ABOUT US
The Environmental Law Chambers is deliberately structured to be lean and efficient. We do not have teams of semi-redundant lawyers waiting for the next big transaction to come along. Instead, we have a core legal team, supplemented by arrangements with other lawyers, such that we can call upon additional support if individual transactions demand it.
BARRY LOVE, LL.B. (Hons), Dip.L.P., LL.M
The core legal input for the Environmental Law Chambers is provided by BARRY LOVE. In 2006 he was the first lawyer in private practice to be recognised by the Law Society of Scotland as an accredited specialist in this field. Even now, there are only two such accredited specialists in private practice.
BACKGROUND
Throughout the Nineties Barry was a property lawyer, but switched to environmental law in 2001-02. For most of the Noughties he was with Semple Fraser LLP's top-rated environmental law team (serving as one of the two partners in that team between 2007-2010). He gained a Master's Degree in Environmental Law in 2005.
​
Encouraged by his following of industrial clients, he left Semple Fraser in 2010 in order to launch the Environmental Law Chambers.
WHAT OTHERS SAY
In the legal rating publications, he is "highly regarded" according to The Legal 500, which has recorded "an impressive grip of the interaction between EU and UK Environmental Law", and has described him as "unfailingly helpful", "good with clients" and "a real support to counsel". Chambers Guide to the UK Legal Profession has identified him as a 'leader in his field', and described him as "a delight to work with".
IN PRINT
Examples of press articles include:
​
"Dereliction of Duty" - arguing that Scottish conveyancing solicitors are giving their clients a raw deal by refusing to advise on contaminated land liabilities
​
www.journalonline.co.uk/Magazine/55-4/1007935.aspx
"Nerves of steel to build here" - questioning the adequacy of land remediation at the former Ravenscraig steelworks in Motherwell
www.scotsman.com/news/nerves_of_steel_to_build_here_1_1156016
​
"In the real world, the balance of power is a problem" - pointing out that environmental objections are sometimes given undue weight by the media
​
www.scotsman.com/environment/Barry-Love-In-the-real.4948371.jp
"All talk, no action on the quandary over construction waste" - highlighting drawbacks over the voluntary system of site waste management plans
​
"Striking a balance to protect our environment" - examining the issue of 'environmental justice' and future prospects for legal challenges
living.scotsman.com/legalissues/Striking-a-legal-balance-toprotect.3859286.jp?CommentPage=1&CommentPageLength=1000
IN PERSON
Barry is an experienced presenter at legal conferences and seminars. Examples of recent speaking engagements include:
​
“Legal problems in the enforcement of contaminated land”
Hosted by the Scottish Pollution Control Coordinating Committee
​
"Why Environmental Law is in danger of collapsing under its own weight"
Scottish Environmental Technology Network annual conference
“Sustainable Construction and new development challenges” (Climate Change laws, eco-towns, soil management plans, floods, and sustainability clauses in contracts)
Legal Conference
​
“Industrial Liability” (update on revisions to EU Waste laws)
Legal Conference
“Lawyer Liability for contaminated land”
Hosted by Landmark Information Group
​
“Waste – the journey from Liability to Profit” (the transformation of waste into a commercial fuel product)
Legal Conference
“A critical year for industrial waste operators” (how to deal with regulators)
Legal Conference
“When is a Waste not a Waste?”
Hosted by Waste Facilities Audit Association
“Sustainable Construction and sustainable waste management"
Legal Conference
Barry is the main point of contact for clients, thus ensuring that partner-level input is provided to all clients in this challenging area of the law.
​
He can be emailed direct on barry.love@elchambers.com
What makes you different?
Simplicity - making sense out of the black art of environmental law. Our website is uncluttered by any mission statement or other earnest platitudes asserting our 'client commitment' or 'service values'. They're like bellybuttons - everyone has one, all variations on exactly the same thing. In truth, they don't help clients very much when it comes to choosing lawyers.
​
Most clients already have lawyers in place for their property, corporate and other mainstream legal work. When they need an Environmental lawyer, they normally just want an add-on specialist who won't cut across existing legal ties. And if the price is reasonable, so much the better.
​
In our experience, clients will happily use lawyers whom they know to be masters of their subject and who do not charge inflated prices for that input.
​
They also like lawyers who happily engage external experts, applying a 'horses for courses' approach. There's no point paying a lawyer to research a technical answer when an expert can provide it at better cost.
​
So the Environmental Law Chambers exists to service that specific need, for business clients and the public sector. We don't want any other work streams from our clients - your existing lawyers are probably doing a fine job already.
Carbon Footprint
This is an increasingly important aspect for larger clients.
​
We recognise that preachy finger-wagging is tedious and counter-productive, as is self-important trumpeting of rather feeble green credentials.
​
We try to avoid both.
​
Instead, we keep to the simple measures. We choose to work in offices with plenty of natural light. We use recycled paper. We avoid the production of unnecessary paper copies if an electronic copy will do. And we encourage short meetings via webcam.
​
Because of all this, we are confident that, compared with other law firms offering environmental law services, we have one of the smallest carbon footprints.