Pinsent Masons boost planning and parliamentary with team hire

Gareth, who joins as partner having led the Planning practice at Watson Farley Williams, will bring with him Peter Cole, Associate, and Matt Carpenter, Solicitor.

The arrival of the team forms part of major targeted investment into the firm's Planning and Parliamentary team, which now has over 100 lawyers in the UK including over 40 specialists based in London, and is growing internationally.

It comes as the firm gears up to support clients on a number of nationally significant energy, infrastructure and development projects in the UK - plus a series of international mandates including the design and development of a planning regime for a government in the Middle East region.

Richard Ford, Head of London and International Planning Projects at Pinsent Masons, said:

“Gareth is a first class Partner. He is a strategic adviser to energy, infrastructure and development clients, very commercial and with a proven track record. We are delighted he and his team are joining us. It reinforces our expanded reach and strength in depth in London, the UK and internationally.”

Iain Gilbey, Head of the UK Planning & Environment and Energy & Infrastructure Team at Pinsent Masons, said:

“The arrival of Gareth and his team is alongside the appointment of several very talented lawyers from firms including DLA Piper, Clifford Chance and CMS. We have continued with our programme of carefully planned recruitment to ensure we retain the bench strength to deliver on the biggest and most complex energy, infrastructure and major development mandates. In so doing we further bolster our standing as the number one planning and parliamentary practice in the market."   

Alongside Phillips, additional hires made into the practice in the last quarter include:

• Legal Director and “Roll A” Parliamentary Agent, Richard Bull, who has joined from Parliamentary firm, Winckworth Sherwood where he has been advising on HS2 and Development Consent Orders (DCOs)
• Senior Associate, Kate Jones, who has joined from CMS, where she has been advising National Grid on DCOs and previously advice on Stansted airport;
• Senior Associate, Clare Mirfin, from Ashfords and previously Herbert Smith Freehills, who specialises in major London and UK development projects;
• Associate, Clare Brodrick, from Field Fisher Waterhouse, where she advised on DCOs, Compulsory Purchase Orders and major development projects;
• Associate Michael Freeman, from DECC, where he has advised the UK Government on major nuclear and fracking projects;
• Solicitors Reza Newton from DLA Piper and, and Solicitors Ellie Ronson and Susanne Andreasen who qualify into the Pinsent Masons team;
• Solicitor Sarah Chapman who joins from Clifford Chance.