Dickinson Dees offers the largest dedicated team of environmental and health and safety law specialists in the North East.
We have one of the UK’s pre-eminent practices advising on all aspects of environmental, health and safety and other regulatory law, comprising compliance advice, regulatory enforcement, civil litigation and transaction support. The Team is highly rated for its work by both Chambers’ Guide to the Legal Profession and Legal 500.
Compliance Advice
We routinely advise on environmental, health and safety and other regulatory matters in relation to such areas as:
• Environment
- Pollution and contamination
- Water resources
- Environmental permitting, e.g. EPs and other consents
- Waste management
- Wildlife and countryside issues
- Renewable energy
- Climate Change
- Environmental economic instruments, e.g. landfill tax, climate change levy, remediation tax relief
- Nuisance i.e. statutory nuisance and common law nuisance
- Environmental management policies and protocols
• Health and Safety
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 matters
- Asbestos
- Corporate manslaughter
- Health and safety management policies and protocols
• Other regulatory areas
- Food safety
- Product safety
- Disability Discrimination
Regulatory Enforcement (and civil disputes)
This work principally involves criminal litigation and civil litigation. Typical work includes:-
• Representation at formal interviews with the Environment Agency, the Police, the Health & Safety Executive, local authorities and other regulators;
• Representation at Court hearings including trials and pleas in mitigation in the Magistrates’ Court;
• Attendance at Inquests;
• Co-ordinating crisis management in response to incidents and fronting discussions with regulatory authorities; and
• Recovering commercial losses caused by environmental and health and safety incidents.
Corporate, Property and Commercial Transactions
We provide environmental and safety advice in a comprehensive but easily understood manner so that our clients can assess and minimise their exposure to risk and ensure that they have necessary consents to operate when buying and selling businesses, properties and services. We cover the full range of transaction work, typically:
• Property sales, purchases and lettings;
• Share sales and purchases;
• Asset sales and purchases;
• Flotations;
• Placings;
• Financing;
• Procurement projects; and
• Commercial contracts
We provide a complete due diligence and compliance advisory service in relation to such transactions, typical work including:
• Carrying out due-diligence enquiries of sellers, local authorities, the Environment Agency, the Health & Safety Executive and other relevant bodies;
• Instructing environmental consultants to carry out site investigations;
• Advising on the implications of consultants’ reports and consequent risk reduction strategies;
• Drafting due diligence reports to summarise the environmental and health and safety issues affecting sites and businesses;
• Drafting disclosure letters;
• Co-ordinating remediation works; and
• Drafting and negotiating warranties, indemnities and other commercial terms in agreements to give our clients protection.
Procurement Projects
We have extensive expertise advising local authorities in setting up contractual partnership arrangements with external service providers for the delivery of waste services, including advising on:
• PFI/PPP procedural issues (including procurement strategies);
• Legal liabilities and risk transfer (including environmental liabilities and risk);
• Contractual structure with the successful bidder;
• Continuation and termination of current contractual arrangements;
• Legal arrangements with the district authorities for ensuring joint commitment to the project, particularly securing the supply of waste;
• Property and planning issues associated with new developments; and
• Liaising with the UK Government and other key stakeholders in relation to project delivery, barriers to delivery and solutions.
Related Services