Nieves Noval

Focus

Nieves leads the Sustainable Food Systems Legal Team, supporting food systems transformation in Europe and beyond. Her work is grounded in a clear vision: food systems that are democratic and inclusive, agroecological and community-led, economically fair, healthy and nourishing, and that uphold the rights of people, animals, and the planet.

Through litigation, accountability strategies and legal innovation, the team uses the law as a tool to challenge structural harms and accelerate systemic change.

Experience 

Nieves is a senior environmental lawyer with over 20 years of experience, with a professional track record rooted in litigation practice and procedural strategy.

She joined ClientEarth in 2018 through the Oceans Programme. Since 2022, she has been part of ClientEarth’s Agriculture Team, first as a Senior Lawyer and later as the team lead.

Prior to ClientEarth, she practised litigation both in national and international law firms and later worked as international legal counsel in the renewable energy sector. Alongside her legal work, Nieves has taught litigation and civil procedure at university and postgraduate level.

Education and Training

Nieves graduated in Law in 2002 from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and has been admitted to the Bar since 2008.

She holds a Master’s degree in Advanced Law Studies from Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and has complemented her legal training with specialised work in strategic litigation, environmental governance and EU environmental law.

Nieves has published on litigation, renewable energies and European environmental law, and continues to develop her interdisciplinary perspective through ongoing PhD research focused on strategic litigation.

Working at ClientEarth brings together what I’m most passionate about: raising awareness and using strategic litigation to protect nature, drive accountability and advance justice. I'm guided by the conviction that nature matters in its own right - not only for the benefits it provides - and by the hope that fairer futures are possible for people, for animals, and for the planet.