Joel practises across all three of Chambers’ main practice areas with a focus on planning, infrastructure, environmental and property law.

Joel practises across all three of Chambers’ main practice areas with a focus on planning, infrastructure, environmental and property law. Given his commercial background, he has a particular focus on claims with a commercial element. In appropriate cases, Joel accepts instructions on a direct access and pro bono basis.

He has significant experience in obtaining injunctions and contempt proceedings to protect land and buildings from trespass and nuisance, particularly by protesters. He is very familiar with the intricate procedural and legal issues which arise in relation to claims brought against ‘persons unknown’. In this field he has recently acted for National Highways, Shell and Exolum in response to direct action by groups such as ‘Insulate Britain,’ ‘Extinction Rebellion’ and ‘Just Stop Oil.’

Click here for more information on Joel's Commercial/Arbitration work.His most recent instructions include:

• Wilkinson v LB Enfield v Tottenham Hotspur Ltd(KB): Acting for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (led by James Maurici KC) in High Court proceedings resisting an application for judicial review of LB Enfield’s decision to dispose of open space land to the Club engaging s.123 of the Local Government Act 1967.

• Acting for Fareham Borough Council (led by Tim Corner KC) in judicial review of decision of Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to place the Council in “special measures” pursuant to s.62A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

• Acting for Weston Homes PLC (led by James Maurici KC) in judicial review of refusal of planning permission by Secretary of State’s Inspector following the Claimant’s s.62A application for planning permission for up to 96 dwellings in Uttlesford.

• Acting for the Civil Aviation Authority in the examination hearings for the Gatwick Airport expansion DCO.

• Acting for National Highways in the examination for the DCO for the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine Project including providing specialist advice in respect of alternative route selection, equalities & discrimination and compliance with environmental legislation.

• Acting for the commercial developer (led by John Litton KC) in a ten-day planning inquiry appealing the decision to refuse planning permission for up to 424 residential dwellings in Uckfield, where the key issue was impact on ancient woodland.

• Acting for the commercial developer (led by Zack Simons) in a seven-day planning inquiry appealing the decision to refuse planning permission for up to 150 residential dwellings in St Albans, where the key issue was impact on the green belt.

• Acting for Warwickshire County Council in an opposed Cycle Track Order hearing convened pursuant to s.3 of the Cycle Tracks Act 1984.

• Acting for the Appellant in his appeal before the Upper Tribunal against the decision of the Disclosure & Barring Service to include him on the Adult’s and Children’s Barred Lists.

• Shell UK Ltd v Persons Unknown and ors [2023] EWHC 1229 (KB): Acting for Shell in the High Court (led by Myriam Stacey KC) in applications to continue three interim injunctions to restrain unlawful protest activity at a range of its sites. This is leading case on non-party challenges to ‘Persons Unknown’ Injunctions

• Acting for a residents' group in the Mole Valley Local Plan examination challenging the soundness of a draft plan on green belt grounds.

• R. (on the application of Annington Property Ltd) v Secretary of State for Defence [2023] EWHC 1154 (Admin): Assisting with High Court proceedings (led by Zia Bhaloo KC and James Maurici KC) in high value (approx. £8Bn) leasehold enfranchisement and judicial review.

• Successfully appeared, unled, for a Rule 6 party in a five-day planning inquiry, which was one of the first appeals to challenge a proposal for Discounted Market Sale housing where key issues were Rural Exception Sites and Very Special Circumstances for Green Belt development (APP/D3640/W/20/3248358).

Before commencing legal studies, Joel was an investment banker with Morgan Stanley in New York. Joel, therefore, brings a wealth of commercial experience to his practice at the Bar. Following his legal studies, he was the Judicial Assistant to Lady Justice Gloster (as she then was) and Lord Justice David Richards (as he then was) at the Court of Appeal where he assisted on cases covering commercial, chancery, public and international law.

Away from the law, Joel can be found performing on a comedy stage or volunteering with initiatives that support social mobility.

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – BA Political Science and Economics (First Class)

• University of Oxford (Mansfield College) – BA Jurisprudence (with Senior Status)

• BPP University, London – BPTC (Outstanding)

• Gray’s Inn: The Bedingfield Scholarship, the Inn’s most prestigious award for the BPTC

• Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholarship

• Morehead-Cain Scholarship, full merit scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Fulbright Scholarshi

Awards

• University of Oxford: D’Souza Prize for the best overall performance on the Senior Status course

• Gray’s Inn: David Karmel Entrance Award, the Inn’s highest award for the GDL

Memberships

• Administrative Law Bar Association

• Chancery Bar Association

• Commercial Bar Association

• Property Bar Association

• United Kingdom Environmental Law Association

Publications