Rising star recognised within well-regarded team of Planning Law solicitors

Holmes & Hills Planning Law Team has sustained its Top Tier ranking in the Legal 500, being recognised as a ‘sizeable and experienced’ team of Planning Law solicitors in Essex commended for their ‘experience across contentious and non-contentious work’.

The Holmes & Hills Planning Law Team remains ranked as a Top Tier firm in the 2023 edition, with four of the Planning Law specialists recommended individually. Those named were: Partners, Steven Hopkins and Michael Harman, as well as Senior Solicitor, Jo Lilliott, and significantly, solicitor Sarah Hare was recognised for the first time as a Rising Star.

Sarah Hare is recognised as a Rising Star

The Legal 500 identifies a Rising Star as someone who has provided a major contribution to the firm’s practice, which is a true testament to the work that Sarah is involved in, specifically her work and specialism regarding s106 agreements. Sarah is one of the only three Rising Stars named in the region - Holmes & Hills are delighted that Sarah has obtained this recognition which is fully deserved. This award reflects not only the bespoke advice that Sarah gives her clients but also Sarah’s hard work and dedication to give the best advice and best service possible.

Further individual recognition

Moreover, three more members of the Planning Law Team are recognised.

• Jo Lilliott continues to be recognised for her experience in s106 work. In the Legal 500 2023 edition, it is commented that Jo is ‘especially renowned for her experience in handling s106 agreements, where she advises clients including local planning authorities, developers, and landowners’.
• Steven Hopkins has commentary in regard to the contentious work Steven undertakes ‘including disputes relating to planning permission and statutory and High Court challenges to local authority decisions’.
• Michael Harman is commended as ‘a specialist in claims relating to blight and compulsory purchase orders’ particularly in relation to large infrastructure projects. The firm’s specialism in this area is further bolstered by the recent recruitment of Catherine Hibbert, whose experience includes advice on major infrastructure projects and Inquiries as well as compulsory purchase and compensation matters.

‘Top tier’ planning advice from Holmes & Hills’ Planning Law Team

Furthermore, as well as the individual recognition, the highly regarded Planning Law Team at Holmes & Hills Solicitors has a long-standing reputation as one of the “go-to” teams for specialist, strategic and pragmatic advice on a wide range of planning-related issues. Comments gathered by the Legal 500 2023 editors see that recognition continue describing the team as ‘bespoke’ and ‘offering specialist planning advice and support that many firms cannot’.

As part of the vast research undertaken by the Legal 500 into the legal services marketplace in the region, comments submitted by clients of Holmes & Hills’ Planning Law Team included:

• “The practice has a large, diverse team of solicitors and legal practitioners and can cover all aspects of development-related law and practice, from land registration and sales contract matters through advocacy in planning appeals (particularly hearings and public inquiries) to statutory and judicial reviews and county and high court action, and everything in between.’
• “The practice has strength in depth and can provide advice on a variety of planning issues including Section 106 Agreements and statutory reviews, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of case law.”

The Planning Law Team is well-established currently boasting two Partners, two Senior Solicitors as well as two solicitors, a planning technician, and a trainee solicitor along with the recent recruitment of experienced paralegal, Catherine Hibbert. Moreover, Holmes & Hills is looking to recruit further and add to its ranks of experienced planning solicitors.