Who? Shazia Yamin, partner, Mishcon de Reya, London.

Why is she in the news? Acted pro bono for Mums for Lungs and ClientEarth, which successfully applied for legal documents in the ongoing ‘dieselgate’ collective action to be unredacted.

Thoughts on the case: ‘Our clients were concerned that the redactions applied to the statements of case prevented the public from fully understanding the circumstances in which vehicles’ emission control systems were alleged to be less effective or switched off altogether.

‘Although litigation on behalf of vehicle owners regarding emissions defeat devices has been ongoing for almost 10 years, this intervention represented the first real opportunity to put witness evidence before the court about the strong public interest in the proceedings and the public health impact of NOx emissions.

‘In finding in favour of our clients, the court set a clear precedent that manufacturers could not simply rely on unspecified assertions of confidentiality.

‘The court added that the public interest would in any event have weighed in favour of lifting the redactions, because “the allegations disclose prima facie credible allegations of serious misconduct”. This is an important win for open justice and for the wider public, who are directly affected by the issues in the litigation.’

Dealing with the media: ‘The redactions applied by the manufacturers would have restricted the media’s ability to report on the forthcoming Pan NOx Emissions trial in October. Securing media support for our clients’ arguments on the need to make the redacted information public was therefore an important aspect of our work. We were assisted in dealing with the media by Questor Consulting, who kindly agreed to work with us pro bono. In the end, representations in support of our clients’ applications were made by the Financial Times and Reuters, as well as several environmental campaign groups.’

Why become a lawyer? ‘I wanted a career that would allow me to apply intellectual rigour while making a meaningful difference to people’s lives. Law appealed to me because it offers exactly that - combining analytical thinking with real-world impact.’

Career high: ‘Working on this matter with Mums for Lungs, ClientEarth, alongside the incredible teams at Mishcon de Reya and Landmark Chambers. Being part of a legal team that achieved a positive outcome for such an important cause has been incredibly rewarding.’

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