John Vercoe qualified as both barrister and solicitor with over 40 years legal and commercial experience in working at leading international companies and law firms in the O&G and I.T businesses.

John is highly experienced in working successfully with international oil and gas teams in Europe, Central Asia (especially Kazakhstan), Africa, and Southeast Asia. His focus has particularly been in the upstream including HSE, and he knows the oil and gas industry and the key people in the industry very well.

John has acted for both large and small international oil and gas companies and contractors in their day-to-day business with Governments and regulatory agencies. He has participated in major oil & gas pipeline negotiations in Moscow and Kazakhstan. His experience has also included providing legal services to a major international oil and gas company in respect of its gas networks in Europe and Africa.

John was the senior legal expert in a project sponsored by the European Commission in Brussels known as Enhancement of Environmental Protection Measures in the Oil and Gas Industry of Central Asia (EPMOGI).

John was the general counsel of British Gas E&P for many years, and was involved in the huge BG privatization and then the acquisition of large international oil companies on the market.

John has worked in Kazakhstan for over six years and a stint at Shell’s headquarters in the Hague, Netherlands, having been senior attorney for Baker & McKenzie; Head of Legal Services for OKIOC, the North Caspian oil and gas joint venture leading to the discovery of the giant Kashagan field; Vice President of Legal Services for Hurricane Hydrocarbons (now PetroKazakhstan); and a partner in two international law firms, PLLG and Dr KC Mildwaters. He was also a partner at Fasken Martineau Stringer Saul, London, UK, a leading British-Canadian law firm where he specialized in O&G.

John has taken great interest in the interaction between law and business and has followed business schools programs at leading business schools, Cranfield University and Nottingham Law School, both in the UK. At BG (British Gas), he gave regular presentations and training to in-house professional staff; he has given talks and lectures on O&G at Dundee University Center for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy; and external conferences on gas transportation and health & safety.

Prior to being registered as a Foreign Lawyer in Malaysia, John has had a strong interest in Malaysia which stretches back to 1990. He has participated in UK Law Society missions and visited Malaysia to participate in talks and seminars concerning the Oil & Gas sector and provided advisory services on various projects.

John was called to the Bar at the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn and is currently a practising solicitor in the United Kingdom. John is also a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (‘AIPN’) and the Energy Institute (UK).

John Vercoe joined the Firm in November 2021 as a registered Foreign Lawyer and will be the Firm’s International Energy and Oil & Gas Consultant. John has been permitted to practise in the following areas by the Malaysian Bar Council: Corporate Commercial, Energy, Oil & Gas and International Joint Venture.