Senior Associate
Paul Collins is an environmental lawyer and Senior Associate in the Business Risk & Regulation team. He has extensive experience advising on regulatory requirements for business and supporting clients on a range of environmental issues, including in connection with corporate and real estate property transactions, and the development of brownfield sites.
Paul worked for the Environment Agency for over a decade until 2024.
He advises on the environmental permitting process and represents clients in appeals against permitting decisions. He advised the EA on the enforcement of the permitting regime, including the issuing of civil penalties and successfully negotiating enforcement undertakings, as an alternative to criminal prosecution. Paul was also the lead lawyer for the EA in enforcing the climate change regimes (including the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme, the Fluorinated Greenhouses Gases regime, and the Climate Change Agreements scheme) and represented the EA in more than 150 appeals against civil penalties, in the First-tier Tribunal and the Upper Tribunal. Therefore he is uniquely well placed to advise clients in relation to enforcement action, and prospects of success when making representations/bringing appeals.
Paul is a member and former trustee of the UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA), a LexisNexis recognised expert in environmental law and a member of the Institute of Regulation.
