Zack Simons
UK Bar Guide 2025
Band 1 : Planning
Band 1
About
Provided by Zack Simons
Practice Areas
Zack is the top-rated junior planning barrister in the country (Planning Magazine Legal Surveys 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024).
Zack's practice focuses on housing, infrastructure, commercial development, and compulsory purchase work. He appears regularly in planning appeals at inquiries and hearings local plan examinations, compulsory purchase order inquiries and court hearings in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
The directories rate him as “exceptionally talented”, “an absolutely brilliant barrister” (Chambers and Partners), “in high demand” (Who’s Who Legal), “a joy to work with”, “fantastic”, “one of the best planning barristers out there” (Legal 500), "mould-breaking", "a go-to person", "simply brilliant" and "a star advocate" (Planning Magazine). Zack has been nominated for the Environment and Planning Junior Barrister of the Year in the Chambers and Partners Bar Awards 2024, as well as for the Planning and Land Use Junior Barrister of the Year in the Legal 500 Bar Awards in both 2022 and 2024. He is a Tier 1 ranked “leading junior” in Legal 500.
Zack is an Honorary Associate Professor at the Bartlett School of Planning, UCL.
Zack is also the creator of “planoraks”, where he publishes posts on UK planning law, litigation, appeals and plan examinations.
Chambers Review
UK Bar
Zack Simons continues to go from strength to strength at the Planning Bar. He focuses on planning, compulsory purchase and environmental work and has appeared in leading cases on current contentious planning issues such as environmental impact and housing need. He represents landowners, central government, private developers and local authorities for all types of work in the field.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Zack is a real star. He's a very senior junior with a strong practice. He has the potential to become one of the leading planning silks of the future."
"Zack is client-friendly and is a great team player. He is able to identify the key issues at play very quickly and delivers clear advice."
"Zack has great strategic instincts and is terrific to work with."
"Zack is a real star. He's a very senior junior with a strong practice. He has the potential to become one of the leading planning silks of the future."
"Zack is client-friendly and is a great team player. He is able to identify the key issues at play very quickly and delivers clear advice."
"Zack has great strategic instincts and is terrific to work with."
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