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About Alison

Alison is a former Partner of Winckworth Sherwood who now acts as a Consulting Parliamentary Agent for the firm. Alison has some 40 years’ experience of the promotion of (and opposition to) private legislation for a wide variety of public and private sector bodies to confer particular statutory powers or authorise infrastructure. Associated with this, she regularly prepares and negotiates related agreements and similar documents dealing with implementation. By far the majority of the infrastructure projects with which she has been involved are connected with or form an integral part of regeneration schemes.

Alison advises on negotiations and drafting of protective provisions and undertakings for both promoters and objectors. These frequently go beyond the stage of provisions in the legislation and are detailed development agreements. Alison also has extensive knowledge of public law issues, regulatory regimes, human rights, transport, compulsory purchase and compensation and related areas of planning and environmental law.

Apart from private legislation, Alison is a legislative draftsman. As a past member of the Scottish Parliament’s external legislative drafting panel, and in the past  acting in a similar capacity for the Northern Ireland Assembly, she has been responsible for drafting a variety of Member’s Bills and related drafting work.

Experience

  • Acting as parliamentary agent on the promotion of the Bills and Orders relating to railways, bank mergers and similar corporate changes, markets, bridges, local authority powers, constitution and property, schools, tramways and harbours, among other matters. In particular she was responsible for the controversial private legislation relating to the business vote in the City of London
  • Promoting four private Bills in the Scottish Parliament to authorise major new railways
  • Promoting Scotland’s only two transport and works (TAWS) Orders authorising regeneration and redevelopment of major railway termini
  • Acting as Government Agent and with the firm’s Hybrid Bill team on the promotion of the Hybrid Bills to authorise HS1, HS2 and Crossrail and advising Government on hybridity and hybrid instruments.

Professional Memberships

  • Law Society of England and Wales

Career Experience

2018 to date: Consulting Parliamentary Agent

2018: Voluntarily ceased to be a solicitor

1978 to 2018: Partner, Winckworth Sherwood

1978: Roll A Parliamentary Agent

1975 to 1978: Assistant Solicitor, Winckworth Sherwood

1971 to 1975: Articled Clerk, Winckworth Sherwood

1971: Articled Clerk, Haymon & Walters

Alison Gorlov is “first rate.”

Legal 500, 2015

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Clients instruct Alison Gorlov “because she is very astute and very hands-on. She sees the whole picture and many of the points that her opponents miss.”

Chambers and Partners UK

1/4

She is nationally known for her harbour work, and is praised for her “incredibly deep knowledge of her subject matter, which she can articulate to her clients.”

Chambers and Partners UK

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“Alison Gorlov has a wealth of experience in infrastructure promotions and proceedings in parliament.”

Legal 500

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