Clare Lawrence
Partner
Melbourne
Introduction
Clare is a highly regarded Indigenous land law advisor, known for her significant contributions to the areas of native title and cultural heritage.
Clare Lawrence is experienced in Indigenous land law and land access. She works nationally, focusing on native title, Indigenous cultural heritage and the State and Territory based land rights schemes.
She acts for government, Traditional Owners, and private sector clients in the infrastructure, telecommunications, power and utilities, mining, and oil and gas industries. Her work takes her from remote sites to board rooms, as poor management of Indigenous heritage protection has emerged as a key business risk.
Clare continues to cement her status in this space by contributing to the reform of key legislation in the field, and spearheading Ashurst Perkins Coie's native title thought leadership and seminar programs, which includes our annual publication, Native Title Year in Review.
She has been recognized for her significant contributions by the Native Title by Chambers Asia-Pacific, since 2015, and was awarded 2023 Native Title Lawyer of the Year (Melbourne) by Best Lawyers. In the Ashurst Perkins Coie Melbourne Office, Clare is a Reconciliation Champion working to deliver the outcomes from Ashurst Perkins Coie's stretch Reconciliation Action Plan in the Victorian context.
Latest thinking
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Legal development
South Australia's new Biodiversity Act: Key changes and next steps
May 14, 2026
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Legal development
Little progress in cultural heritage reform around Australia in 2024-2025
September 09, 2025
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Legal development
Australian Law Reform Commission releases Discussion Paper in future acts regime inquiry
September 09, 2025
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Legal development
Native Title Act's expedited procedure under challenge
September 09, 2025
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Legal development
Native title costs decisions: trends and recent developments
September 09, 2025
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Legal development
Indigenous respondents can be removed as parties to native title claims
September 09, 2025
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Legal development
"Claimable Crown lands" under NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act – new law after 40+ years
September 09, 2025
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Legal development
Native title claims with authorization defects risk strike-out applications
September 09, 2025
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Legal development
Full Court upholds negative determination in contested non-claimant application
September 09, 2025
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Legal development
First Nations underwater cultural heritage under increasing scrutiny
September 09, 2025
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Legal development
High Court confirms Native Title Act connection can be met by spiritual connection
September 09, 2025
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Legal development
Glacial progress of developments in native title compensation
September 09, 2025
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