Profile
Position
Zack is one of the country’s top-rated planning silks (Planning Law Survey 2025). Before that, he was the top-rated junior planning barrister for several years (Planning Magazine Legal Surveys 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024), and the top-rated junior under 35.
Zack's practice focuses on housing, infrastructure, commercial development, and compulsory purchase work. He appears regularly in planning appeals at inquiries and hearings local plan examinations, compulsory purchase order inquiries and court hearings in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
The directories rate him as “exceptionally talented”, “an absolutely brilliant barrister” (Chambers and Partners), “in high demand” (Who’s Who Legal), “a joy to work with”, “fantastic”, a “brilliant advocate” (Legal 500), "mould-breaking", "a go-to person", "simply brilliant" and "a star advocate" (Planning Magazine). Zack has been nominated for the Environment and Planning Junior Barrister of the Year in the Chambers and Partners Bar Awards 2024, as well as for the Planning and Land Use Junior Barrister of the Year in the Legal 500 Bar Awards in both 2022 and 2024. Before taking silk, he was ranked as a Tier 1 ranked “leading junior” in planning law in both Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.
Zack is an Honorary Associate Professor at the Bartlett School of Planning, UCL.
Zack is also the creator of “planoraks”, where he publishes posts on UK planning law, litigation, appeals and plan examinations.
Education
Qualifications
• 2006/7 MSc Regulation, London School of Economics: Distinction
• 2003-2006 MA, Cambridge University, Gonville and Caius College: First Class (3rd in University)
Scholarships
• 2008 Major Scholarship, Inner Temple
• 2006 Honorary Senior Scholarship, Gonville and Caius 2005
Awards
• 2008 Mooting Prize, College of Law
• Senior Exhibition, Gonville and Caius
Memberships
Appointed to the Attorney General's B Panel of Junior Counsel
• Environmental Law Foundation
• Planning and Environmental Bar Association
• United Kingdom Environmental Law Association
Content supplied by Landmark Chambers
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Outstanding clerks.'
- 'Ben Connor is accessible and efficient.'
- 'Michael Gooch is always super helpful and responsive.'
- 'Michael Gooch is a star.'
- 'Landmark is outstanding, with a wealth of expertise and a number of highly skilled advocates.;
- 'Landmark is an excellent planning set.'
- 'Landmark has a top roster of planning experts who are all at the top of their game.'