Anne Johnstone is the UKELA Chair and is a Partner at Malcolm Hollis LLP and has over sixteen years’ experience in environmental consultancy, previously at Ramboll Environ and Atkins. She is head of Malcolm Hollis’ Environmental practice in the UK, Ireland and Europe. She specialises in environmental due diligence, risk assessment and permitting.

Angus Evers is a partner and head of the environmental law team at national law firm Shoosmiths LLP.  His practice covers all aspects of environmental law from waste to contaminated land, climate change, renewables, nuisance, water pollution and chemicals.  He also has expertise in related areas such as energy, planning and health & safety.  He advises on transactional, regulatory and contentious issues, regularly working alongside corporate, real estate, commercial, regulatory, projects and EU/competition teams.  He has led Shoosmiths’ environmental practice since 2016.  He was one of the Convenors of UKELA’s Waste Working Party from 2006 to 2018 and is currently one of the Co-Chairs of UKELA’s Brexit Task Force.

Professor Colin Reid is Professor of Environmental Law at the University of Dundee where he has worked since 1991.  He has taught and written on various environmental law and public law themes, and is currently working on an ESRC-funded project on the actual use and impact of the right of access to environmental information.  He spoke at one of the first events on Brexit and the Environment, in November 2015, and since then has continued to be active on the consequences of Brexit for environmental law.  This has included participation in research projects, the Brexit & Environment Network and the UKELA Brexit Task Force, as well as the Governance Sub-group of the Scottish Government’s Roundtable on Environment and Climate Change.  He has given written and oral evidence to several committees of both the Westminster and Holyrood Parliaments. He was a founding member of UKELA.  

Lori Frater holds a degree in Business from Strathclyde University and a Law degree from King’s College, London. She holds a specialized master’s degree in environmental law (Sydney University) and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2000. She acts as a consultant advising policy makers for numerous government organizations at the International, Pan-Regional and national level (including UNEP, European Parliament, Welsh Government and DEFRA). She is an experienced company and project manager, she was the Executive Director of a charity and its commercial subsidiary, which she co-founded. She was a recipient of a Media Fellowship from the British Science Association in 2009. Specialties: Environmental law at the UK, European, Australasian and International levels, international environmental governance in international biodiversity conventions, sustainability in creative and cultural organisations, sustainable waste management and the regulation of new technologies.

Phil Hunter is a partner and Head of Environmental at Brodies LLP. He has a great deal of experience dealing with a wide range of environmental law matters (whether site specific or more generally) including waste, water pollution and contaminated land and often advises in relation to contractual protection mechanisms, warranties and indemnities and risk allocation. Phil advises a broad range of stakeholders in relation to such issues and on how to identify and manage the risks arising in such a way as to provide maximum protection. Phil is a member of Brodies Brexit Advisory Group, regularly speaks on environmental law issues, is co-organiser of the Brodies and Edinburgh University environmental law lectures series, sits on the council of UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA) as National Council Member for Scotland and is a member of the Scottish Contaminated Land Form (SCLF). He is also part of the UKELA Brexit Taskforce formed to provide advice on matters relating to the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.

Bridget Marshall is currently Head of Regulatory Strategy and Government Relations. This is a strategic legal post within SEPA and she is responsible for ensuring the legal and policy framework is, as far as possible aligned with SEPA’s approach to regulation , managing the regulatory reform work (including the Integrated Authorisation Framework), leading for the organisation on EU Exit, Government relations and European and International relationships. Bridget was previously Head of Legal at SEPA and a senior Legal adviser at the Environment Agency where she specialised in first radioactive law and then waste law. She has been a trustee of UKELA.

Christine O’Neill is Chairman of Brodies and a partner in the firm’s Government, Regulation and Competition practice.  She is recognised as an expert in administrative law and public law and is ranked as a ‘star individual’ by Chambers & Partners in that field.  She is co-chair of Brodies’ Brexit Advisory Group and in her capacity as standing junior to the Scottish Government she has appeared as junior counsel for the Government in Brexit litigation in the Supreme Court: first in the Miller case concerning the triggering of article 50 and then, in summer 2018, in the UK Government’s challenge to the Scottish Parliament’s Continuity Bill.  Christine speaks regularly at conferences and to clients about the legal implications of Brexit.

Richard Leslie specialises in rural property and renewable energy work.  He advises on the purchase and sale of rural property including estates, farms, crofts and country houses, agricultural leases, wind farms, hydro-electric and telecommunication mast leases, mineral prospecting leases and all aspects of law relating to land outwith urban areas. Richard prefers to meet clients on their own “patch” to gain a greater understanding of their business and legal requirements.  Richard has a particular interest in all aspects of environmental work including renewable energy projects, nature conservation and contaminated land issues.  He has acted in over twenty-five wind farm projects and a number of hydro-electric schemes. Richard is co-convenor of UKELA Scotland.

Kate Thomson-McDermott is the Head of Environment and Land Use Strategy for the Scottish Government.  Kate joined the Scottish Government’s Legal Directorate as a trainee in 2009. Other than a brief stint in tax litigation for HMRC, within the Office for the Advocate General, Kate has since qualifying worked primarily in policy roles within the Scottish Government using her legal experience to help take forward the early stages of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill, leading on the Agricultural Holdings Legislation Review and the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016, and most recently leading work on preparing for the UK’s exit from the EU within the Directorate of Environment and Forestry. 

Laura Tainsh is a Partner and Head of Environment & Waste at Davidson Chalmers Stewart. Laura has varied and wide-ranging experience which covers all environmental issues, with a particular specialism for dealing with the waste and resources sector, and enjoys being involved in unique transactions which require a bespoke but commercial approach. Laura is a Chartered Waste Manager with the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, the only solicitor in Scotland to have obtained this accolade. She is also a member of the Scottish Council of CIWM and the Scottish representative of the CIWM Scientific and Technical Committee. In addition, Laura is a Law Society of Scotland Accredited Specialist in Environmental Law and is an active member of Law Society of Scotland Environmental Law Committee and of the Scottish Committee of the UK Environmental Law Association. She has also recently been appointed to the management board of Community Resources Scotland Network. On the more academic side of things, Laura is a member of the editorial board of the highly regarded Scottish Planning & Environmental Law (SPEL) Journal as well as being a regular contributor to the journal and also to Materials Recycling World Magazine as a columnist. She also regularly presents at and hosts seminars and conference events on all aspects of environmental law but particularly on issues to do with waste management and policy.

Rosie Sutherland is the RSPB’s Head of Environment Law. The RSPB is the UK’s largest nature conservation charity. Together with partners, it protects threatened birds and wildlife playing a leading role in BirdLife International, a worldwide partnership of nature conservation organisations. Rosie has been with the RSPB since 2001, providing advice & assistance on many aspects of environmental law across the UK and working in coalitions to improve conservation policy & legislation including with Scottish Environment LINK – a forum for Scotland’s voluntary environment organisations, with over 35 members representing a range of environmental interests with the common goal of contributing to a more environmentally sustainable society. LINK assists communication between members, government and its agencies and other sectors within civic society to ensure the environment is fully recognised in the development of policy and legislation affecting Scotland. Rosie is presenting on behalf of the RSPB and Scottish Environment Link. 

Joanna Waddell is a Senior Associate in the Environment Team at international law firm CMS. Covering Scotland Joanna is a dedicated environmental specialist who acts for high profile clients from a range of sectors on environmental issues. Joanna has particular experience of regulatory and enforcement matters.