"….a really excellent barrister to lead a case: she is attuned to the strengths of her team and has a really good strategic vision.”
Chambers & Partners 2022
Zoë practises in all areas of public law & human rights, and environmental law. She has been involved in many of the leading cases across these areas.
She was appointed as Queen’s Counsel in 2022. She is a member of the Equality & Human Rights Commission’s B Panel of Counsel. Prior to taking Silk, she was a member of the Attorney General’s A panel.
Zoë is ranked as a leading practitioner across her areas of practice in Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500. In 2021, Zoë was nominated as Public Law & Human Rights Junior of the Year at the Chambers Bar Awards.
Zoë is consistently instructed in high profile and complex judicial reviews, claims under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010. She acts for a diverse range of clients including individuals, charities & NGOs, corporate entities. central government departments, local authorities and other public bodies.
She has expertise across the public law spectrum, in areas such as welfare benefits, health and social care, immigration and asylum, education, local government and regulatory & commercial judicial review. Recent clients include Liberty, Women’s Aid, Ofgem, the Disclosure & Barring Service, Ofsted, the Office of Rail & Road and the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care.
Zoë is particularly well-known for her discrimination expertise and has brought and defended many of the leading Article 14 ECHR and Equality Act 2010 cases of recent years, particularly in the field of welfare benefits and health and social care.
Chambers & Partners (2022) (Admin & public law) describes Zoe as “… a really excellent barrister to lead a case: she is attuned to the strengths of her team and has a really good strategic vision.” Prior to taking silk, she was nominated as Public Law & Human Rights junior of the year at the Chambers & Partners Bar Awards 2021.
Significant cases include:
Zoë acts for individuals (often through FRU), for NGOs (such as CPAG, Z2K, PLP and Mind) and for the DWP, CSA, HMRC and DoH. She has developed considerable expertise across the full spectrum of benefits, in addition to child support as well related pensions issues. Zoë’s cases frequently involve HRA and/or EU law issues.
Zoe has a strong reputation in health, mental capacity and community care work, and has been involved in some of the leading cases in recent years. She acts for and against NHS bodies in contractual / pensions disputes, and in judicial reviews for and against NHS bodies and local authorities in respect of primary, secondary and social services issues (e.g. GP surgery closures, NHS continuing healthcare, consultation, health inequalities, section 17 support and asylum support). She appears regularly in the Court of Protection on medical treatment and personal welfare cases (including DoLs), and also acts for the Care Quality Commission.
Zoë’s work in this area encompasses asylum and immigration work for both claimants (individuals and commercial organisations) and the Home Office in the Upper Tribunal and the Courts at all levels. She also acts in unlawful detention matters for both sides.
Zoë undertakes a range of work in this field including for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, for the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly the ISA/DoH) in relation to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, for Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission, and for commercial organisations and individuals. She appears regularly in a variety of courts and tribunals in this context.
Zoë regularly advises local authorities and individuals across a broad range of subject matters including housing, education, local government finance, standards issues, planning, highways, mental health, community care and equalities. Her planning & highways expertise is set out under the above link.
Zoë’s work often raises varied and complex issues under EU law. In the social security field, Zoë has undertaken a number of EU law cases raising issues under the Citizenship Directive, Regulation 1408/71, Regulation 883/2004, the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights and the TFEU itself.
In relation to her environmental and planning work, Zoë advises on the EIA/SEA, Habitats and Air Quality Directives and on the Aarhus Convention on Access to Environmental Information, as well as on information rights generally. She also has experience advising on the Services Directive and on EU procurement and state aid matters.
Zoë has varied experience of acting for all sides in statutory planning challenges/judicial reviews and planning inquiries including large scale housing and retail schemes. She regularly advises individuals, developers, government department and local authorities on a variety of planning, highways and related CPO issues.
In 2015, Zoë was listed as a leading planning junior in the Legal 500 (“highly impressive in the High Court and completely on top of her subject”) and was ranked in the top 6 barristers for most appearances in the Planning Court in Planning Magazine’s survey. She has been regularly rated as one of the top planning barristers under the age of 35 in the same survey. She was an editor of the Planning Encyclopedia from 2004-2009. She regularly provides training to local authority officers on a broad range of issues.
Zoë’s practice in this area involves appearing for and advising central government, the Environment Agency, local planning authorities, developers, individuals and NGOs in judicial reviews and statutory challenges and in related enforcement proceedings. She has expertise in relation to EIA and SEA, the Habitats Directive and on a broad range of other environmental issues such as air quality, noise, tree protection and flood risk.
Zoë read Classics at Downing College, Cambridge and did her CPE at City University. Zoë is a member of ALBA, the HRLA, PEBA and UKELA.
Assistant editor of the Planning Encyclopedia (2005-2009).
Human Rights Practice (Simor ed), Assistant editor (2003-4), Contributor (2004-2009).
Case commentator for Education Law Journal (2003-9).
Zoë is bilingual French/English. She also speaks good Italian and basic Spanish and Portuguese.
Zoë regularly gives seminars to a wide range of audiences including local authorities, the Government Legal Department, solicitors’ firms and other groups such as Young ALBA. Zoë has trained lawyers and members of the judiciary on the ECHR in Albania, Turkey and Georgia on behalf of the Council of Europe and local authority officers on behalf of the British Institute of Human Rights.
7 Feb 2017: Caps, cuts and welfare reform: other recent developments
7 Feb 2017: Update on the Personal Independence Payment
12 Oct 2016: Health & Social Care: Duties to non-UK nationals
29 Sep 2016: Legislating for Brexit
22 Feb 2016: Commissioning decisions, limited resources, ECHR rights and best interests
14 Jul 2015: Challenges to screening decisions – a review of the recent case law presentation
14 Jul 2015: Challenges to screening decisions – a review of the recent case law
4 Jun 2015: Social Security and Human Rights
4 Jun 2015: Social Security and Human Rights – Slides
13 Mar 2015: EIA screening: themes from the recent case law
24 Feb 2015: Care Act 2014: Safeguarding Provisions
10 Feb 2015: Duties of Candour
1 Apr 2014: The HS2 Hybrid Bill: Preparing evidence and presenting the case
1 Aug 2012: Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose? Lessons on Planning Reform from the Dobry Review of Development Control [2012] JPL 899
Zoë is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. In order to provide legal services to her clients, including advice and representation services, Zoë needs to collect and hold personal data. This includes her client’s personal data and the personal data of others who feature in the matter upon which she is instructed. To read Zoë’s privacy notice in full, please see here.
"A top environmental lawyer who thinks fast and always tactically, and who carefully and fairly puts across the legal position."
"Zoe is super-smart and a complete expert in discrimination law and equality rights. Very impressive with her advocacy in the court room."
"Zoe is really thoughtful and writes eloquent submissions." "Zoe is very thorough and has good judgement."
"She is very astute and very quick at grasping legal issues."
"Zoe is a talented and erudite advocate. She is ferocious when she needs to be and restrained when necessary." "She is a smart and thoughtful barrister." "She is very hard-working and really good to talk to and bounce ideas off."
"She is a really excellent barrister to lead a case: she is attuned to the strengths of her team and has a really good strategic vision." "She works hard and advocates effectively for her clients."
"Well on her way to silk. Really excellent and very approachable."
"Her written work is exceptional and she’s very switched on.” “She is clear and thoughtful in the way she presents her arguments."
"She cuts straight to the point very easily and is a precise and economical lawyer – she doesn’t waste time.” “Excellent communication skills and analytical abilities.” “She’s down to earth and highly approachable, and has excellent public law knowledge. She’s also an impressive advocate and is very robust when she needs to be, delivering great results for her clients."
"She’s brilliant.” “She has a very good legal mind."
"She’s a creative, knowledgeable and very reliable barrister, and is a real pleasure to work with.” “Absolutely outstanding. She’s incredibly intelligent, dedicated and hard-working. She’s very patient and approachable with clients, and highly effective at dismantling her opponents’ case."
"She’s extremely responsive, proactive and very good to work with. Her written work is of the highest quality."
"An extremely personable and approachable barrister who is very knowledgeable on the law. She is both intelligent and strategic.” “Very persistent in a measured way when on her feet” and “a great legal analyst."
"She is intelligent as well as calm, and very user-friendly."
"A superstar who does an impressive mix of significant work for claimants as well as for central government.” “She’s very pleasant and modest, which can lull the opposition into a false sense of security, but she’s always well prepared and very bright and makes really good arguments."
"Extremely hard-working and dedicated advocate who really does her absolute best for clients. She combines real intellectual strength with a very attractive presentation style in court.” “She works hard to master the detail on a case and gives good, practical advice."
"Her submissions are impressive; she is articulate, fights her corner in a fair way, and has the right touch.” “Zoe is totally committed and puts in a huge amount of time and effort."
"She is a very creative and tenacious lawyer, who’s particularly good at cutting to the chase and getting good results."
"Total dedication to the cases she is involved in. Her attention to detail and grasp of the issues is hugely impressive.” She is “extremely clear, concise and accurate on paper and in oral advocacy. A very warm and engaging advocate.” “A very good lawyer but she also understands the social policy, which is very important."
"Routinely instructed in high-profile matters in the human rights field, she displays a particular flair for environmental, planning, immigration and social security law… “She always sees both sides of the argument, and has a really strong knowledge of the legislation.” “She shows total dedication to her cases and clients."
"Incredibly thorough and very intelligent."
"She is great at wading through complex issues and condensing into salient points."
"Recommended for matters with EU or human rights elements."
"Highly impressive in the High Court and completely on top of her subject."
"A very skilful advocate who can make the best of a difficult case."
"….a really excellent barrister to lead a case: she is attuned to the strengths of her team and has a really good strategic vision.” Chambers & Partners 2022
CHAMBERS & PARTNERS 2022
Contact Zoë: ZoeLeventhal@matrixlaw.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7404 3447
Contact Zoë's Practice Team (Team X): TeamX@matrixlaw.co.uk
Zoë practises in all areas of public law & human rights, and environmental law. She has been involved in many of the leading cases across these areas.
She was appointed as Queen’s Counsel in 2022. She is a member of the Equality & Human Rights Commission’s B Panel of Counsel. Prior to taking Silk, she was a member of the Attorney General’s A panel.
Zoë is ranked as a leading practitioner across her areas of practice in Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500. In 2021, Zoë was nominated as Public Law & Human Rights Junior of the Year at the Chambers Bar Awards.
Zoë is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. In order to provide legal services to her clients, including advice and representation services, Zoë needs to collect and hold personal data. This includes her client’s personal data and the personal data of others who feature in the matter upon which she is instructed. To read Zoë’s privacy notice in full, please see here.
"A top environmental lawyer who thinks fast and always tactically, and who carefully and fairly puts across the legal position."
"Zoe is super-smart and a complete expert in discrimination law and equality rights. Very impressive with her advocacy in the court room."
"Zoe is really thoughtful and writes eloquent submissions." "Zoe is very thorough and has good judgement."
"She is very astute and very quick at grasping legal issues."
"Zoe is a talented and erudite advocate. She is ferocious when she needs to be and restrained when necessary." "She is a smart and thoughtful barrister." "She is very hard-working and really good to talk to and bounce ideas off."
"She is a really excellent barrister to lead a case: she is attuned to the strengths of her team and has a really good strategic vision." "She works hard and advocates effectively for her clients."
"Well on her way to silk. Really excellent and very approachable."
"Her written work is exceptional and she’s very switched on.” “She is clear and thoughtful in the way she presents her arguments."
"She cuts straight to the point very easily and is a precise and economical lawyer – she doesn’t waste time.” “Excellent communication skills and analytical abilities.” “She’s down to earth and highly approachable, and has excellent public law knowledge. She’s also an impressive advocate and is very robust when she needs to be, delivering great results for her clients."
"She’s brilliant.” “She has a very good legal mind."
"She’s a creative, knowledgeable and very reliable barrister, and is a real pleasure to work with.” “Absolutely outstanding. She’s incredibly intelligent, dedicated and hard-working. She’s very patient and approachable with clients, and highly effective at dismantling her opponents’ case."
"She’s extremely responsive, proactive and very good to work with. Her written work is of the highest quality."
"An extremely personable and approachable barrister who is very knowledgeable on the law. She is both intelligent and strategic.” “Very persistent in a measured way when on her feet” and “a great legal analyst."
"She is intelligent as well as calm, and very user-friendly."
"A superstar who does an impressive mix of significant work for claimants as well as for central government.” “She’s very pleasant and modest, which can lull the opposition into a false sense of security, but she’s always well prepared and very bright and makes really good arguments."
"Extremely hard-working and dedicated advocate who really does her absolute best for clients. She combines real intellectual strength with a very attractive presentation style in court.” “She works hard to master the detail on a case and gives good, practical advice."
"Her submissions are impressive; she is articulate, fights her corner in a fair way, and has the right touch.” “Zoe is totally committed and puts in a huge amount of time and effort."
"She is a very creative and tenacious lawyer, who’s particularly good at cutting to the chase and getting good results."
"Total dedication to the cases she is involved in. Her attention to detail and grasp of the issues is hugely impressive.” She is “extremely clear, concise and accurate on paper and in oral advocacy. A very warm and engaging advocate.” “A very good lawyer but she also understands the social policy, which is very important."
"Routinely instructed in high-profile matters in the human rights field, she displays a particular flair for environmental, planning, immigration and social security law… “She always sees both sides of the argument, and has a really strong knowledge of the legislation.” “She shows total dedication to her cases and clients."
"Incredibly thorough and very intelligent."
"She is great at wading through complex issues and condensing into salient points."
"Recommended for matters with EU or human rights elements."
"Highly impressive in the High Court and completely on top of her subject."
"A very skilful advocate who can make the best of a difficult case."