Freeths LLP offers ‘comprehensive and refreshingly contemporary legal service’, covering all aspects of environmental law, including environmental regulatory and compliance advice, navigating environmental constraints in planning applications, and challenging authority decisions. With particular expertise in natural capital law, the team is jointly led by Penny Simpson in Sheffield and Alison Ogley, based in Leeds. The ‘excellent’ Simpson brings over two decades of experience as environmental solicitor, with focus on natural environmental law and natural capital law; while Ogley, praised for her ‘attention to detail’, is well versed within civil environmental matters, handling matters related to judicial reviews, high courts challenges and environmental permit appeals. They are supported by Emma Conwell, who is a name to note in relation to environmental due diligence and biodiversity net gain issues.
Environment in Yorkshire
Freeths LLP
Practice head(s):
Penny Simpson; Alison Ogley
Other key lawyers:
Emma Conwell
Testimonials
‘The planning and environment team provide a highly effective combined solicitor & advocacy service with great experience and a successful record in the planning and waste regulatory sector.’
‘Alison Ogley is great to work with on complex waste planning appeal projects. She quickly gets to grip with the detail of all the varying technical issues involved, manages teams of expert witnesses and presents a well coordinated case with attention to detail.’
‘The team are knowledgeable, friendly and responsive. Their breadth of talent and experience was a significant factor for us in choosing Freeths over other firms.’
‘Penny Simpson has been an excellent lead for us. She takes a genuine interest in, and seeks a clear understanding of, our project’s issues and desired outcomes.’
‘Freeths team offer a comprehensive and refreshingly contemporary legal service. Their strengths include their ability to distill complex legal and regulatory frameworks into understandable advice for the benefit of their clients allowing well-informed and appropriate strategic decisions to be taken.’
‘Alison Ogley and Emma Conwell have support our planning consultancy over a number of years to provide expediate, well-referenced and commercial informed advice to our developer clients on a range of issues. Their experience ensures that the advice is up to date but also recognises the realities of the commercial decisions to be taken based upon the advice. All provided in a friendly and reassuring manner.’
‘Penny Simpson quickly grasped the issues in our planning application and was excellent in getting in to the relevant details and driving our consultants forward in short timescales.’
‘Patient, flexible, thorough and a pleasure to work with.’
Key clients
CCSF Defence Infrastructure Organisation (“DIO”), part of Ministry of Defence (“MOD”) responsible for estate management
Horsham District Council
Office for Environmental Protection (“OEP”)
FCC Environment (UK) Limited
Welbeck Waste Management Ltd
Work highlights
- Advised the Defence Infrastructure Organisation and their ecological consultants to ensure Natural England’s new guidance was correctly adhered to, allowing DIO to continue its work, essential for national security operations, to continue in conservation areas without comprising ecological integrity.
- Advised the Office for Environmental Protection in relation to the OEP through the first ever review of the current legal frameworks which govern nature conservation sites in England, with OEP using this review to advise the government on changes to the law necessary to meet international targets such as 30 by 30.
- Advised on a ‘cradle to grave’ service on a complex appeal against the Environmental Permit refusal.
CMS
Recognised for ‘depth of experience and industry knowledge’, the CMS team supports clients across a wide range of environmental matters. Their services include regulatory enforcement defense, environmental product compliance, due diligence, and guidance on WEEE regulations, UK REACH, and CLP regulations. The ‘stand-out partner’ Lukas Rootman
leads the team and brings over twenty years of experience in health, safety, and environmental law. He is supported by key associates, Esme Saynor and Aimie Farmer; with Saynor advising on plastic regulations and product compliance matters, such as eco-labelling, and Farmer handling matters related to waste compliance and permitting.
Practice head(s):
Lukas Rootman
Other key lawyers:
Esme Saynor; Aimie Farmer
Testimonials
‘Tremendous depth of experience and industry knowledge across environment, energy and climate change matters. Market leaders in regulatory matters so far as I am concerned. Excellent expertise also on ESG, non-contentious and commercial matters related to environmental (and health and safety) matters.’
‘Overall, the Team is excellent. Lukas Rootman is the stand-out partner for contentious regulatory matters in England and Wales, in my view. Acute commercial advice, coupled with a genuine knowledge of various industry sectors makes for a formidable mix of skills.’
‘This team has exceptional knowledge of the industries and sectors it represents. This office has unparalleled experience of heavy industries and waste industries built up over many decades and I think they are unmatched in that. There is an excellent esprit de corps in the team with a focus on delivering results for their clients. Exceptional Partners lead an effective team of associates with excellent resourcing.’
‘There is an excellent esprit de corps in the firm. They get on and do the job in hand with no-nonsense.’
Lukas Rootman is a tenacious and skilled lawyer with exceptional commitment to his clients.’
Key clients
Sheffield City Council
RE Projects Development Limited
AGR Group
SSE
Laing O’Rourke Delivery Limited
Work highlights
- Advising Cadent Gas Limited on environmental and planning issues in relation to the HyNet Northwest Hydrogen Pipeline project.
- Advised Laing O’Rourke Delivery Limited in relation to action brought against it by the Environment Agency in respect of a pollution incident occurring during a major development on the banks of the river Thames.
- Advising international conversation charity in delivering a first-of-its-kind programme to fund and deliver voluntary biodiversity improvements across the UK, as statutory BNG has now come into force for most planning applications.
Schofield Sweeney
The ‘excellent specialist team’ at Schofield Sweeney offers clients all aspects of environmental compliance, covering investigations, prosecutions and regulatory enforcement related to waste, water, air pollution, permit non-compliance, noise, odour, and land spreading. Craig Burman, praised as ‘stand out in the environmental law field’, leads the team from the Leeds office. Burman focuses on environmental risk management and compliance, handling regulatory investigations and enforcement proceedings led by the Environment Agency, Health and Safety Executives, and local authorities. He is supported by Ian Anderson, who is a key name in relation to illegal waste activities and fly tipping.
Practice head(s):
Craig Burman
Other key lawyers:
Ian Anderson
Testimonials
‘The team is very knowledgeable about environmental law. They are also very good strategically.’
‘Craig Burnham knows a lot. He has a broad range of experience and he is a very cool, calm and collected.’
‘Great group of people, easy to work with and provides clear advice and support.’
‘Craig Burman stands out in the environmental law field, unique experience and approach.’
‘An excellent specialist team that we use on all property transaction. The team has an extremely collaborative approach.’
‘Craig Berman is extremely pragmatic and is an excellent sounding board for environmental issues on transactions. He has excellent technical skills and knowledge and I would not hesitate to recommend him.’
‘The practice is forward thinking and commercial.’
‘Craig Burman is a stand out partner. His commercial edge and practical advice is invaluable.’
Key clients
Leeds City Council
Yorkshire Water Services Limited
Hermes Parcelnet Limited
Work highlights
- Advised a local flood authority on their powers and rights in respect of a main river flood alleviation scheme, and interrelationship between powers of flood alleviation and rail network management and operation, together with ongoing flood and drainage issues and natural flood management.
- Advised a number of internal drainage boards in respect of their powers to take enforcement action in relation to non-consented works within their bye-law strip.
- Advised the owners of Vickers Laboratories Limited of environmental liabilities and risks surrounding contamination in connection with the sale of the business to US based purchasers.
Gateley Legal
Gateley Legal advises clients on a broad spectrum of environmental law matters, with a particular focus on crisis management, including Environment Agency investigations and enforcement actions. The team also provides guidance on development projects, handling issues related to biodiversity net gain and Section 106 agreements. Based in Leeds, Pauline Munro leads the team and brings over thirty years of experience in regulatory matters involving health, safety, and the environment.
Practice head(s):
Pauline Munro
Testimonials
‘Sector specialists with a broad range of experience and a commercial approach.’
Key clients
Taylor Wimpey Plc
Vistry Group
Galliford Try
DCC Plc
Work highlights
Tyr
The 'excellent' team at Tyr provides advice on environmental compliance, with particular focus on waste law, and handles investigations by the Environmental Agency or local authorities. The 'very experienced' and 'knowledgeable' practice head Lyn Dario brings over 25 years of experience in the field, offering assistance in contentious and non-contentious environmental matters for corporate clients. Key associate Marie Bourke works closely with Dario on the practice's environmental investigations.
Practice head(s):
Lyn Dario
Other key lawyers:
Marie Bourke
Testimonials
‘Excellent team that are increasingly doing more work in this field with a range of clients.’
‘Lyn Dario – very experienced and knowledgeable lawyer. Strong degree of client loyalty because of her reliable and excellent advice. Marie Bourke – one of the best solicitors for a trial. Intuitive, detailed and tactical judgment of the highest order.’
‘For me it is their weight of knowledge in environmental regulatory law that sets them apart in Yorkshire and the North East. I am aware they are trialling some IAS innovative technology presently having had discussions with a Partner there. ’
‘Lyn Dario and Marie Bourke are amongst the most knowledgeable and experienced environmental lawyers I know. I have worked with Lyn on a large number of nuisance cases and other regulatory matters arising pursuant to the EPA 1990.’