Stephen Hockman

Background

About Stephen Hockman

Stephen Hockman QC has specialised in all forms of regulatory law for approximately the last 30 years. He is a leader of exceptionally high standing who has a stunningly broad environmental, health and safety and planning practice encompassing judicial review, inquiries, arbitration, civil claims and criminal prosecution and defence work. Stephen has a varied client base, including corporate and individual, regulator and (alleged) polluter. His particular strength lies in the breadth and varied nature of his practice. He is able to draw on his extensive experience in his specialist areas of regulatory and health & safety law, civil and commercial law, and planning and environmental law to provide a unique service in complex and high profile litigation. Stephen is recognised as one of the leading practitioners in the fields of Health and Safety Law and Energy and Natural Resources, where his experience includes appearing for TOTAL UK in the health and safety prosecution arising out of the Buncefield explosion. His practice also encompasses in particular environmental law – making and resisting public law challenges to environmental decisions, appearing for claimants/defendants in environmental cases in the common law courts, for example nuisance, and prosecuting and defending in major pollution cases. Stephen’s practice incorporates too a significant element of local government work, and he has appeared for and advised local authorities in every part of the country on a regular basis, on issues such as town and country planning and internal governance. Stephen is highly recommended by the leading UK legal directories in the areas of Environmental Law and Health & Safety Law. He was nominated for Silk of the Year in Environment/Planning in the 2014 Chambers UK Bar Awards. He is also named in the Best Lawyers in the UK 2015 list for Environmental Law.