Alasdair Lewis and Emyr Thomas are exceptional in their field, with a very practical but polished approach to the particular peculiarities of the Parliamentary machine.
Legal 500 2023
Emyr Thomas, Andrew Swaffer, Aidan Dickinson and above all Alastair Lewis are all exceptional solicitors, who I have only good things to say of
Legal 500 2021
Alastair Lewis is hard-working, diligent, approachable, and has a keen insight into how to present the best case for the client.
Legal 500 2021
We find Alastair Lewis is particularly outstanding. He has a down-to-earth, friendly, and engaging manner with clients.
Legal 500 2021
he’s very easy to get on with and he can make things simple to understand.
Chambers and Partners 2019
brilliant, personable and knowledgeable
The Legal 500 2019
Practice areas:
Sector experience:
Alastair acts for clients in the public and private sector promoting and opposing major infrastructure schemes and advising on legislation and public law.
His infrastructure work requires specialist knowledge of planning law, compulsory purchase, environmental and highways law and practice.
His recent work includes advising clients on transport and energy related development consent orders (DCOs), in particular on strategic highway, off-shore wind farm and nuclear power proposals (including advising on a significant proportion of highway DCOs, a number of energy DCOs for objectors and for Suffolk County Council on Sizewell C).
He also promotes legislation for public and other bodies that require additional statutory powers, requiring knowledge and expertise in all aspects of public law and regulatory work.
As a Roll A Parliamentary Agent, Alastair is one of a very small number of lawyers entitled to promote and oppose private and hybrid legislation in Parliament and since he qualified, he has promoted more private Bills in Parliament than any other agent.
He has also acted on most of the major infrastructure projects that have attracted parliamentary scrutiny, including Crossrail and HS2 (acting for most local authorities and a number of significant landowners and national organisations). He drafts primary and secondary legislation (including rules and charters) and advises on Bill amendments and Parliamentary procedures.
Alastair’s recent work includes acting for central government, local government, major developers and transport bodies including highway authorities, rail interests and port and harbour authorities.
Alastair has been ranked in the top tier of the parliamentary section in Chambers UK and the Legal 500 for a number of years.
Memberships
Alastair is a former honorary secretary and president of the Society of Parliamentary Agents and is a member of the Compulsory Purchase Association.Case highlights
- Acting for a large number of petitioners on the HS2 hybrid bill, including most of the local authorities and a number of significant landowners.
- Promoting Bills for the London Borough Councils and Transport for London in 2012 and 2013.
- Promoting six other private bills for a bank and other local authorities since 2012.
- Acting for the opponents to the Rookery South Development Consent Order in the Special Parliamentary Procedure and for the government in the promotion of the two other most recent SPP orders.
- Acting for landowners affected by Crossrail Line 2 and for a large number of significant petitioners on the original Crossrail Bill.
- Acting for a number of clients in drafting amendments to government legislation in the current and recent sessions, a number of which have been taken up.
Publications
- Alastair is the editor of the parliamentary section of Halsbury’s Forms and Precedents.