ABOUT FIONA
Fiona’s main area of specialism is Environmental Law, acting for individuals, companies and local authorities across a range of regulatory and civil matters. Fiona also brings a wealth of experience to her Chancery and Commercial practice and is instructed in general property, residential landlord and tenant matters and other commercial and general civil litigation matters which often dovetail with her environmental areas.
She is known for her tenacity and steely determination which, combined with a practical and friendly yet firm approach makes her popular among those who instruct her regularly. She is based in London and is happy to travel with a national practice.
Having qualified as a mediator in 2006, mediation has become an integral aspect of Fiona’s practice, one which she enjoys very much, both as advocate and mediator.
She is also accredited to accept instructions as a Public Access Barrister
ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
Fiona specialises in the following areas:
• Environmental Crime (defence work)
• Health and Safety
• Nuisance (statutory and private, light, noise, odour),
• Waste (from fly-tipping to landfill),
• Water (river and marine) contamination
• Planning
• Housing
• Judicial review
She is a member of the Planning & Environmental Bar Association.
CHANCERY & COMMERCIAL
Fiona also regularly accepts instructions for advice, advocacy and drafting in her other areas of specialism as follows:
• Landlord and Tenant (commercial and residential)
• Building and Construction
• Commercial/contract
• Debt
• Wills, Trusts and Probate
INTERNATIONAL LEGAL WORK
Fiona is a founder and Director of Law at Protimos, an organisation of development lawyers who are committed to providing access to law and legal education for indigenous and marginalised communities. She is also a consultant to UN Habitat on environmental impact assessment. Fiona advises on international legal issues affecting indigenous communities in emerging economies, including:
• Public Interest Litigation
• Social Governance
• Procurement
• Anti-corruption Mechanisms
• Sustainability
• Involuntary Re-settlement
• Intellectual Property Rights in Biodiversity
• Land Rights
Memberships
• Planning and Environmental Bar Association
• Bar European Group
• Environmental Law Foundation
• ’Belief in Mediation and Arbitration’ Mediator Group
Education
• LLM School of Oriental and African Studies London University
• CPE Nottingham Law School
• BA Hons Kings College London University
Notable Cases
• Her Majesty’s Commissioners for Revenue and Customs v Mills [2007] EWHC 2241 (Ch)
• Thoburn -v- City of Sunderland[2002] 4 All ER 156 (“Metric Martyrs” case, metrication directives,“constitutional statutes”)
• R – v- Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport & the Regions, ex p Helen Mary Anscomb. QBD (Admin (Turner J) 7/2/2001
• Davies -v- Ilieff. Ch D (Bernard Livesey QC) 21/12/2000
• UK Waste Management Ltd -v- (1) Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport & the Regions (2) Lancashire County Council. QBD (Crown Office List) (Judge Rich QC) 21/9/1999
Articles & Publications
• The Lesotho Corruption Trials – a case study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03050718.2003.9986648
• Mitigating the Resource Curse Through Legal Empowerment: https://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article/7/1/39/9700/Mitigating-the-Resource-Curse-through-Legal
• Dams, Displacement and Communal Compensation: A Lesotho Highlands Legal Case: https://journals.ub.bw/index.php/ublj/article/view/2059
• “Environmental Crime” – (1999) Cameron May
Personal Interests
A former professional opera singer, when time allows, Fiona enjoys cooking for friends and spending time on Jura in the Inner Hebrides.