Partners
Elizabeth Christie
Solicitor elizabeth.christie@townlegal.com 07931 870 569 | 0203 893 0380Elizabeth spent nine years at Herbert Smith Freehills before becoming one of Town’s founding partners.
She has a wide-ranging planning practice, including advising on tall buildings, PRS, heritage issues, and major regeneration schemes.
Experience:
22 Bishopsgate Limited Partnership
22 Bishopsgate
Lendlease and London & Continental Railways
International Quarter, Stratford City
British Land
Broadgate Estate
Imperial College
Perfume Factory, North Acton
Francis Crick Institute
Francis Crick Institute
Danescroft Land
Clock House and Access House, Bromley-by-Bow
Brockton Capital
Post Building, Camden
Market Tech Holdings
Hawley Wharf, Camden Lock Market, Stables Market
Mary Cook
Barrister mary.cook@townlegal.com 07909 964 015 | 0203 893 0381Mary is a leading planning barrister, and prior to Town was a member of Cornerstone Barristers where she served as Joint Head of Chambers. She is one of Town’s founding partners.
Experience:
Development schemes & strategic land advice: Mary regularly offers early strategic advice on the promotion of regeneration schemes, considering the prospects of changing policy contexts, testing the robustness of the planning strategy and ultimately shaping the planning application, considering the need for & adequacy of EIA screening &/or scoping opinions. She has considerable experience in schemes involving Green Belt issues, flood risk issues, protected species & their environments, daylight and sunlight assessments, complex transport assessment issues as well as statutory and locally listed buildings and conservation areas. She regularly works in conjunction with colleagues at Town.
Local Plan examinations & Neighbourhood Plans: Mary is currently advising landowners and developers, appearing at various examinations promoting a new garden village in York, a new Town at Cranbrook in Devon, the redevelopment of previously developed land in the AONB and Green Belt in Kent, potential allocations for commercial and residential floorspace on former mineral workings in Essex, Bedfordshire and Windsor and Maidenhead. She successfully resisted the promotion of a retail led town center on behalf of owners of a well-established out of center retail center.
Mary has particular experience in Retirement and Care Homes: Acting and advising Churchill Retirement Living, Inspired Villages Group, Elysian Residences and Carebase.
Schools, Colleges & PBSA: Advising various establishments on their development plans and related planning applications involving listed buildings, conservation areas and MOL in Camden and Haringey and in the Green Belt.
Hotels: Currently advising on three hotel projects in London at various stages in the development pipeline and a significant commercial leisure scheme.
Commercial: Currently advising B2/B8 operators in the Green Belt on expansion prospects; owners of former airfields transforming them into mixed use schemes.
Residences: Mary has acted on appeals for Bellway in Buckingham; for A2 Dominion at Siege Cross, West Berkshire; at Forest Farm at Chippenham and Manor Farm in Guildford Borough for Gleeson Strategic Land. She has secured consent on appeal for a residential scheme in the AONB and various mixed-used schemes in London for Goldcrest and Home Group. She is currently working on a variety of housing appeals and one for purpose-built student accommodation.
High Court challenges: Mary is regularly called upon to advise and act for those who wish to defend or challenge the grant of planning permission, whether granted locally or on appeal working with associates at Town.
Compulsory Purchase: Advising Southwark on the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre redevelopment. Previously acting on various regeneration schemes. Advising Carmarthenshire County Council on road/footway and cycle schemes.
Duncan Field
Solicitor duncan.field@townlegal.com 07778 487817 | 020 3893 0409Duncan advises on major infrastructure projects and regeneration schemes around the UK. He was previously head of planning law at Norton Rose Fulbright and was also a specialist planning partner at Wragge & Co and SJ Berwin. Duncan led the team that won the Real Estate Team of the Year at the British Legal Awards in 2016 and Planning Law Firm of the Year at the UK Planning Awards in 2017.
Experience:
London City Airport
Advising on the development of the airport over the past 20 years including its latest infrastructure project known as the City Airport Development Programme and the associated planning permission and compulsory purchase orders.
The Crown Estate
Advising on its regeneration programme for Regent Street and St James’s in Central London over the past 20 years involving the development of landmark buildings for a mix of uses including retail, offices, hotels, residential and extensive public realm improvements.
Hinduja Group and OHL Desarrollos
Acting for the Hinduja/OHL joint venture in relation to the redevelopment of the Old War Office in Whitehall, Central London as a luxury hotel with apartments.
Olympus Property Holding Limited
Advising on the proposed refurbishment and regeneration of the Olympia Exhibition site to deliver improved exhibition and conferencing facilities, offices, hotel accommodation, retail, leisure and new cultural uses.
McLaren Group
Advising on the extension of the McLaren campus in Woking, Surrey. London Luton Airport Advising on the expansion of the Airport to increase capacity to 18 million passengers per annum.
PD Ports
Advising on the 1.5 million TEUs Northern Gateway Container Terminal at Teesport.
London Legacy Development Corporation
Advising on the post-Games transformation of the Olympic Stadium
Defence Infrastructure Organisation
Advising on the redevelopment of Howe Barracks, Canterbury for c. 500 dwellings.
Clare Fielding
Solicitor clare.fielding@townlegal.com 07809 200 214 | 0203 893 0382Clare spent eight years at the Bank of England, seven at Slaughter and May (where she qualified as a solicitor), seven at Herbert Smith; and four at Gowling WLG before becoming one of Town’s founding partners. She has a wide-ranging planning practice, focused in the main on major development projects in London and the South East, acting for private sector developers and landowners.
Experience:
Battersea Power Station Development Company
Redevelopment of Battersea Power Station, LB Wandsworth
Sellar
Shard Place and Canada Water regeneration, LB Southwark
Derwent London
White Collar Factory, LB Islington
St James
White City Living and Centre House, White City, LB Hammersmith and Fulham
Greenwich Hospital
Redevelopment of Greenwich Market, RB Greenwich
Minerva plc
St Botolphs and the Minerva Building (Canon Street), City of London
Stanhope/Schroders JV
Croydon Gateway CPO inquiry, LB Croydon
Arsenal Football Club
Emirates Stadium and associated regeneration, LB Islington
Michael Gallimore
Partner michael.gallimore@townlegal.com 0203 893 0416 | 07836 268 731Mike was head of planning at Hogan Lovells before joining Town Legal. He is widely recognised as a leading planning lawyer developing his reputation through a number of high profile projects. Mike has over 30 years’ experience spanning regeneration and mixed use schemes, new housing settlements, office, retail and leisure projects as well as new infrastructure. Legal 500 has described him as “an industry expert” who “takes the time to understand his clients’ requirements”.
Experience:
Argent (King’s Cross) Limited
The redevelopment of King’s Cross Central
Canary Wharf Group and Qatari Diar
The redevelopment of the Shell Centre on the South Bank
St George
1 Blackfriars, Grand Union Alperton and Royal Exchange Kingston
Helioslough Limited
Radlett Strategic Rail Freight Interchange
London Legacy Development Corporation
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Landsec
21 Moorfields, Sumner Street, Kodak Harrow and New Ludgate
Mayfield Market Towns Limited
Mayfields new settlement
Church Commissioners
Exeter Logistics Park
Crest Nicholson
Bath Western Riverside
Raj Gupta
Solicitor raj.gupta@townlegal.com 07920 702459 | 020 3893 0400Raj specialises in all aspects of compulsory purchase law and is particularly well-known for his expertise in contested land compensation proceedings and in infrastructure planning. Before joining Town, Raj led Pinsent Masons’ compulsory purchase team for three years having previously spent ten years at Eversheds. Raj is an elected member of the national committee of the Compulsory Purchase Association.
Experience:
Claims against HS2
Acting on a number of high value claims Including for Freightliner, IM Group, Canfield, Curzon Park, Booker Group and Grinsaem including in relation to certificates of appropriate alternative development.
Car Giant
Assisting Car Giant in successfully objecting to the OPDC’s proposals to develop its land.
East West Rail
Acting for a number of landowners in objecting to Network Rail’s proposals and negotiating agreements to protect their interests.
Crossrail
Acting for Crossrail and TfL on compensation claims arising from the East London Line and Crossrail schemes.
London Development Agency/Greater London Authority
Promoting the Olympics CPO and acting on compensation claims arising from it.
Transport for London
Advising on securing and implementing powers for various projects including the East London Line Extension and the Silvertown Tunnel and on landmark compensation claims including Spirerose and Urban Edge.
Meeta Kaur
Solicitor meeta.kaur@townlegal.com 07894 172 547 | 0203 893 0383Meeta is a UK qualified lawyer and chartered town planner. She specialises in large scale mixed-use redevelopment and regeneration schemes, including urban extensions, in London and across the country. She advises on all aspects of planning and associated areas, including highways, compulsory purchase, CIL, heritage, affordable housing and scheme viability, on both the contentious and non-contentious side.
Experience:
St William Homes
Redevelopment of Fulham Gasworks and Poplar Gasworks.
St George
Chelsea Creek and Fulham Reach developments.
British Land
Clarges Estate in Mayfair, Putney High Street in Putney, Blossom Street in Shoreditch, Eden Walk in Kingston and the Leisure Hall extension to Meadowhall Shopping Centre.
Far East Consortium
Redevelopment of listed Hornsey Town Hall, Haringey.
Meyer Bergman
Retail-led redevelopment of Vinopolis.
Quintain
Revised masterplan for Wembley Park and South West Lands.
Northants
Wellingborough North urban extension.
Eco Bos Developments
Proposed eco-community at Carclaze in Cornwall.
Simon Ricketts
Solicitor simon.ricketts@townlegal.com 07711 924 945 | 0203 893 0384Simon specialises in planning, compulsory purchase and related public law issues in relation to major mixed-use development schemes across England. Before co-founding Town, he was head of planning and environmental law first at SJ Berwin and then King & Wood Mallesons. He has been ranked as the country’s most highly rated planning solicitor for the last eleven years running in Planning magazine’s annual survey. He is author of the Simonicity planning law blog.
Experience:
British Land
Blossom Street, Shoreditch
Lands Improvement Holdings
Houghton Regis urban extension
Stansted Airport
Increase in passenger numbers
Fawley Waterside
Former Fawley power station site development, Hampshire
Richborough Estates
Suffolk Coastal Supreme Court proceedings
The Collective
Old Oak co-living
Mount Anvil
Whitechapel Central
Capital and Regional
Walthamstow town centre
London Eye
London Eye retention
Patrick Robinson
Solicitor patrick.robinson@townlegal.com 07785 254 981 | 0203 893 0385Patrick spent thirty-eight years at Herbert Smith Freehills before becoming one of Town’s founding partners. He is the firm’s Managing Partner and continues to practise across all areas of contentious and non-contentious planning work. He brings to the subject the broader experience of a development real estate lawyer’s background.
Experience:
22 Bishopsgate Limited Partnership
22 Bishopsgate
Elizabeth House Limited Partnership
Elizabeth House
Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Brompton Hospital
U+I 8
Albert Embankment
British Land
Broadgate
Stanhope
Royal Street
Trustees of the Tate Gallery
Tate Modern
Stansted Airport
Increase in passenger numbers
Louise Samuel
Partner louise.samuel@townlegal.com 07920 041941 | 020 3893 0414Louise joined Town in October 2019 after 16 years at Linklaters, most recently as Head of Planning. She has a wide range of planning experience across the UK, including securing consent for town extensions and energy/ infrastructure projects, but Louise particularly enjoys advising on complex developments within central London. She has acted on a number of London’s iconic tall buildings and major City HQs and, whilst on secondment into Government, Louise was one of the team responsible for publication of the Energy National Policy Statements.
Experience:
Aroland Holdings Limited
One Undershaft, which will become the City of London’s tallest tower once constructed
Circleplane Limited
20 Blackfriars Road, LB Southwark
CIT Group
Finsbury Tower (HYLO), LB Islington
Vinegar Yard, LB Southwark
Galliard plc (Starbones Limited)
Chiswick Curve, LB Hounslow
Great Portland Estates plc
New City Court, LB Southwark
Rathbone Place, Westminster
Meyer Bergman
100 West Cromwell Road, RBKC
Native Land
Sampson House & Ludgate House (Bankside Yards), LB Southwark
Regent House, Westminster
New Burlington Gate, Westminster
Neo Bankside, LB Southwark
Nuveen
40 Leadenhall, City of London
Sydell Holdings
The Ned, City of London
Bow Street Magistrates Hotel, Westminster
Tishman Speyer
Verde, Westminster
Consultants
Martin Dawbney
Consultant martin.dawbney@townlegal.com 07785 775044 | 020 3893 0399Martin is a consultant specialising in business rates law, having spent over 30 years at Herbert Smith (latterly Herbert Smith Freehills) as a property lawyer with an ancillary rating practice. His work ranges from day-to-day advice on rates mitigation schemes and liability disputes to running complex cases before the Valuation Tribunal for England (VTE) and the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber). He has particular expertise in the issues arising from the Supreme Court decision in Woolway v Mazars and subsequent legislation.
Experience:
Euro Tunnel
Advice relating to the establishment of a rateable value for the (UK section of the) Channel Tunnel.
Harrods and Selfridges
Acting on tribunal cases in respect of the 2000 and 2005 lists.
A media client
Advising on a proposed judicial review and ultimate settlement in the light of retrospective liability imposed under the 2010 list in the light of the Mazars decision. This included acting for a major international law firm on a similar issue, which was also settled.
Native Land
Advising on the use of a Guardian arrangement to mitigate rates liability in respect of a commercial building awaiting demolition and redevelopment, including acting on the case before the VTE. The case was ultimately decided in favour of the ratepayer by the Upper Tribunal.
A major developer
Advising on the relationship between business rates and the Community Infrastructure Levy, in particular assisting in maximising the CIL exemption in respect of in-use buildings.
Olympic Legacy
Acting in a case before the Upper Tribunal concerning the rateable value of the Velodrome in the 2010 list.
Senior Associates
Ricardo Gama
ricardo.gama@townlegal.com 0203 893 0386Ricardo has developed a broad practice encompassing largescale mixed use developments in London, urban extensions in the south east, compulsory purchase advice, and judicial review (both for interested parties and for claimants). Particular interests include all forms of planning and environmental litigation and advising on grey areas in the use classes.
Experience:
Richborough Estates
Suffolk Coastal Supreme Court proceedings.
Quintain
Regeneration of Wembley and revised masterplan for Wembley Park.
The Collective
Across a range of developments in London, advising on the planning parameters of their co-living concept;
Tollgate Village
Advising a consortium of town centre landowners in objecting to the Tollgate Village retail and leisure proposals on the outskirts of Colchester
Shift Living
Proposed new settlement to the south of Bedford;
Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
Improvements to the Royal Brompton Hospital site
Brentford Dock
Objecting to the compulsory purchase of land as part of the redevelopment of Brentford High Street.
Miscellaneous
Acting for the owner of a site in Lambeth in successfully defending an enforcement notice;
Acting for objectors to the redevelopment of Merton Hall in south west London, including filing a claim for judicial review of the application to grant planning permission;
Acting for objectors to the HS2 hybrid bill in petitioning Parliament for its amendment.
Juliet Munn
juliet.munn@townlegal.com 020 3893 0392Juliet is an associate at Town, having qualified at King & Wood Mallesons (formerly SJ Berwin) in 2011 and worked in the planning and environment teams in both London and Sydney. Juliet acts on both contentious and non-contentious matters for developers, landowners, interest groups and corporate bodies and advises on all aspects of planning and environmental law.
Experience:
Fawley Waterside
Former Fawley power station site development, Hampshire
Oaktree Capital
Successful appeal of an aparthotel site, LB Tower Hamlets
Ennismore
Judicial review of new Hoxton Hotel development
London Strategic Land
Mixed use scheme, Thurrock and residential scheme, Croydon
Quinn Estates
Various mixed use schemes, Kent
Quantum Group
Mixed use scheme, LB Richmond-upon-Thames
Sellar
Shard Place regeneration, LB Southwark
Judicial review
R (on the application of Guerry) v Hammersmith and Fulham LBC [2018] EWHC 2899 (Admin)
R (on the application of HS2 Action Alliance Limited) v The Secretary of State for Transport & Another [2014] UKSC3.
Ashdown Forest Economic Development LLP v Wealden District Council [2016] Env.L.R. 2.
R (Luton Borough Council) v Central Bedfordshire Council & Other [2015] EWCA Civ 537.
Spencer Tewis-Allen
spencer.tewis-allen@townlegal.com 0203 893 0387Spencer advises on all aspects of planning law with strong expertise in viability. He has written the first comprehensive legal planning guide for Lexis Nexis on “Viability in Planning” (2017).
Spencer has also written a chapter on Planning Law Due Diligence which was published by the Law Society in Summer 2018.
Experience:
Battersea Power Station Development Company
Advising on Battersea Power Station; one of the country’s most complex and high-profile development projects.
First Base + JP Morgan
Leading case on affordable housing and viability concerning Parkhurst Road, Islington – acted on appeal and subsequent court litigation.
U+I PLC
High Court and Court of Appeal action to promote Shepherd’s Bush Market redevelopment.
Grafton Group PLC
Successfully quashed the Port of London’s CPO made in respect of Orchard Wharf, London.
Eco Bos Developments
1500 dwelling eco-town in Carclaze, Cornwall (one of the first in the UK)
Satnam Millennium
Appeal relating to 1500 dwelling development in Warrington, Manchester.
Associates
Paul Arnett
paul.arnett@townlegal.com 020 3893 0407Paul worked in Government at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and the Department for Transport before joining Town. Paul advised on all aspects of planning and infrastructure law with strong expertise in compulsory purchase. He advised on the CPO reforms in the Housing and Planning Act 2016 and Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017, and revisions to the national Compulsory Purchase Guidance.
Experience
Brent Cross CPO
Advising on the confirmation of two CPOs to facilitate the delivery of the major Brent Cross Cricklewood mixed- use regeneration scheme.
Seven Sisters CPO
Advising on the confirmation of the high profile CPO to deliver the Wards Corner Regeneration Project.
NPPF 2
Advising on various chapters in the revised and updated National Planning Policy Framework.
Ox-Cam Corridor
Advising on the planning and CPO aspects of the Government’s response to the National Infrastructure Commission’s Ox-Cam corridor report.
Letwin Review
Advising on the independent review of build out considering how to close the gap between housing completions and the amount of land allocated or permissioned
EIA and Habitats
Preparing the 2018 EIA Regulations and advising on the implications of the CJEUs People Over Wind judgment on appropriate assessments in Art 6 of the Habitats Directive.
Amy Fender
amy.fender@townlegal.com 0203 893 0394Since qualifying in 2016, Amy has acted for a variety of clients, including local councils, developers and funders in respect of contentious and non-contentious work. Her experience includes legal analysis of planning applications, drafting and negotiating planning and highways agreements for large scale mixed-use developments, compulsory purchase advice and judicial review claims.
Experience:
Battersea Power Station Development Company
Providing general planning advice and assisting with the drafting of the planning and highways agreements concerning the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station.
North Warfield Consortium
Providing general planning advice and assisting with the drafting of a planning agreement in respect of an application for a large mixed-use scheme in Bracknell.
Quintain
Provided the planning due diligence on a 4,000 dwelling revised masterplan for Wembley Park.
Quantum Group
Advising on the appeal in respect of a mixed-use scheme in LB Richmond-upon-Thames
Dover District Council
A CPO compensation claim in respect of a compulsory purchase order enabling the regeneration of the centre of Dover.
Sainsburys
Assisting with various planning matters advising Sainsbury’s, specifically drafting and negotiating highways agreements relating to development of their stores.
London Mutual Insurance Society
Providing advice and legal analysis of a planning application for an office and residential redevelopment in London
Grafton Group PLC
Successfully opposing the CPO for its site at Orchard Wharf, east London.
Threadneedle UK Property Authorised Investment Fund
Provided the legal due diligence on the planning aspects of several purchases.
Susannah Herbert
susannah.herbert@townlegal.com 0203 893 0395Susannah was formerly an Associate at Herbert Smith Freehills. She has experience of advising on all stages of the planning process including planning applications, appeals, s106 and highways agreements, varying permissions, and certificates of lawfulness and on a wide range of issues such as compulsory purchase, heritage, EIA, highways and nationally significant infrastructure projects.
Experience:
Stanhope (CGLP)
Ruskin Square, Croydon
Fidelity
3-10 Finsbury Square (appeal)
Norges
Investment in the Crown Estate’s Regent Street portfolio
LDA
Regeneration of Crystal Palace
Victoria McKeegan
victoria.mckeegan@townlegal.com 020 3893 0410Victoria trained and qualified at Slaughter and May and then worked with Duncan Field in the Planning Team at Norton Rose Fulbright prior to joining Town. She has advised on a number of development projects and infrastructure schemes and on a variety of planning matters. Her experience includes advising on planning applications, enforcement and heritage matters, drafting and negotiating planning and highways agreements, and advising on the planning aspects of real estate, corporate and financing transactions.
Experience
The Crown Estate
Advising on a number of redevelopment schemes in London’s West End and on other matters across The Crown Estate’s portfolio
OHL Desarrollos and Hinduja Group
Acting for the OHL/Hinduja joint venture on the redevelopment of the Grade II* listed Old War Office in Whitehall for hotel, retail, leisure and residential uses
Olympus Property Holding Limited
Advising on the proposed refurbishment and regeneration of the Olympia London Exhibition Centre for a variety of uses further to acting in relation to the acquisition of the site
London City Airport
Advising on the Airport’s c. £350 million City Airport Development Programme for which consent was secured in 2016
Lucy Morton
lucy.morton@townlegal.com 020 3893 0401Lucy worked at Herbert Smith Freehills before joining Town. She has experience of advising on many aspects of planning law, including planning applications and variations, section 106 agreements, planning appeals, community infrastructure levy, heritage, environmental impact assessment and highways.
Experience:
Battersea Power Station Development Company
Battersea Power Station redevelopment
London Strategic Land
New residential led masterplan
Sellar
Canada Water mixed use redevelopment including residential, retail and office uses in Southwark
Quinn Estates Ltd
Planning application for a mixed use development on a former aerodrome in Kent including affordable housing, commercial use, hotel, primary school and other development and infrastructure
M7 Real Estate
Planning agreements for a major residential scheme in Solihull
George Morton Jack
george.mortonjack@townlegal.com 020 3893 0408George has wide experience of planning and environmental law, advising both developers and local authorities. He has advised extensively on town and country planning matters – including section 106 agreements, environmental impact assessment, heritage agreements and judicial review – and on nationally significant infrastructure projects, from railways to offshore wind farms, nuclear power and electricity transmission projects. George has also advised on Parliamentary law and process, including Hybrid Bill procedure and petitions.
Experience:
Stansted Airport Limited
London Stansted Airport
The West of England Councils
Portishead Branch Line (MetroWest Phase 1)
Network Rail
Highways & level crossings
ScottishPower Renewables
East Anglia THREE Offshore Wind Farm
Sedgemoor District Council
Hinkley Point C nuclear power station
Nikita Sellers
Associate nikita.sellers@townlegal.com 020 3893 0412Nikita trained at Howard Kennedy LLP and moved to Town on qualification. She has experience advising a wide range of clients on complex mixed use planning applications, section 106 agreements, highways agreements and planning appeal proceedings. She also advises on heritage, community infrastructure levy (CIL), the use classes system, environmental impact assessments and planning enforcement.
Experience:
Drafting and negotiating a section 106 agreement in respect of a large and politically sensitive mixed-use development scheme in the London Borough of Hackney.
Drafting and negotiating a section 278 highways agreement in respect of a new development of student accommodation in Sheffield.
Providing the planning due diligence for a commercial investor on their £46 million purchase of an aparthotel portfolio.
Advising one of London’s leading gym brands on enforcement action and conducting legal analysis of their planning applications.
Negotiating and advising on a section 106 agreement in respect of a residential development in the London Borough of Camden.
Advising on a mixed use phased development in Reading and auditing application documents.
Drafting and negotiating planning agreements in the context of three simultaneous appeals relating to a development site in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Advising on the appeal in respect of a called-in application for development in the London Borough of Lambeth.
