Trustees
Our Trustees are drawn from our wide ranging membership and represent all sectors of environmental law, from barristers to academics and with a range of experience. They are known as the Council and we have 21 elected trustees at present. Our Council is responsible for ensuring UKELA achieves its strategic and charitable aims. Because UKELA is also a limited company, our trustees are also directors. We have a senior team, known as the Executive Committee, which is responsible for the day-to-day running of the organisation. Our Constitution sets our the rules on selection and responsibilities of Council. You can read more on our What We Do page.
Meet them below.
Executive Committee
Kirsty Schneeberger MBE, Chair
Kirsty joined UKELA as a student member and soon after that joined Council. She served on Council for 8 years before taking up the position as Chair (including 4 years as Vice Chair). Kirsty is CEO of Synchronicity Earth, the conservation funder that focuses on funding biodiversity and conservation projects globally. Prior to that she was Head of Strategic Partnerships at ClientEarth and was an advisor to the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC working on the Paris negotiations. She is a trustee of the Environmental Law Foundation and an adviser to the Intergenerational Foundation. She is a keen cyclist and theatre goer and believes in the power of law to bring about positive change for the environment. Special Responsibilities: Patrons, Risk kirsty@ukela.org
Nick Whitaker, Honorary Treasurer
Nick qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1977. Until March 2015, when he retired from full time work, he was a partner in BDO LLP (and before that PKF (UK) LLP) providing audit, forensic and corporate finance services. This included work in the charity and not for profit sectors as well as for corporates and Government departments and bodies.
Special Responsibilities: Risk nick@nickwhitaker.co.uk
Simone Davidson, Vice Chair
Simone is a solicitor and Head of Environment at LexisPSL. Prior to joining Lexis Nexis she trained and worked at Clyde & Co, where she advised on a broad range of environmental legal issues ranging from regulatory and compliance to transactional risk management and support. Simone was previously Acting E-law editor for UKELA.
Special Responsibilities: e-law editorial board, Young UKELA, Conference committee 2020
0330 161 1234 simone.davidson@lexisnexis.co.uk
Haydn Davies, Vice Chair
Haydn Davies is Deputy Director of Research at the School of Law at Birmingham City University. He has a background in both biochemistry and law and his research interests centre around the Environmental Justice Movement and comparative environmental governance.
Philip Hunter, Vice Chair
Phil is a Partner and head of environmental law at leading Scottish law firm Brodies LLP. He advises on a broad range of environmental matters including management of environmental risks and liabilities.
Special Responsibilities: National Council Member for Scotland, Garner lecture
0131 656 0279 philip.hunter@brodies.com
Simon Tilling, Vice Chair
Simon is a partner in Burges Salmon's Environment team and specialises in the resolution of complex environmental disputes in the civil and criminal courts, statutory appeals, compliance and enforcement. Simon is UKELA's Company Secretary.
Special Responsibilities: Company Secretary, Conference 2020 Sponsorship, International links, Membership development
0117 902 7794 simon.tilling@burges-salmon.com
Ned Westaway, Vice Chair
Ned Westaway is a barrister practising at Francis Taylor Building; he is ranked as a leading junior by Chambers and Partners for environmental law, planning law and agricultural and rural affairs; he is on Attorney General’s panel of counsel and has an LLM (environmental laws) from UCL.
Special Responsibilities: Working Parties co-ordinator, young UKELA, Wild Law, Partnerships
020 7353 8415 Ned.Westaway@ftb.eu.com
Other Council Members
Charles Banner QC
Charles is a barrister at Landmark Chambers.His specialisms include environmental law, planning & infrastructure, energy & natural resources, EU law and international law. He is a member of the Attorney-General’s A Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown.
Special Responsibilities: London meetings, Garner lecture, Conference committee 2021
020 7430 1221 cbanner@landmarkchambers.co.uk
Karen Blair, Vice Chair
Karen Blair is Managing Director of Cleaver Fulton Rankin Solicitors, a leading commercial law practice in Belfast. Karen specialises in planning and environmental law with particular interest in waste, energy, aviation and regeneration.
Special Responsibilities: National Council member for Northern Ireland; Contracts review, Conference committee 2021
028 9027 1320 k.blair@cfrlaw.co.uk
Lucy Bruce Jones
Lucy is a senior specialist environmental lawyer with a background in environmental engineering, providing environmental advice on corporate and property transactions, renewable energy projects, PFI projects and regulatory compliance issues.
Special Responsibilities: elaw editorial board
020 7444 5159 Lucy.BruceJones@nortonrosefulbright.com
James Burton
James Burton is a barrister at Thirty Nine Essex Chambers. He specialises in environmental, energy, planning and related areas. He is also a founder member of the Recyclists, UKELA's cycling/fundraising club.
Special Responsibilities: Risk review
020 7832 1111 james.burton@39essex.com
Veneta Cooney
Veneta is a Consultant Physician specialising in Occupational Medicine, and provides advice to both the public and private sectors on how the work environment impacts on both physical and mental well- being. Of particular interest to her is the link between public health and environmental protection.
Special Responsibilities: Public Health & Environmental Law links
Estelle Dehon
Estelle Dehon is a barrister at Cornerstone Barristers. She is a leading junior in environment and planning law, with particular expertise in climate change. She was named one of The Planner's Women of Influence in 2018 and 2019.
Special Responsibilities: elaw editorial board, London meetings
estelled@cornerstonebarristers.com
Christian Jowett
Christian is a barrister at 30 Park Place, Cardiff and door-tenant at Foundry Chambers, London. His environmental law practice focuses on waste law and its interaction with other areas of law. He is a member of the Attorney General’s Regional Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown (Wales).
Special Responsibilities: National Council Member for Wales
029 2039 8421 cjowett@30parkplace.co.uk
Penelope Latorre
Penelope is the head of Environmental Due Diligence and Responsible Investment at Ensphere Group. She is a qualified solicitor in Spain and the UK, specialising in environmental advisory support in the transactional and risk management context.
Special Responsibilities: Working Parties co-ordinator, Partnerships, International links
0203 766 0083 platorre@enspheregroup.com
Emma Lui
Emma is a Policy Advisor at the Office for Nuclear Regulation. She is also an Advisory Board member to Public Interest Environmental Law (PIEL) UK and a volunteer contributor to the Environmental Law Foundation public blog. Emma is a non-practising barrister and has an LLM with Distinction in Environmental and Public Law.
Special Responsibilities: Student support, young UKELA, Conference committee 2021
Warren Percival, Assistant Treasurer
Warren is a Director at RSK Group and has over sixteen years’ experience in environmental consultancy. Warren previously managed RSKs Northern EHS business, and is now the Group Director responsible for due diligence, ESG and expert witness services to the legal and financial sectors.
Special Responsibilities: Assistant Treasurer, Conference committee 2020, Membership development, Regional Group co-ordinator, Partnerships
07793 365862 wpercival@rsk.co.uk
Nina Pindham
Nina is a specialist planning and environmental law practitioner at No5 Chambers with experience in areas such as controversial minerals development, hazardous substances consents, waste, EIA, SEA, agriculture, water, air quality, and nature conservation issues. Nina has appeared before the High Court, Court of Appeal, and the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee. She is also editor of the Trees chapter in Butterworth’s Planning Law Encyclopedia.
Special Responsibilities: Student support and competitions
01216060500 npi@no5.com
Ben Stansfield
Ben is an environmental lawyer with Gowling WLG, based in London. Ben has a broad environmental practice and advises clients in relation to compliance with complex chemical and product laws, the remediation of contaminated land and water; and the permitting and consenting of infrastructure and industrial processes. Ben has particular expertise in waste matters and corporate disclosure and reporting issues.
Special Responsibilities: Wild Law, Conference committee 2020
Ben.Stansfield@gowlingwlg.com
Jamie Whittle
Jamie Whittle is a partner at R & R Urquhart based in Forres in the North of Scotland where he advises clients on all aspects of environmental law and rural land law. He is part time lecturer in environmental and renewable energy law at the University of Edinburgh School of Law. He holds an MSc with distinction in human ecology.
Special Responsibilities: Contracts review
01309 672216 jamiewhittle@r-r-urquhart.com
Alison York
Alison is a solicitor and Head of Legal in the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. She has over 20 years’ experience practising in environmental law and regulation in the public sector in Scotland. Recent work includes involvement in the development and implementation of SEPA’s new enforcement tools and in the development of the new Integrated Authorisation Framework.
Special responsibilities: Conference committee 2020
0131 273 7246 alison.york@sepa.org.uk