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 has an extensive and encyclopaedic knowledge of elections law and he is the go to person when a local authority/returning officer receives an election petition. Emyr will ensure that a returning officer will go through the legal process involved in defending an election petition with minimum fuss.
Legal 500 2023
Emyr Thomas is extremely bright, willing and very good with clients.
Legal 500
The “extremely knowledgeable” Emyr Thomas receives praise for both his capabilities in electoral law and as a parliamentary agent. He acts for a diverse range of clients including local authorities and election officers, with the ability to handle both pre- and post-election matters.
Chambers & Partners
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
Practice areas:
Sector experience:
Emyr is a Roll A Parliamentary Agent, authorised to promote and oppose private and hybrid bills in the Westminster Parliament.
He has over 15 years’ experience of drafting, promoting and opposing primary and secondary legislation, including drafting amendments to public legislation. He negotiates agreements and parliamentary assurances and undertakings and advises on parliamentary procedure. He also acts as an advocate before parliamentary committees in the Commons and the Lords.
Emyr has extensive experience of nationally significant infrastructure projects and regularly advises on all aspects of the development consent order regime, from the validity of pre-application consultations to special parliamentary procedure. Emyr also advises on compulsory purchase and on environmental, highways, and planning law.
Emyr is also acknowledged as an expert in electoral law and advises election administrators on the complex procedural requirements connected with running elections and referendums. He also acts for Returning Officers when the conduct an election is challenged and has been instructed by ROs in the most significant election cases of the past decade. Emyr advises non-aligned campaigning organisations on spending during election periods and has advised individuals and organisations who have been the subject of investigations by the Electoral Commission.
Emyr has, for a number of years, been recognised for his expertise in parliamentary agency and electoral law in both the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.
Memberships
Emyr is a member of the Society of Parliamentary Agents and the Compulsory Purchase Association and founding member and Secretary of the Association of London Welsh Lawyers.Case highlights
- Representing a large number of petitioners on the two HS2 hybrid bills promoted so far, and advising prospective petitioners on the forthcoming HS2 Phase 2B scheme;
- Advising local authorities, amenity groups, and businesses on a variety of development consent orders;
- Advising a Returning Officer whose conduct of a parliamentary election was questioned by a disgruntled candidate.
