Joanne leads the UK Environment Team and Co-leads our Global Environmental Network.
Joanne advises on all aspects of environmental compliance, risk and liability whether for governance and assurance, as part of standard operations or business adaptation, transactions, projects (including major infrastructure), investigation and enforcement, (including on matters of national security and civil contingency), civil action or environmental challenge.
She is best known for her strategic environmental planning and pragmatism with regulators, which has led her to support the development and implementation of several industry firsts.
Joanne's experience is varied across a range of sectors. It includes major infrastructure consents for both construction and operation; incident responses including on matters of national security and civil contingency, defending group actions, public inquiries, ICO appeals, stakeholder/media engagement and the protection of sensitive environmental information and environmental reporting.
She has a notable expertise in water resources, flood and drought management, asset resilience, biodiversity and nature-based solutions. She is supporting several clients to assess, report, deliver and improve on environmental targets, performance and value.
Recognised in legal directories for both Environment and Water, Joanne was described in Legal 500 UK (2024) as “Stellar – modern, incredibly bright and client facing” and in Chambers UK (2024) as “a future leader in environmental law” who “slots straight into a team and can disseminate complex regulatory requirements to non-experts with ease”.
Background
Joanne is a member of the UK Environmental Law Association, the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management and the Institute of Water. She is regularly asked to speak at industry events and to help develop industry best practices.
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
- advising several retailers, manufacturers, distributors and asset managers on supply chain implications and practical implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
- advising clients on risk, liabilities and implications associated with emerging contaminants including working with industry groups on standards and best practices regarding PFAS management.
- advising UK Water Undertakers on a range of issues relating to statutory water resource management plans and new supply infrastructure, drought plans and drought interventions including drought order applications, voluntary drainage and wastewater management plans, regional plans, reservoir safety (including responding to reservoir collapse), trade effluent enforcement and disputes and several aspects relating to current and future schemes put through the Water Industry National Environment Programme including abstraction, storm overflows and Environmental Improvement Plan Targets.
- advising clients on phased decommissioning and/or remedial strategies (including supporting an oil refinery conversion) and variation and surrender of EPR permits, operator agreements, discharge consents, lagoon restoration and ecological monitoring conditions and complex remediation to return the site to an acceptable level of risk.
- advising Sizewell on its full environmental consents programme.
