Arthur Cox‘s environment and planning team maintains its strong position in the market, particularly for large, complex and novel projects. It covers a wide range of contentious and non-contentious mandates for public and private clients spanning the energy, manufacturing, telecoms and housing sectors. The practice is adept at supporting clients through regulatory issues and litigation challenges to projects, and later with operational compliance. Leading the team is Danielle Conaghan, who has a proven track record in the renewable energy sector specifically, as does Jacinta Conway, who has experience in precedent-setting planning and environment cases. Yvonne Scannell is reputed for her water, waste and resources law expertise. Mark Thuillier joined in 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Hugely impressed by Danielle Conaghan and Jacinta Conway in particular. Go-to's for anyone seeking to understanding planning issues for renewable energy.’
- ‘Danielle Conaghan is a really good decision maker and top class at arriving at the best solution for the client. Understands the implementation of planning and environmental law to a very high level. Always gives on the ball advice.'
- 'Jacinta Conway is a very decisive person. Always able to give a valued opinion.'
- ‘Very strong technical team. Good communicators. Very good at strategy.’
Key clients
- Irish Cement Limited
- Energia
- Strategic Power
- National Broadband Ireland
- daa
- Cairn Homes
- Cignal Infrastructure Limited
- Analog Devices Inc
- Merck Sharp & Dohme (UK) Limited
- Uisce Éireann
- Wind Energy Ireland
- Malone O’Regan Consulting Engineers
Work highlights
Securing consent for Energia on its 100% renewable energy powered hyper scale first of a kind data centre in Dublin.
Advising Analog Devices Inc in relation to its €630m industrial development and successfully defending judicial review proceedings in relation to the grant of two planning permissions.
Acted for Ryanair DAC in successfully defending consent for a new €40m hangar in Dublin airport, and in litigation on the passenger cap, which is currently the subject of a preliminary reference to the EU Court of Justice, and throughout the planning process for alterations to restrictions on night flights.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Danielle Conaghan
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
Danielle Conaghan
Other key lawyers
Jacinta Conway; Yvonne Scannell; Mark Thuillier