Michelmores is celebrating the inclusion of Senior Associate, Rachel O’Connor in The Lawyer’s Hot 100 listing 2020. A definitive and highly respected list of the most exciting and innovative professionals practising law in the UK, Rachel is recognised for her significant contribution to and spearheading of Michelmores’ sustainable agriculture practice.
Tim Richards, Managing Partner at Michelmores said:
“We are very proud of Rachel’s achievement. Her inclusion in the Hot 100 is richly deserved and acknowledges the culmination of three years’ hard work developing expertise in a truly cutting edge and rapidly expanding sector. It is fantastic to see a woman in the early stages of her career recognised as a rising star within the legal profession.”
Kick-started by a change in EU legislation, which permitted the use of insect protein in aquaculture, Rachel has focussed on niche and innovative expertise in relation to the legal aspects of the role insects will play in securing sustainable and sufficient protein sources for generations to come. It is anticipated that this area of legal work will grow as pressures on global food security increase and demand for sustainable food sources grow.
As one of the very few lawyers advising in this specialist area, Rachel has gained a deep knowledge of the subject that covers both the law as well as commercial opportunities for her clients. Rachel has built an excellent network in the sector and currently advises some of the key emerging players in the industry, including Multibox.
Rachel sits on the organising panel for the UK’s annual Insects as Food and Feed Conference (IAFF), in association with the Royal Entomological Society and ADAS. Ahead of the latest IAFF conference in April 2019, Rachel appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today as well as You & Yours after the event, sharing her expertise on the topic. She also hosted Michelmores’ first and highly successful Sustainable Agriculture Conference which took place in Bristol in December 2019.
Tim Richards concludes:
“Rachel is not only an excellent technical lawyer, but strongly believes in supporting sustainable business in general. She is truly innovating within her practice area and is a great example for up-and-coming lawyers to think differently, and to understand the global agenda of needing to support the environment and our communities.”
