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Byrne Wallace Shields LLP

Byrne Wallace Shields LLP

Member of LNI Legal Network International

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Ireland

3

Planning and environment

The environmental and planning team at Byrne Wallace Shields LLP has established experience in both litigation and advisory work, serving a diverse client base, primarily composed of public sector clients. Mona Costelloe, who leads the team, is highly proficient in complex judicial review and other proceedings, which is a skill set shared by Valerie Hourigan.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Mona Costelloe is a highly-skilled, practical and experienced litigator.'
  • 'Mona Costelloe is exceptional for her strategic thinking and ability to simplify complex disputes into actionable steps. Her practical approach and deep litigation experience make her a trusted adviser in high-stakes matters.'
  • ‘The team provide an excellent service supporting clients and counsel in the Planning and Environment list in the Irish High Court, that demands very tight response times and challenging deadlines in a complex area of law.'
  • 'The team has shown an exceptional command of both the technical issues that arise in litigation in this area, as well as a very impressive ability to handle a demanding case-load.’
  • 'Across the team, I appreciate qualities such as responsiveness, collaboration, and a proactive mindset. They anticipate issues before they arise and communicate in a way that instils confidence.'
  • 'What differentiates them from competitors is their ability to combine technical rigour with a pragmatic, business-oriented perspective.'

Key clients

  • An Coimisiún Pleanála Inland Fisheries Ireland Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment Environmental Protection Agency

Work highlights

Acting for An Coimisiún Pleanála in the defence of High Court judicial review proceedings involving complex planning and environmental law matters.
Acted successfully for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) in High Court judicial review proceedings in which IFI challenged a decision of the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board to grant an Aquaculture Licence for the cultivation of Atlantic Salmon in Cork.
Acting for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in relation to licensing under Irish and European law; its powers and functions under the EC (Environmental Liability) Regulation and the Environmental Liability Directive 2004/35 and engagements with the courts on the EPA’s role and method in classifying and monitoring the status of waterbodies under the Water Framework Directive.
Practice head

Mona Costelloe

Other key lawyers

Valerie Hourigan