The planning & environment practice in international legal practice Osborne Clarke’s Bristol office has been boosted with the appointment of Christian Silk as partner.
Described by the firm as a highly skilled and experienced planning and environment lawyer, Christian, pictured, supports clients across the energy, infrastructure and built environment sectors on planning and environment matters, including strategic advice to clients on their transition to net zero. 
His planning practice covers significant infrastructure projects, contentious and non-contentious planning and development strategy, while his environmental experience covers low carbon technologies, climate change issues and opportunities, and aspects of energy regulation.
Christian, a Chartered Town Planner, has joined Osborne Clarke from Foot Anstey, where he spent nearly five-and-a-half years as a partner and head of the firm’s planning and environment practice.
He has also worked in the Bristol and London offices of Simmons & Simmons and, prior to that, was at Eversheds in Cardiff following more than seven years with Bristol-headquartered TLT.
Osborne Clarke practice group head Michelle McGurl said: “It’s brilliant to have Christian join us, especially at a time of such significant opportunity across the built environment and energy sectors.
“He is a highly skilled and experienced lawyer who will strengthen our growing planning and environment offering, significantly enhancing our team, its expertise and capacity to support our clients.
“Not only will Christian strengthen our planning and environment practice, but he will also help us build new and existing key client relationships and deliver excellent client service on complex, high value infrastructure projects.”
Christian added: “Osborne Clarke has an outstanding planning and environment practice and a strong reputation in this space.
“I’m excited to join such a well-established and respected team, which will enable me to further develop my own practice.
“I look forward to using my diverse experience and professional network to meet the growing demands of clients, particularly in the built environment and energy sectors.”
Christian is the latest in a string of lateral hires at Osborne Clarke over the past year, including financial services regulatory expert Noline Matemera, construction and engineering disputes specialist Rupa Lakha, experienced insolvency litigator Nick Axup, and tax disputes specialist Jack Prytherch.
Osborne Clarke, which employs around 800 people in Bristol, also has offices in London, Reading and across Europe and in China, Singapore and the US, where it has bases in Silicon Valley, San Francisco and New York.
