Irwin Mitchell’s Head Of Planning & Environment Makes The Top 100 In Leading Environmental Magazine

Claire Petricca-Riding, Head of Irwin Mitchell’s National Planning & Environmental team has been named as one of the top 100 UK environmental professionals who “have made the greatest impact in the past two years” in the inaugural ENDS Power List.

The list is made up of those nominated by their colleagues, clients and competitors

Claire who is based in Irwin Mitchell’s Manchester office set up the firm’s environmental practice when she joined the firm in October 2019 and has been building the practice since, recently recruiting Stefano d’Ambrosio and Jill Crawford.

Claire has considerable experience in all aspects of planning and environmental matters in a range of sectors: most notably, in the development (commercial, PRS and PBSA), retail, maritime and waste management sectors and she acts on property and corporate transactions in respect of bespoke due diligence.

Recent highlights include advising a large port group in respect of environmental liability and damage in relation to its operations, advising on numerous corporate and real estate transactions in relation to environmental liability, bio-diversity and environmental protection, representing a waste organisation in relation to an odour statutory nuisance claim and representing a large wood recycler in respect of an investigation and prosecution brought by the Environment Agency.

She is a regular commentator and champion for the environmental sector.

Claire  is a Leading Individual in both Chambers & Partners, 2022  (Band 3) and Legal 500 2022 who says:

“Claire Petricca Riding has fantastic client-facing skills and is a great communicator. [She] is very client focused and a good tactician. She is good at thinking outside of the box.” - Legal 500 2022 (Leading Individual)

In their write up on the Powerlist, ENDS said:

"The individuals who made the final list may have shaped or influenced national or local environmental policy. Or they may be unsung heroes whose work is delivering positive change without receiving the recognition they deserve.”

And about Claire they said:

“Petricca-Riding is “the leading environmental lawyer in the north of England”, according to one nominee. “She has a national profile which is impressive considering the legal market is so London-centric,” the nominee added.

Another nominee said: “Claire is forward thinking, approachable and pragmatic when dealing with complex environmental issues that require practical and commercial solutions. She runs an incredibly motivated and strong planning and environmental team and has grown the team since joining a few years ago. She has helped Irwin Mitchell's push for growth in the environmental sector and is passionate about what she does.”

Expert Opinion

“I am delighted and extremely honoured to have made the prestigious ENDS 100 Powerlist. ENDS is a highly respected environmental publication and the key go-to for information and intelligence on environmental matters. I thank everyone that nominated me.

"We have a strong environmental team here at Irwin Mitchell and I am proud of what we have achieved so far and look forward to building it up further to support our clients as they negotiate an increasingly complex legal environment as we transition to a net zero economy.

"We have a team of 11 talented planning and environmental lawyers, being on the list provides further recognition for the hard work the team has done in the last 2 years under very challenging circumstances”
Claire Petricca-Riding - Partner