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Environmental, Planning and Safety

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Expertise

Our Environmental, Planning and Safety Group has market-leading expertise across many industries. From data centres, to transport and food and drink facilities, to power generation, extraction, waste or pharma / chemical projects, we help our clients to achieve prompt planning and permitting decisions.

We work as a team with our clients, including its technical and engineering advisors to navigate a project through the environmental, licensing and regulatory requirements from concept to operation, completion, and remediation.

The lawyers in our Environmental, Planning and Safety Group are litigators. We have a track record of success in defending challenges to planning permissions and permits, including foreshore licences and leases, compulsory purchase orders, and EPA licences. With our clients, we design and implement dispute minimisation and avoidance strategies.

We are experienced members of the firm’s Regulatory Investigations team. We assist clients in investigations and defending prosecutions by environmental, safety and energy regulators and by planning authorities.

We lead the environmental, planning and safety due diligence of asset and share purchases, including negotiating warranties and indemnities. Together with the lawyers in the firm’s Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency Group, we are at the forefront of advising on environmental and planning liabilities in insolvency scenarios.

 

Our Team

Experience Highlights

The lawyers in our Environmental, Planning and Safety Group regularly advise on:

  • Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment
  • Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Licences, Industrial Emissions Licences and the full range of waste collection and facility permits and licences
  • Obtaining and amending planning permissions, including strategic infrastructure
  • Contaminated land / remediation
  • Environmental liability litigation
  • Judicial review of development consent and environmental permits
  • Reporting and investigation of safety and environmental incidents
  • Defending prosecutions under environmental, planning and safety regimes
  • Health and safety in the context of infrastructure projects
  • Habitats, nature conservation and biodiversity
  • Sea pollution and fisheries
  • Climate change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Permits
  • Water, wastewater and waste management
  • Environmental auditing and compliance
  • Environmental due diligence and M&A advisory
  • Negotiation of EPA required financial provision
  • Lender, receiver and shareholder environmental liability
  • Liabilities of directors, managers and others under environmental, health and safety legislation
  • Planning injunctions and other injunctions under environmental law including in trespass and nuisance cases
Accolades

"Ruadhán Kenny and Nicola Dunleavy SC are exemplary in their advice and responsiveness to our needs."
Planning and Environment: European Legal 500 2023

"An experienced team, very hard working under great leadership."
Planning and Environment: European Legal 500 2023

"Matheson’s level of engagement with the client and keeping the client informed as to all aspects of the litigation is first class. The team at Matheson also see the bigger picture. They see how one piece of litigation could affect other areas of the client’s operations and advise accordingly."
Planning and Environment: European Legal 500 2023

"Matheson provide a very professional service in the areas of environmental and planning law. The team are responsive and knowledgeable, giving clients confidence in the advice received"
Planning and Environment: The European Legal 500 2022

"Nicola Dunleavey and Ruadhán Kenny stand out as being very responsive to the client’s needs. The speed and quality of engagement is impressive with both very tuned into our particular requirements in the area of environmental law."
Planning and Environment: The European Legal 500 2022

Matheson provide "very quick and excellent services”
IFLR  2020

Garret Farrelly is described as “always approachable, contactable and prioritised helping and supporting our company”.
Chambers Europe 2019

Matheson’s Energy and Natural Resources team is “approachable” and “available at any time”.
European Legal 500 2019

Matheson provides “sound advice”.
European Legal 500 2019