Ranking tables

Environment & Climate Change | UK

London (Firms)

his section features environmental litigation, as well as advisory and transactional support for clients. 'Traditional' environment work includes regulatory compliance, litigation and enforcement actions related to air, water, wetlands, waste and endangered species. We also include advice to corporate and financial clients on the environmental aspects of M&A, financings, securities offerings and other transactions that involve due diligence and environmental insurance issues.    This section also covers a range of regulatory, transactional and litigation work in a specific climate change context. Regulatory work such as compliance program design and implementation, as well as operational and project-related compliance advice is a central aspect of work in this area. This area also covers representation of clients in proceedings before domestic and foreign government panels, agencies and regulatory bodies, including handling rulemaking challenges. Climate change-related government relations and policy advice work is also covered here. Climate change litigation and carbon markets transactions are also important in this practice area.   There is also a UK-wide Environment: Claimant section which ranks firms and individuals.    Firms can provide separate submissions and referee spreadsheets to Environment & Climate Change and Environment: Claimant. Please note that outside of London, we accept submissions to a single Planning & Environment section. There, we accept work related to both areas, including contentious and non-contentious matters. Work can include, for example, advice on planning applications or regulatory compliance matters as well as representing clients in disputes arising from planning- and environment-related issues. Related sections: Group Litigation: Claimant, Health & Safety, Planning, Real Estate  

Rankings overview for Departments

All Departments profiles

1

Band 1

  1. CMS
    1
    CMS
    Environment & Climate Change
    2025 | Band 1 | 2 Years Ranked
    CMS houses a leading group with an extremely broad range of capabilities, offering recognised expertise in both contentious and non-contentious environmental law. The firm's areas of strength include permitting, energy efficiency, climate change and contamination issues, alongside notable experience of transactions involving significant environmental risk. It has a wide-ranging client base including government entities, financial institutions and major corporates. The team is also able to provide clients with strategic advice on environmental compliance obligations.
  2. Latham & Watkins
    1
    Latham & Watkins
    Environment & Climate Change
    2025 | Band 1 | 2 Years Ranked
    Latham & Watkins has a highly skilled team that has experience across a wide range of environmental matters and benefits from the firm's high-quality corporate and finance offering. It handles the environmental and climate change aspects of numerous cross-border transactions, often analysing potential environmental risks, as well as advising on ESG corporate reporting. The firm demonstrates experience in contentious matters, including high-profile environmental class actions. Its lawyers act for an impressive array of leading corporates, energy companies and investors.
  3. Linklaters
    1
    Linklaters
    Environment & Climate Change
    2025 | Band 1 | 2 Years Ranked
    Linklaters advises numerous international clients on the overlap between health and safety and environmental law, often within the context of planned project finance or asset transactions. It offers expertise in low-carbon and climate change mandates, alongside considerable strength in handling regulatory and civil litigation matters relating to contaminated land and water pollution. The firm counts a number of leading corporates and financial institutions among its distinguished client base. It is also active in assisting consumer goods companies with the environmental law aspects of transactions.
2

Band 2

  1. A&O Shearman
    2
    A&O Shearman
    Environment & Climate Change
    2025 | Band 2 | 2 Years Ranked
    A&O Shearman is a trusted adviser to clients across non-profits, financial institutions and companies in power and hydrogen. Its team handles carbon matters, climate change agreements and decarbonisation work. It shows further involvement in power agreements, regulatory and contentious work.
  2. Ashurst
    2
    Ashurst
    Environment & Climate Change
    2025 | Band 2 | 2 Years Ranked
    Ashurst acts for a wide range of clients on environmental transactions, litigation and projects. It is recommended for its advice on acquisitions, sustainability and ESG-related matters. The firm regularly assists clients with an array of regulatory and environmental permitting matters.
  3. Dentons
    2
    Dentons
    Environment & Climate Change
    2025 | Band 2 | 2 Years Ranked
    Dentons is recommended for its excellent industry knowledge, particularly within the energy sector. It handles a mixture of transactional and regulatory work with a strong track record in both international and domestic M&A transactions that entail significant environmental liability and compliance issues. The firm also handles Environmental Agency investigations, and offers further experience in ESG matters.
  4. Norton Rose Fulbright
    2
    Norton Rose Fulbright
    Environment & Climate Change
    2025 | Band 2 | 2 Years Ranked
    Norton Rose Fulbright advises on all stages of infrastructure, energy and residential development projects. Its advice spans the analysis of contaminated land and potential remediation costs, through to post-acquisition environmental permitting and planning applications. The department offers proven expertise in waste matters, including waste-to-energy projects and advice on waste transportation. It also demonstrates additional sectoral strengths in the commodities and transport fields. The team works in tandem with the firm's energy practice to advise clients on issues such as climate change and air pollution.
  5. Travers Smith LLP
    2
    Travers Smith LLP
    Environment & Climate Change
    2025 | Band 2 | 2 Years Ranked
    Travers Smith is notable for its expertise in regulations governing the production and distribution of chemical and electrical products in Europe, acting for a strong client roster including major US and Asian corporate clients. The team offers environmental advice on a variety of commercial transactions and projects ranging from high-value energy or chemicals deals through to smaller transactions that have significant contamination implications. It also advises international funds on compliance with carbon reporting requirements, and assists corporate and financial-sector clients in developing governance policies to limit environmental risk.
3

Band 3

  1. Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP
    3
    Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP
    Environment & Climate Change
    2025 | Band 3 | 2 Years Ranked
    Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner has a strong reputation for its advice on environmental issues associated with major development projects, corporate transactions and real estate matters. Its lawyers advise on issues concerning contaminated land, water pollution and waste. The firm is known for its handling of environmental insurance work. In addition, it frequently advises clients on the environmental regulatory compliance aspects of real estate and corporate transactions.
  2. Clifford Chance LLP
    3
    Clifford Chance LLP
    Environment & Climate Change
    2025 | Band 3 | 2 Years Ranked
    Clifford Chance frequently deals with international matters, leveraging its broad network of global offices to handle major transactional and development mandates. It offers deep experience co-ordinating the environmental aspects of inbound and outbound investments into low-carbon, energy-from-waste or gas-fired power generation businesses, alongside roles advising on the environmental aspects of UK nuclear projects. The firm also advises corporates in relation to compliance with chemical regulations and GHG reporting regulations.
  3. DLA Piper UK LLP
    3
    DLA Piper UK LLP
    Environment & Climate Change
    2025 | Band 3 | 2 Years Ranked
    DLA Piper offers a broad practice in a variety of contentious and non-contentious environmental matters. The firm advises notable clients in the technology, chemicals and financial services sectors. It also offers advice on amendments to ESG-related legislation, including the EU Corporate Sustainability Directive.
  4. Freshfields
    3
    Freshfields
    Environment & Climate Change
    2025 | Band 3 | 2 Years Ranked
    Freshfields regularly handles large environmental litigation cases, including the defence of high-profile pollution claims. The firm acts on permitting and environmental compliance matters for clients in the oil and nuclear sectors. It assists global manufacturers and oil companies with Environment Agency investigations and prosecutions in cases of marine pollution. In addition, the team also advises on regulation and environmental issues in commercial transactions.
4

Band 4

  1. Baker McKenzie
    4
    Baker McKenzie
    Environment & Climate Change
    2025 | Band 4 | 2 Years Ranked
    Baker McKenzie acts for a wide range of national and international corporates on compliance with WEEE, energy efficiency and emissions regulations. It also offers expertise in handling regulatory investigations and product regulation. The team operates as part of a global climate change offering, advising key international clients on emissions trading matters. It is routinely instructed by clients from the technology and manufacturing sectors.
  2. Herbert Smith Freehills
    4
    Herbert Smith Freehills
    Environment & Climate Change
    2025 | Band 4 | 2 Years Ranked
    Herbert Smith Freehills offers in-depth knowledge of the environmental regulations governing energy and infrastructure projects, such as nuclear and power transmission projects. The firm also advises on environmental risk in corporate/M&A transactions and issues of contaminated land liability, including in relation to the sale and purchase of brownfield sites.
  3. Mayer Brown International LLP
    4
    Mayer Brown International LLP
    Environment & Climate Change
    2025 | Band 4 | 2 Years Ranked
    Mayer Brown is recognised for its notable environment practice. The firm advises high-profile clients on a range of complex environmental issues surrounding corporate transactions, EU allowances and regulatory challenges. It advises clients in sectors such as chemicals, financial services and energy, among others.
  4. Slaughter and May
    4
    Slaughter and May
    Environment & Climate Change
    2025 | Band 4 | 1 Years Ranked
    Slaughter and May enters the rankings this year in recognition of its diverse environment practice. The group advises on climate transition plans and ESG mandates, with a regulatory focus. Clients range from energy companies to financial institutions.