Michelle joins DWF after a tenure of 17 years at Addleshaw Goddard where she held the role of global head of environment and sustainability.
With a broad range of clients within the industrial, consumer, manufacturing, waste, real estate, utilities and energy sectors, Michelle advises on the environmental aspects of a variety of transactions and projects, both nationally and internationally including M&A, IPOs, energy and infrastructure projects and real estate redevelopment. She undertakes both non-contentious and contentious work and has over two decades of experience advising on matters related to sustainability and climate change, waste, producer responsibility, greenwashing, environmental reporting and environmental permitting and consenting.
Additionally, Michelle is adept at handling criminal environmental investigations and defence as well as providing strategic, standalone advice on liability risks and operational compliance with regulatory frameworks.
As a member of the UK Environmental Law Association and the Chartered Institute of Waste Management, she is a regular speaker at events, such as the Westminster Energy, Environment and Transport Forum on the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.
Commenting on her appointment, Michelle said: "I am delighted to join DWF's great team of regulatory lawyers. The business' focus and investment in developing Sustainable Business and ESG advisory offerings, along with its own commitment to ESG, is highly attractive to me as it demonstrates a forward-looking approach and understanding of what matters to clients and other stakeholders. I'm looking forward to helping the team develop and grow further over the coming years."
Wayne Lawrence, Global Head of Commercial, Regulatory & Data at DWF, added: "Michelle is a great addition to our regulatory team and we are really pleased to have her join us. Sustainable Business and Environmental is a real area of focus for DWF and our clients. Michelle’s extensive experience in advising on contentious and non-contentious Environmental matters will strengthen our ability to support our clients in the growth and development of their businesses.
Kirsty Rogers, managing partner of DWF in Manchester, said: " Michelle is a fantastic addition to the Manchester office as well as significantly strengthening our sustainability work for clients."
