‘Second to none’, Matheson Ormsby Prentice fields ‘very strong teams with individual skill sets’.
European Legal 500 2012
Our Environmental and Planning Group comprises lawyers with leading planning and environmental expertise, complemented by expertise in health and safety regulation, litigation and dispute resolution, property acquisition and development, corporate mergers and acquisitions, commercial law, and EU law.
This diversity of expertise recognises the fact that environmental law impacts on many diverse areas of public and business activity, as well as affecting individuals. The lawyers in our Environmental and Planning Group are also members of the firm’s Regulatory Investigations team, assisting clients in investigations by the EPA and other environmental and energy regulators and by planning authorities. The team regularly defends clients in criminal prosecutions by regulatory authorities, and advises certain regulators on the process leading to prosecutions.
Our highly skilled team successfully guided the first private sector project in Ireland to achieve planning permission under the Strategic Infrastructure Act, being a proposed liquefied natural gas import terminal in Kerry. Where necessary, we also provide a contentious role in litigation and other dispute settlement arenas, in particular on the judicial review of permit applications.We regularly assist and support in planning oral hearings and have successfully represented clients in numerous recent strategic infrastructure permit applications, and associated foreshore, IPPC and waste licence applications.
We are keenly aware of the environmental legal requirements necessary to steer a project safely from conception to completion, and remediation where required. We act for multinational and domestic companies involved in the energy, transport, computer, chemical, pharmaceuticals, food, petroleum, water and waste industries - all with specific environmental concerns, which we understand and with which we assist.
We perform environmental due diligence exercises for purchasers and vendors of assets and/or shares and negotiate and draft related warranties and indemnities.
Together with the lawyers in the firm’s Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency Group, we are at the forefront of advising on environmental and planning liabilities in the context of insolvency scenarios, including the implications for receivers, liquidators and others.
Experience Highlights
The lawyers in our Environmental and Planning Group regularly advise clients in relation to:
- Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment
- Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC)
- Infrastructure Permits and Permissions, including planning oral hearings
- Contaminated land / remediation
- Environmental liability
- Litigation, including judicial review, and alternative dispute resolution
- Criminal prosecutions under the environmental, planning and energy regulation
- Health and safety in the context of infrastructure projects
- Habitats, nature conservation and biodiversity
- Sea pollution and fisheries
- Climate change
- Water, wastewater and waste management
- Utilities support infrastructure
- Environmental auditing and compliance
- Environmental due diligence and M&A advisory
Nicola Dunleavy is ranked as a "Leading Individual", is highly regarded, and "a pleasure to deal with".
Planning and Environment: European Legal 500 2012
The "superior team" at Matheson Ormsby Prentice is led by Paddy Sweetman and Stuart Margetson, and includes the highly rated Nicola Dunleavy, who is "confident with a good knowledge of the industry". The firm advised Shannon LNG on the planning and environment aspects of the proposed €500m construction of a LNG terminal in Kerry. Galway Harbour Company and Veolia are also representative clients.
Planning and Environment: European Legal 500 2010
Stuart Margetson at Matheson Ormsby Prentice is "excellent – he understands the issues and gets the job done". The firm advised Shannon LNG on all planning and environmental matters relating to the proposed construction of a significant LNG facility, with associated processing plants and a pipeline. Other representative clients include Bord na Mona, Beacon Medical Group and Limerick City Council.
Planning and Environment: European Legal 500 2009
Matheson Ormsby Prentice handles matters relating to waste management, environmental auditing and compliance, environmental aspects of corporate transactions and contentious matters. Clients are drawn from the technology, pharmaceutical, waste and petroleum industries. Patrick Sweetman and Stuart Margetson are particularly experienced in the field.
Planning and Environment: European Legal 500 2008
Paddy Sweetman and Stuart Margetson head the planning and environment team at Matheson Ormsby Prentice. The firm's client base includes government, cross-departmental, semi-state and private concerns. The group advises on infrastructure projects, licensing requirements and measures to protect the environment. The group recently advised the Irish government on the sale of an oil refinery at Cork and oil storage depot at Bantry operated by the Irish National Petroleum Corporation.
Planning and Environment: European Legal 500 2007
Matheson Ormsby Prentice’s property partner Patrick Sweetman head the planning and environment group, while Stuart Margetson regularly advises on disputes. The team provides expertise on high-profile infrastructure projects, and in 2005 advised lenders Barclays Bank on the environmental aspects of a 343MW CCGT plant (IPP).
Planning and Environment: European Legal 500 2006
Matheson Ormsby Prentice’s planning and environment group, headed by Patrick Sweetman, provides a focused service to a broad portfolio of government, semi-state and private clients. The group regularly advises on key infrastructure projects, licensing requirements and on environmental protection. Environmental specialist Stuart Margetson is also recommended.
Planning and Environment: European Legal 500 2005
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