Lawyer in the news

Who? Charlie Hopkins, 50-year-old co-founding partner of two-partner public interest law firm and environmental charity EarthRights, based in Devon and Essex.

Why is he in the news? Represents two Islington residents who oppose Arsenal Football Club's plans for a new 60,000-seater stadium in the Ashburton Grove area of north London.

The residents have asked the European Court of Human Rights to block the stadium, after the High Court rejected their case.

They claim the club infringed their human rights by allegedly withholding information that they say could have altered the outcome of the planning decision.

Background: First in Geography and B.Phil in Latin American studies, both from Oxford, and a D.Phil in natural resource development and ecology from Sussex University.

Qualified as a barrister in 1991.

Joined London law firm Leigh Day & Co and requalified as a solicitor, moving to Bindman & Partners as a consultant in 1997.

He set up EarthRights with John Dunkley the following year.

Route to the case: 'I was first instructed by the Islington Stadium Community Alliance at the time the planning permission was considered by Islington Council in October 2001.

It was a planning matter involving community groups, which is predominantly the kind of work we do.'

Thoughts on the case: 'I was once an Islington resident, and Arsenal was my local team, so it's nothing personal.

But when you actually look at the detail of where they want to put a 60,000-seater stadium, it simply will not work in either the short or long term in terms of the chaos and disruption that it is likely to cause.'

Dealing with the media: 'There has been a great deal of media interest in this case.

I cut my teeth at Leigh Day & Co which has a fairly high media profile so it's something I'm familiar with, and I'm perfectly happy and comfortable with that.'

Chris Baker