Ingrid Gubbay

Of Counsel
London

OVERVIEW

Ingrid Gubbay is a skilled litigator and campaign lawyer with 25 years’ experience and heads the HR & Environmental team. She has won awards for her ground-breaking cases, both in Australia where she ran test cases and class actions at the legal Aid Commission of NSW, and in the UK, where she formerly worked as Principal Campaign lawyer at the NGO Which?.

Expertise

She conducts strategic public/private law litigation and advice, both domestically and internationally, on behalf of communities affected by large scale corporate violations. Ingrid frequently comments on legal innovations in the field of Business and Human Rights.

She is an active member of the Global Climate Litigation network, a Trustee of Legal Action Network (LAW) which works to bring legal accountability for women living in conflict zones, and a legal trustee of the Dutch environmental social enterprise ‘Sea Rangers’, which professionally trains and empowers unemployed youth to work with nations to protect their marine environments

In March 2022, she was appointed Visiting Research Fellow by BIICL.

The Financial Times 2021 Innovative Lawyers Awards shortlisted Ingrid for the 'Sustainable Lawyer' accolade because of her substantive work on climate change litigation and for championing the role of lawyers in tackling global warming. In April 2019, Ingrid was featured by the Law Society as ‘Lawyer of the Week’ for her work on the successful #PeriodPoverty legal campaign.

Clients

She regularly acts for a wide range of organisations, including WWF, Avaaz, Client Earth, climate activists and campaigners in the area of gender justice.

Working towards a diverse, equitable and inclusive work force is paramount to Ingrid who is an active member of Hausfeld's LGBTQ+ inclusion group.

WHAT OTHERS SAY

Chambers UK

'She is incredibly well informed, up to date and has broad knowledge of the area of environmental law.' - Environment: Climate Change, Mainly Claimant, Chambers UK, 2023

The Financial Times 2021 Innovative Lawyers Awards

The FT highlighted Ingrid as one of five trailblazing sustainability leaders. They shortlisted Ingrid for this award because of her substantive work on climate change litigation and for championing the role of lawyers in tackling global warming.

Legal 500 UK

Ranked as 'Leading Individual' - Civil Liberties and Human Rights, 2024 and 2025

‘Key Lawyer, Ingrid Gubbay impress with legal knowledge, tactical awareness and commitment to the case and clients. Ingrid is a leader in the field of environmental law with a rounded knowledge of domestic and international caselaw.’ - Real Estate: Environment, 2024

Ranked as a 'Leading Individual, Ingrid Gubbay is well recognised for having a wealth of expertise and experience in human rights work with a particular emphasis on environmental cases where the rights of individuals are at stake - whether that be in the domestic or international arena.' - Civil Liberties and Human Rights, 2023

Ranked as a 'Leading Individual, Ingrid Gubbay has enormous experience as a litigator in the UK and leads a strong team.' '[Ingrid]'s knowledge of public law, civil liberties, human rights and environmental law coupled with her tactical awareness makes her a formidable litigator and one who you would always want on your side!' - Civil Liberties and Human Rights, 2022

'... experienced litigator.' - Environment, 2022

'... experienced litigator Ingrid Gubbay...' - Civil Liberties and Human Rights, 2021

Best Lawyers

Ingrid has been recognised for Environmental Law in the 'United Kingdom Best Lawyers' 2024 and 2025 edition.

Pro Bono Recognition List

In 2024 and 2025, Ingrid was recognised as part of the formal Pro Bono Recognition List, published annually, which celebrates solicitors and barristers who have dedicated 25 or more hours of pro bono legal assistance in the previous calendar year. The list is under the patronage of The Lady Chief Justice of England & Wales and is supported by The Law Society, Bar Council and all major pro bono legal organisations.

Other highlights

The Law Society Legal Excellence Awards 2019 shortlisted the Hausfeld team for the 'Access to Justice' award, commending its work on the ‘Hausfeld, Free Periods and Red Box Project’.
Ingrid was featured as ‘Lawyer in the News’ for her work on Period Poverty. – The Law Society, January 2019
Awarded ‘Most Outstanding Achievement in 30 years’ - Legal Aid Commission (NSW) 30th Anniversary, 2009
Nomination in the ‘In House Lawyer’ category - The Lawyer awards, 2007

- Issued a claim on behalf of a group of Zambian villagers against Vedanta Resources Limited and Konkola Copper Mines plc, in respect of the contamination of the waterways caused by their mining operation.
- Developed the drafting of the legal Communication submitted on behalf of 16 youth petitioners to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, led by teenage activist Greta Thunberg.
- Drafted a comprehensive Guide for WWF UK’s 5-year plan regarding Climate Change and Children: litigation and campaign options, working with Essex and Strathclyde Universities.
- Obtained settlement for 500 former workers in India following mercury contamination.
- Led Hausfeld London’s legal project against air pollution.
- Assisted communities affected by hydropower dam builds in Northern Iraq and Brazil.
- Provided comprehensive advice to Pacific Small Island States on climate litigation/arbitration options.
- Advised on threats to customary owned land by palm oil operators in Liberia.
- Advised communities poisoned by lead smelting works in Kazakhstan.
- Acting on behalf Daze Aghaji and Peter Garforth to hold the Government to account for its failures to adopt adequate policies to combat climate change through bringing a Judicial Review in relation to the Government's carbon budgets.
- Hausfeld acted for Save the Children in their intervention in Duarte Agostinho & 5 Others v Portugal & 32 Others before the European Court of Human Rights, highlighting the impact of climate change on children and on their right to safety/prosperous future.
- Acting for Mums for Lungs, Students for Global Health, The Good Law Project and UK Youth Climate Coalition challenging the UK government to review its Clean Air Strategy in light of emerging links between air quality and the incidence and severity of COVID-19.
- Led the legal campaign to end #PeriodPoverty, teaming up with Crowd Justice, Free Periods and the Red Box Project.
- Acted in two high profile judicial reviews on behalf of Avaaz - the first related to resisting the Murdoch family’s bid for BSKYB news (one of the drivers leading to the Leveson Inquiry) and the second related to the Murdoch family’s bid for Sky and the question of whether Sky would remain ‘fit and proper’ to hold a broadcasting licence if 100% owned by 21st Century Fox.
- Assisted Masai villages affected by tourism operators on their land in Tanzania.
- Advised local communities in South America and South Africa in their disputes with mine operators.
- Acted for the CEO of a disability aviation charity, in relation to a disability discrimination claim against Carnival PLC t/a Cunard.

'Ingrid is a leader in the field of environmental law with a rounded knowledge of domestic and international caselaw.’

Legal 500, UK 2024

'She is incredibly well informed, up to date and has broad knowledge of the area of environmental law.'

Chambers UK, 2023

Ingrid Gubbay is well recognised for having a wealth of expertise and experience in human rights work with a particular emphasis on environmental cases where the rights of individuals are at stake – whether that be in the domestic or international arena.

Legal 500 UK, 2023

[Ingrid]’s knowledge of public law, civil liberties, human rights and environmental law coupled with her tactical awareness makes her a formidable litigator and one who you would always want on your side!

Legal 500 UK, 2022