
Our environment group is independently ranked as a ‘first tier’ firm.
Our team is led by two partners, Alice Whittaker and Rachel Minch, who between them have almost 30 years’ experience specialising in the environment and climate area.
At Philip Lee we focus on areas where we can make a difference. We spot opportunities and develop areas of expertise with high potential. We offer highly strategic and commercial advice. Both national and international clients turn to us not only for our legal skills, but also our deep understanding of the ever-changing legislative and policy environments in which our clients operate.
Our clients rely on our environmental team’s expertise, particularly our strength in European law to help manage environmental risks and liabilities.
We devise highly successful consenting strategies for a rich variety of environmental and infrastructure projects.
We provide representation at oral hearings, consultations and in Court proceedings, including contract disputes, legal challenges to consent decisions and enforcement litigation.
We provide transactional support through our robust environmental due diligence processes.
Key areas where clients seek our advice:
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- Judicial review and environmental litigation
- Environmental assessments – SEA, EIA and habitats / appropriate assessment
- Environmental licensing – IPPC/Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) and enforcement
- Waste licensing / permitting and enforcement
- Hazardous waste management, licensing and enforcement
- Water discharge and abstraction
- Groundwater remediation
- Water services and waste water treatment
- Foreshore developments, licenses and leases
- Marine Strategy Framework / Marine Spatial Planning
- Subsea cables and pipelines, international law of the sea
- Greenhouse gas emissions, emissions trading
- Air quality and climate action legislation
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Key Contacts
Key Contacts
News and insights

Global warming: the real enemy
Key Contact: Alice Whittaker - Partner | Lev Gantly - Partner | Maeve Delargy - Senior Associate Published in Eolas Magazine, 16 February 2023. Alice Whittaker, Lev Gantly and Maeve Delargy feature in the Offshore Wind Report in the latest Eolas Magazine, discussing...

“The heat is on” – District heating in Ireland
Key Contact: Hugh Cummins - Partner Ireland’s heating sector currently faces major decarbonisation challenges given its reliance on fossil fuels. Swift and decisive action is required if the sector is to meet its share of reductions to achieve the target of halving...

EU signals importance of carbon dioxide removals with new draft regulation
Key Contact: Philip Lee - Partner and Executive Chairman | Alice Whittaker - Partner | Lev Gantly On 30 November 2022, the European Commission published its plans for establishing a Carbon Removal Certification Framework (“CRCF”) to quantify, certify and monitor...