Alice leads the Environment and Climate Group at Philip Lee. This specialist team of highly experienced lawyers focuses on planning, housing and infrastructure, environment, energy and climate law. The team advises multinational corporations, European energy utilities, banks and investors on a range of renewable energy projects and investments, infrastructure developments, acquisitions and joint ventures in the sustainable development sector. The Group is well known for its experience in the offshore and marine environment, working on offshore renewables, subsea fibre optic networks, interconnectors, ports and harbours. Alice has advised on major projects including the successful applications for the new National Children’s Hospital and new National Maternity Hospital, pending applications for the Dublin Array offshore wind farm, the re-development of the Port of Cork, and one of the first re-powering applications for a large onshore wind farm. Alice is a key part of the firm’s Planning Team which acts as lead advisor to the Irish Planning Board, defending planning judicial review proceedings in the Irish and European Courts. Alice acted for the Board in the High Court and Supreme Court challenges to the grant of planning for Apple’s proposed large-scale data centre development, successfully defending the Board’s decision in both courts.
Philip Lee LLP
The environment and climate team at Philip Lee LLP manages a significant workload for public sector clients related to the construction of schools, transportation networks, and agriculture systems. This complements the team’s engagement in the private sector, where it regularly assists companies with the development of wind farm projects. Alice Whittaker, Rachel Minch SC, and Leonora Mullett co-head the practice and have longstanding experience of handling judicial reviews concerning transport, waste, and energy projects. Maeve Delargy is another key contact.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘The Philip Lee team is a tight, efficient unit with a deep understanding of planning and environmental issues and risks which is unmatched in the market. The team is highly knowledgeable and has broad experience across a range of projects.’
- ‘Alice Whittaker provides extremely thorough legal advice and demonstrates a keen insight into topics relating to the changing legislative and regulatory landscape for large infrastructure projects in Ireland.’
- ‘Philip Lee has the best planning and environmental practice. The team are outstanding, with unparalleled expertise in Ireland. Their advice regularly goes above and beyond the nuts and bolts of the legislation and case law and gets into the practicalities of implications and scenarios for projects and clients. They put significant efforts into helping clients with finding solutions and the best outcomes for their clients and projects.’
- ‘The main qualities of Philip Lee's planning and environmental practice are their unparalleled and specialist knowledge of their field and their excellence in the quality of client delivery and advice. The other notable aspect is they seem to be one of the few, if not the only, predominantly female-led teams serving as great role models for females both within and outside of their sector.’
- ‘Alice Whittaker is an outstanding lawyer, bringing experience and knowledge to all legal queries we raise. She anticipates potential pitfalls and brings an unrivalled level of knowledge and expertise to her advice, clearly and concisely. She is highly responsive and approachable and is transparent in her billing. Excellent all round.'
- 'Maeve Delargy is a fantastic lawyer, with practical and efficient legal advice, highly approachable and an expert in her field.’
Key clients
- An Bord Pleanála
- Aqua Comms
- RWE Renewables Ireland Limited
- Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
- ScottishPower Renewables/Iberdrola
- Mainstream Renewable Power
- Commissioner for Environmental Information
- Emerging Markets Power
- Department of Agriculture Food and Marine
- The Marine Institute
- Commissioners for Irish Lights
- Colas Group
- Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board
- Coillte
- Gyrogy Limited
- Meridiam Partners
- Doyle Shipping Group
- Shannon Foynes Port Company
Work highlights
- Assisted RWE Renewables Limited with the planning and environmental aspects of the Dublin Array offshore wind project.
- Acting for the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board in the defence of judicial review proceedings.
- Assisted Emerging Markets Power with securing consent for the development of an extensive portfolio of onshore wind projects.
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Leading individuals
Rachel is an experienced litigator with particular expertise in planning, environment and public law. She also advises public and private sector clients on non-contentious issues in these areas.Rachel has handled the defence of numerous judicial reviews of decisions relating to the planning and licensing of development including strategic transport, waste and energy infrastructure.She has extensive enforcement experience including criminal prosecutions in the District Court for breaches of environmental licences and planning law, injunction proceedings in the High Court seeking the remediation of unlawful waste disposal sites and general advisory work on the exercise of enforcement functions.Through her work for public authorities, Rachel has acquired in-depth knowledge of public and administrative law and the principles applicable to sound public body decision making, the conduct of investigations and appeals and the provision of access to information under FOI and AIE. She regularly advises in these areas.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Alice Whittaker, Rachel Minch SC, Leonora Mullett