Whether announcing a major joint venture, acquiring assets or bidding on energy infrastructure, communication must be carefully coordinated across media, markets, regulators, investors and other stakeholders.
We advise clients on:
- Planning and executing transaction communications
- Managing regulatory and public perception
- Investor and shareholder communications
- Announcing JVs and cross-border agreements
- Handling communications in contested or activist-influenced deals
We are your strategic partner across the lifecycle of a transaction, ensuring your message is clear, coherent and compelling to all your key audiences.
Private investigations & deal intelligence
In energy transactions and disputes, facts are the key currency. Our team includes investigative journalists, analysts and researchers who provide critical intelligence to strengthen strategies in support of deal negotiations and litigations.
We support clients by:
- Researching activist groups and campaign threats
- Assessing reputational risks before market entry or project bids
- Providing intelligence to inform litigation, lobbying or reputation strategy
- Uncovering misinformation campaigns and competitor online influence campaigns
- Mapping influence networks in contentious deals
With discretion and precision, we equip clients with intelligence that adds strategic value to their communications and risk planning.
Public affairs & policy shifting
The Energy sector is shaped by national and global political interests and regulation. From emissions policy to subsidies, treaties and tariffs, government action shapes market realities.
We support our clients by engaging directly with policymakers and regulators in the UK, US and international jurisdictions. Through targeted briefings and consultations, we ensure that our clients’ perspectives are heard at the highest levels.
In addition, we build coalitions with relevant trade associations, NGOs and think tanks, enabling clients to join a louder collective voice. We help forge and sustain strategic alliances that carry weight in political and policy discussions.
We also engage across the EU,US and global regulatory landscapes, monitoring policy developments and coordinating advocacy campaigns that align with shifting energy directives. Our international public affairs expertise helps clients stay ahead of regulatory trends and anticipate future challenges.
Advising high-profile uk energy corporate across multiple litigations and crisis communications
We provide expert litigation PR support and strategic communications advice to clients, particularly around complex, high-stakes disputes and investigations. Our work includes managing media and reputational challenges during live litigation, as well as advising on post-judgment positioning and ongoing reputational risk.
We have supported a major energy company operating in the North Sea, along with its CEO, through a series of highly sensitive legal disputes. One dispute involved claims from former joint venture partners alleging our client had failed to contribute £110 million in decommissioning costs for a North Sea site. The High Court ultimately found in favour of our client, dismissing all claims.
Separately, our client has been subject to serious allegations of financial misconduct, which are strongly denied and characterised as part of a coordinated and vexatious campaign by a former executive.
Our role has spanned crisis communications, strategic media relations, and litigation support. This includes securing corrections and amendments to inaccurate coverage, minimising reputational damage in media reporting, and working with legal counsel to ensure key points are highlighted in open court — allowing them to be publicly reported.
We have also conducted independent investigations into sanctioned individuals and entities to support counterclaims and have developed broader reputation management strategies to counter coordinated disinformation efforts.
These disputes have drawn significant media attention and represent serious reputational and commercial risks to the client. Our continued involvement has helped ensure media coverage remains accurate and proportionate, while safeguarding the client’s standing in the energy sector and reinforcing their commitment to sustainable energy development.
Assisting mining conglomerate facing regulatory investigation
We provide strategic communications advice to clients navigating complex regulatory investigations and litigation.
Our experience in this space includes supporting a client involved in one of the most high-profile and long-running regulatory matters in the UK over the past decade.
Between 2013 and 2023, our client was the subject of an extensive investigation by a major financial regulator. This was accompanied by a number of civil litigation matters, including a high-stakes dispute in which our client alleged serious misconduct by the regulator itself.
In late 2024, a civil trial was due to begin concerning allegations of unauthorised leaks by the regulator’s staff to the media during the course of the investigation. A settlement was announced on the morning the trial was scheduled to start. We worked alongside other advisory teams to coordinate media activity around the outcome and continue to support communications around the ongoing quantum trial.
This matter represents one of the most significant pieces of civil litigation in the UK in recent years, both in scale and in the potential ramifications for regulatory enforcement. Allegations raised through the litigation and the associated financial implications pose serious questions for the future of regulatory conduct and oversight in the UK.
We continue to provide strategic communications counsel on all live litigation matters, working closely with legal teams to prepare evidence bundles, design public affairs strategies, and manage reputational risk.
The case remains live, with key questions of liability still to be determined.
Crisis communication advisory for leading nuclear energy company
We were instructed by a nuclear energy developer that was facing intense media scrutiny due to its associations with political figures, leading to allegations of conflicts of interest by those figures. The situation posed significant risks to the company’s reputation and stakeholder trust.
The company was implicated in reports suggesting that a high-profile government figure had facilitated meetings between the company and government ministers, raising concerns about propriety and adherence to parliamentary rules. This development attracted widespread media attention and public debate, necessitating an immediate and strategic response to mitigate reputational damage.
Collaborating closely with the company’s legal team and senior leadership our crisis communication specialists implemented a comprehensive strategy, as follows:
Scenario Analysis and Strategy Development – We conducted a thorough assessment of the unfolding events, identifying key issues and stakeholders. A tailored communication plan was developed to address the specific challenges posed by the political and media landscape.
Message Formulation and Spokesperson Preparation – Clear, consistent messaging was crafted to convey the company’s commitment to ethical practices and transparency. We prepared company spokespeople for media interactions, ensuring they could effectively and accurately communicate the company’s position.
Through swift and strategic crisis communications counsel, the company effectively addressed the immediate concerns, leading to more balanced media coverage. Stakeholder confidence was maintained, and the company continued its operations without significant disruption.
Navigating the intersection of business operations and political scrutiny required a deep understanding of political processes and stakeholder expectations. The ability to rapidly assess situations, develop strategic responses, and implement them under pressure was critical to mitigating reputational risks.
This case underscores the importance of integrated crisis communication strategies, particularly when addressing issues intertwined with political considerations.
Reputation management for major cross-sector energy MoU announcement
Two energy companies were preparing to sign a high-profile Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the development of an advanced energy project in the UK. The partnership marked a significant step forward for clean energy innovation and national energy resilience.
However, one of the companies was concurrently involved in ongoing litigation, which was being publicly reported and politically scrutinised. This introduced reputational sensitivities that could have impacted the MoU announcement, stakeholder perception, and future regulatory engagement.
The key challenge was to protect the integrity of the MoU announcement while managing the reputational risk associated with one party’s litigation. Both companies needed to present a united front without drawing unnecessary attention to the ongoing legal matters, and without compromising legal compliance.
We were instructed to provide strategic reputation communications counsel throughout the lead-up to, and following, the public announcement. Our work included:
Reputation Risk Analysis – We performed a comprehensive media and stakeholder risk assessment, mapping out potential points of reputational vulnerability and public reaction, particularly in the political and regulatory spheres.
Strategic Messaging Framework – We developed clear, aligned messaging that focused on the future value of the project to the UK — emphasising its innovation, energy security potential, and economic impact — while carefully avoiding commentary on litigation-related topics.
Our team worked in lockstep with both companies’ legal advisers to ensure all public-facing messaging was legally compliant, balanced, and unlikely to interfere with ongoing litigation.
We prepared holding statements, FAQs, and briefing documents for key executives and spokespeople. We also supported behind-the-scenes stakeholder engagement efforts with policymakers, regulators, and key industry influencers to maintain confidence in the project.
We prepared rapid response plans in the event the litigation became a focus of media or political commentary during the announcement period.
The MoU was signed and announced successfully, generating positive coverage around UK nuclear innovation and the companies’ commitment to long-term energy solutions. Media coverage of the litigation remained separate from the announcement narrative, due in part to the disciplined messaging strategy and controlled communications environment.
Energy brochure
To find out more about our services, please see our Energy PR brochure.