Saima Hanif

Date of call: 2002 Lincoln's Inn

Saima undertakes work in all areas of public law, planning and environmental law, employment and financial services law.

Public Law
Her practice covers the full range of public law work, from housing, community care, and mental capacity issues, to matters of local government finance and public procurement. Saima has also developed a strong practice in licensing work — she successfully appeared in one of the first appeals under the 2003 Licensing Act. In addition, she has represented and advised extensively in respect of taxi-licensing matters.

She has a wide experience in education matters. She appears in the SENDIST, and advises on all aspects of education law from pre-school to university, including issues such as disability discrimination, admissions and exclusions, transport, educational negligence, and behaviour and discipline.

She represents claimants, local authorities and other public bodies. She has appeared in a range of courts, including the High Court and the Court of Appeal.

Planning and Environmental Law
Saima has extensive experience in planning inquiries. She represents a range of clients, from developers and Councils to local interest groups — most recently she was involved in an eight-day planning inquiry, where she appeared on behalf of a conservation group. She has experience in all areas of planning law, ranging from local plan inquiries and advertisement control to compulsory purchase orders and s288 appeals. She has appeared in both the Crown Court and the Magistrates court in relation to planning enforcement disputes. Her experience also extends to environmental matters, particularly in relation to waste licensing

Employment Law
Her experience ranges from standard unfair dismissal cases, to more complex TUPE and discrimination matters. She has advised extensively in respect of the age discrimination regulations. In 2005 she appeared on behalf of the Department of Health in one of largest discrimination claims brought against the Department. She was later involved with proceedings also on behalf of the Department of Health related to the recent immigration rule changes. She has developed a speciality in health-related employment disputes, representing Deaneries, Doctors, Nurses and Primary Care Trusts.

Financial Services Law
In 2009, following the collapse of the Icelandic banks, along with a leader, Saima advised a group of depositors who had placed deposits with Kaupthing, Singer & Friedlander. The case involved consideration not only of contractual and regulatory provisions, but also the BACS/CHAPS rules and other surrounding legislation.

Saima is also currently instructed in respect of two high profile FSA investigations. She is being led by Hodge Malek QC.

Saima has spent 8 months in the Financial Regulatory department of the world's largest law firm, Clifford Chance LLP, working on a range of high profile matters, advising commercial and investment banks, private equity groups and governments; examples include drafting the law of partnership for Qatar, working on Northern Rock, advising on the definition of an 'inducement' under MiFID.

In addition, she spent 6 months as the Legal Assistant to the Financial Markets Law Committee, which is housed in the Bank of England and looks at high level legal uncertainty issues in financial markets. Her duties were varied. Of note, she assisted with the drafting of some 8 papers which cover a range of esoteric topics related to the financial services industry. (For further details of the papers see the website at www.fmlc.org). Her experience in this area was enhanced by a six-month secondment to the Financial Services Authority in 2004.

Public Access
Saima is accredited for Public Access which means she can be instructed by anybody, and enquires about this are welcomed. Companies, planning consultants, developers and employment consultants are particularly encouraged to take advantage of this possibility, as are individuals, especially in education matters where parents many need specialist advice and/or representation.”

AFFILIATIONS
Administrative Law Bar Association (ALBA)
Employment Law Bar Association (ELBA)
Planning and Environment Bar Association (PEBA)

EDUCATION
2001 - 2002 BPP Law School: Bar Vocational Course (Very Competent)
1998 — 2001 Oxford University, St Catherine’s College: BA (Jurisprudence)

LANGUAGES
French and Punjabi (working knowledge)

PRIZES and AWARDS
Lincoln’s Inn Kennedy Scholarship (2002)
Lincoln’s Inn Sir Thomas Moore Bursary and Hardwicke Scholarship (2001)
Winner of the Inter- BVC Provider Mooting Competition (2002)
Awarded ‘Best Mooter’ in the Inter-Inn Mooting Competition (2002)
Runner-up in the “Gluckstein Advocacy Competition” (2001)
Winner of Inter-Varsity Mooting Competition against Robinson College, Cambridge (2000)

PUBLICATIONS
Co-editor of the "Administrative Court Digest"

One of the main authors of the Ethnic Minority response to the Government's Consultation Paper on the Single Commission for Equality and Human Rights. (August 2004)

OTHER
President of the Oxford University Law Society: Trinity Term 2000

CLERKS EMAIL
Daniel Perry and Anthony King