Practice Areas
Claire is a Partner in the EHS practice and has practised environmental law for almost 20 years both at UK and EU level.
She is ranked as a Band 1 environmental lawyer by Chambers and has been described as "an outstanding lawyer who has taken us from a catastrophic position to an excellent one. She has expert sector knowledge and is a skilled negotiator." "She is very knowledgeable, down to earth and presents her advice in a practical, clear and concise way. She is able to take complex issues and break them down into understandable chunks.”
She advises on environmental and regulatory energy matters across a broad range of corporate and real estate transactions, projects and finance-related matters. She has experience in areas such as contaminated land and brownfield development, environmental permitting (what was WML, IPPC, IPC), chemicals regulation, site decommissioning, water and waste regulation and regularly advises on environmental risk strategies and the management of legacy liabilities.
Claire also advises on the broad sustainability agenda: encompassing the European Green Deal and the UK’s Climate Change Act and Net Zero policies; advising on strategic sensitive environment issues at domestic and EU level including environment and sustainability related marketing claims, the circular economy, extended producer responsibility including deposit return schemes, deforestation, the ETS, CBAM, plastics and packaging, environmental taxes, energy efficiency and energy performance of buildings, transportation and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Claire also has a strong contentious environmental practice covering both civil and criminal environmental litigation. She represents companies in regulatory investigations including crisis management, interviews and court proceedings, advising on prospective and impending legislation and the impact on business practice and products, contractual and regulatory liabilities and pursuing appeals in respect of Environmental Permits and judicial reviews of regulators' decision.
Claire regularly speaks at conferences and provides training on environmental issues.
Education
LLM Environmental Law, 2006-2008
Diploma in Legal Practice, Nottingham Law School, 2001-2002
LLB (Hons) Law, 1998-2001