The Legal 500

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Index of tables

  1. Environment – Leading Sets
  2. Environment – Leading Silks
  3. Environment – New Silks
  4. Environment – Leading Juniors

Environment – Leading Silks

Thirty Nine Essex Street’s Stephen Tromans QC is ‘the counsel of choice’ for environmental matters. A number of counsel were instructed on Ankester and Melanphy v DEFRA, a high-profile challenge regarding the Habitats Directive. Colin Thomann provides a ‘very good grasp of the issues and is a good advocate’. Nigel Pleming QC is ‘a clever, persuasive and acute lawyer’. Richard Harwood is ‘good at dealing with the intricacies of a complicated area of law, and is a very competent advocate in court’.

FTB has ‘a good blend of skills, experience and seniority’. Robert McCracken QCdoes not overawe but quietly impresses with his erudite advice and measured approach. His advocacy is persuasive and to the point’. Charles George QC led on Morge v Hampshire CC at the Supreme Court, which considered the Habitats Regulations 2009. Meyric Lewis is ‘nimble on his feet and able to react and respond to unusual turns of events’. Richard Honey is ‘quick thinking, an excellent advocate and unflappable under pressure’.

Among the best’, Landmark Chambers has ‘excellent clerks and is customer focused’. Highlight cases included Edwards v Environment Agency at the Supreme Court and Commission of the European Communities v UK. Rhodri Price Lewis QC is ‘a first-class barrister, very bright, and always impeccably prepared’. Russell Harris QC is ‘fundamentally very bright. He takes a room with him with his power of suggestion, and rarely makes an enemy in the process’. Dan Kolinsky has ‘a very quick grasp of matters but still has an eye for detail’. David Forsdick is ‘decisive, penetrating and combative’.

Blackstone Chambers is well regarded for its public law expertise on environmental matters. John Howell QC is ‘scarily intelligent. He gets to the heart of an issue very quickly and advises clearly’. Mark Shaw QC is ‘entirely practical and always provides insightful advice combined with case-winning advocacy’. Jane Colliercovers every conceivable detail to always be the best-prepared barrister in a court room’. Howell led Collier in Boggis v Natural England, and Shaw appeared for a group of water companies in Smartsource v Information Commissioner.

2-3 Gray’s Inn Square has a ‘strong team of environmental law specialists’, and clerks who provide ‘great customer service, being very approachable and easy to deal with’. James Findlay QC is ‘very approachable whilst being tactical, assertive and realistic as to outcomes’. Mark Lowe QC is ‘very experienced, with deep knowledge of the field and sound judgement’. Simon Bird QCmasters his brief with impressive thoroughness and is excellent at cross-examination’. Michael Bedford is ‘clear in his thinking and thorough in his approach to matters’.

4-5 Gray’s Inn Square’s ‘clerking is of the greatest quality’. ‘At the top of his profession’, Timothy Straker QC is ‘unfailingly courteous both with clients and opponents, but also a formidable cross-examiner’. John Steel QC is ‘very enthusiastic and can think his way through complex problems to provide very practical outcomes’. Garrett Byrne is ‘very approachable and empathetic, robust and excellent on his feet’.

Quality advocates in the environmental field’, 6 Pump Court is ‘down-to-earth without all the corporate flannel of larger sets’. Peter Harrison QC is a ‘very robust cross-examiner with an uncanny ability to master the detail very quickly’. David Travers QC is also praised. William Upton has ‘an in-depth knowledge of environmental law that one can only marvel at’. Mark Watsonappears to have a photographic memory. His advocacy is steely and carefully crafted’.

At One Crown Office Row, ‘highly able practitioner on specialist environmental pointsDavid Hart QC appeared in the Winwood v Biffa appeal. Angus McCullough QC acted for the UK government in the first complaints brought against it before the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee.

Henderson Chambers provides ‘a sophisticated service reflecting the needs of clients in the context of complex claims’. ‘A highly effective and forceful advocate’, Charles Gibson QCknows group actions and environmental claims inside out. He doesn’t back away from a scrap’. ‘A very effective right hand man’, Oliver Campbell is ‘diligent, hardworking and always delivers on time’.

Matrix Chambers has a ‘genuine personal interest in issues and a willingness to explore novel approaches’. Maurice Sheridan provides ‘breadth and depth of knowledge, enthusiasm for the subject and quality advice delivered in a confident helpful way’. David Wolfe is ‘utterly convincing and can turn technical arguments into layman’s terms’. Kate Cook is ‘wonderfully easy to work with and her advice is always pitched at the right level of strategic/technical detail’.

Monckton ChambersKassie Smith and Gerry Facenna are ‘exceptionally bright, approachable and willing to go the extra mile to find a solution’. Robert Palmer is ‘excellent’.

At Old Square Chambers, David Wilby QC is ‘extremely knowledgeable, practical and tactical’. Ben Cooper is ‘a very gifted lawyer’.

Devereux’s Graham Read QC has ‘unparalleled analytical, strategic and creative ability’ on environmental/human rights issues.

At Enterprise Chambers, Charles Morgan’s ‘ability to tackle not only pure environmental law issues but other related matters is a particular strength’, and is ‘equally at home in the court room or advising in the board room’.

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