Environment
UK Guide 2025 : Scotland
Band 1
Contact number
(0141) 567 8400Chambers Review
Pinsent Masons is a major player in the market with substantial credentials across a broad range of transactional and regulatory matters. Its areas of expertise include manufacturing and energy-related issues, particularly involving specialist knowledge of the nuclear arena. The team is regularly engaged on highly contentious environment cases, with clients including developers, utility companies and local authorities.
Work Highlights
- Pinsent Masons advised the Eden Project on establishing a network of wildflower meadows to encourage and generate biodiversity net gain units, which can in turn be sold to developers and corporations.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Pinsent Masons is very pragmatic in its approach. The advice and approach were very logical and well thought out."
"Pinsent Masons continues to provide us with timely, practically focused assistance."
"Pinsent Masons is very pragmatic in its approach. The advice and approach were very logical and well thought out."
"Pinsent Masons continues to provide us with timely, practically focused assistance."
Notable Practitioners
Gordon McCreath provides transactional environment advice as well as handling complex disputes. His clients include energy, utilities and waste management companies.
"Gordon McCreath is both highly capable and solutions-oriented. He provides first-rate work and is very organised, but also has lots of experience in emerging areas."
"Gordon McCreath understands the environmental context very well. He gives clients good pragmatic advice."
"Gordon McCreath takes the time and goes the extra mile to understand key project risks and opportunities, often setting up workshops to brainstorm ideas."
Ross McDowall is a partner and head of the UK environment department at Pinsent Masons. He has significant experience in assisting clients with the environmental aspects of high-value M&A transactions. In particular, he advises on environmental permit transfers and risk allocation.
"Ross McDowall is a great communicator and has great knowledge of the regulations."
"Ross McDowall is very good at very niche environmental matters and has done a lot of quarrying and waste matters. He gets exposed to some big-ticket stuff."
"Ross McDowall has good discussions, listens to what we say, and turns things around very quickly."