England - London • Real estate
Leigh Day
The environmental team at Leigh Day exclusively focuses on representing claimants in matters ranging from multi-party actions, in jurisdictions where legal representation is difficult to come by, often arising from environmental damage; to UK and European public law challenges regarding climate change and human rights; to UK-based litigation in relation to breaches of environmental regulations, defending clients against such well-known corporations as Shell. Martyn Day specialises in international work. Daniel Leader has a notable focus on complex, multi-party, cross-jurisdictional action work. Richard Meeran, who has particular experience handling disputes in South Africa, and planning specialist Jamie Beagent co-head the practice. Tessa Gregory is a litigator who stands out for her expertise in wildlife and habitat protection-related work in relation to the planning and development of infrastructure which threatens it, experienced associate solicitor Carol Day also has expertise in this area. Key associates in the team include Rowan Smith, who is adept at handling climate change work.
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Key clients
- Parties v Amerisur Resources Plc
- The Ogale and Bille Communities, Nigeria
- Kabwe Lead Poisoning Class Action
- The Bodo Community clean-up claim, Nigeria
- Diesel emissions group litigation
- Wild Justice
- The Wildlife Trusts
- Better Streets for Kensington and Chelsea
- Save Our Safer Streets Tower Hamlets
- Friends of the Earth
- River Action
- Global Feedback
- Uplift
- Possible (The 10:10 Foundation)
- Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport
Work highlights
- Acting for the Ogale and Bille communities in the Niger Delta, who allege that oil spills from Shell’s pipelines have caused long-term and serious contamination of their land and water.
- Advising Johannesburg attorneys on a class action against Anglo American South Africa Ltd filed in the Johannesburg High Court on behalf of over 100,000 Zambian people believed to have been poisoned by lead.
- Represented Friends of the Earth Ltd in a successful judicial review of the Government’s Net Zero and Heat and Buildings Strategy, published in breach of the Government’s duties under the Climate Change Act 2008.
Lawyers
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Leigh Day
Dan Leader is a barrister and partner at Leigh Day with 20 years of litigation experience. He specialises in international human rights and environmental litigation with a particular focus on group actions on behalf of claimants from the developing world. He has extensive experience of cases against parent companies, complex group actions and mass tort claims, as well as cross-border disputes and jurisdictional issues. His recent cases include: Okpabi v Royal Dutch Shell plc [2021] UKSC 3 Claims on behalf of two Nigerian communities arising from systemic oil pollution by Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary. The Supreme Court reaffirmed and expanded upon parent company liability principles previously set out in Vedanta. Lungowe v Vedanta plc [2019] UKSC 20 (with Martyn Day and Oliver Holland). Claims on behalf of 1,826 Zambian farmers arising out of damage to the environment caused by harmful discharges from the Konkola copper mine. In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court set out the jurisdictional principles in cross-border claims against parent companies. Rihan v EY Global Ltd [2020] EWHC 901 (QB). A successful international whistle-blowing claim on behalf of a former EY partner who refused to sanction a cover up of audit findings of money laundering and conflict minerals in the Dubai Gold trade. AAA v. Unilever plc [2018] EWCA Civ 1532. A case on behalf of 218 Kenyan tea workers who contend that Unilever failed to protect them from the foreseeable risk of ethnic violence in 2007. AAA v. Petra Diamonds [2021]. A parent company case on behalf of 97 Tanzanian clients arising out of serious human rights abuses on the Williamson Diamond Mine. AAA v. Camellia plc [2021]. A parent company case on behalf of 85 Kenyan clients arising out of human rights abuses at the hands of security guards employed by Camellia’s Kenyan subsidiary, Kakuzi. AAA v. Gemfields Ltd [2019]. A claim by 300 individuals for personal injury arising out of serious human rights abuses on and around a ruby mine in northern Mozambique. The Bodo Community v. Shell Petroleum Development Company Ltd [2015] (with Martyn Day). A claim by a community of 30,000 Nigerians for compensation and remediation of their lands arising out of extensive oil spills in the Niger Delta which settled for £55m in 2015. Other cases include the “Mau Mau litigation” (Mutua v FCO [2013]) which resulted in reparations for 5,000 victims of colonial era torture and the Baha Mousa Inquiry [2010] into torture by the British Army in Iraq.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Richard Meeran, Jamie Beagent