David Forsdick

David was appointed King’s Counsel in 2014 and specialises in environmental and planning law, local authority law and associated public law.  His practice is approximately evenly split between cases in the High Court and above, inquiries and advisory work and his clients include major players in his area of expertise including numerous central government departments, large local authorities, a number of the main environmental NGOs and commercial landowners and developers.

To give a flavour of his practice, recent work includes acting for the RSPB in a challenge concerning protection of a rare species on grouse moors in SPAs; for the government in judicial reviews concerning withdrawal of funding from failed waste PFIs; for owners of tall buildings in securing injunctions and contempt findings in respect of urban exploring; for a London borough in securing £multi-million unpaid affordable housing contributions; for landowner in £multi-million compensation claims following CPO; a major developer in a dispute on affordable housing and viability; for the government in securing permission for a new school in Gloucester, for a County in resisting permission for a huge and controversial  mineral site  and for a local authority successfully restricting the spread of airport related car-parking across its area.

Consistently highly rated in the key directories, recent recommendations have described him as “hugely impressive”; “a fantastic talent”; “thorough, detailed, bright and pleasant to deal with”; “really frighteningly astute”; and “so focussed, intelligent, sharp and responsive and very practical”.

A Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown – appointed 2005 (B Panel – 2002 and C Panel – 1999)

Appointed as Secretary of State decision maker in statutory appeals – 2008/9

Appointed as legal assessor by Secretary of State and by mediators in various contexts

Chair of the Free Representation Unit 1993-94

Chair of Governors of Federation of Primary Schools in Islington (since 2001)