Projects, Energy, Environment & Resources

As cities grow to maintain pace with their populations and demand for a range of uses, urban regeneration projects and major new mixed-use developments are evolving to incorporate new technologies and promote sustainability. Our team assists clients to develop and deliver market-leading examples of these projects , working closely with both private developers and project sponsors as well as public stakeholders to deliver innovative projects.

We develop and implement strategies for negotiating complex project agreements and obtaining all required entitlements and permissions, while leveraging our digital technol-ogies, infrastructure, telecommunications, transport, utilities, sustainability, and energy teams to maximize value for our clients.

Our team has been involved in the climate change regulatory journey from the early days. We have been advising on carbon regulation—including emissions trading schemes, carbon accounting and disclosure obligations, carbon offset projects—as the legal frameworks have emerged. We help clients to ensure their climate action publicity is well grounded.

Our global team can help assess how climate risk impacts on your people, assets, markets and supply chains; make disclosures on climate related risks and opportunities under reporting frameworks including Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB); prepare and review climate transition plans; and provide strategic and regulatory compliance advice on carbon regulation, transactions and projects.

With rising energy demand and costs, the energy sector faces one of the greatest industrial challenges as the opportunity to incorporate new forms of generation into the energy mix while achieving energy security, affordability and sustainability in an increasingly volatile world.

Operating across every aspect of the energy sector, we provide an end-to-end service covering all sources of energy generation and hydrocarbon production, including onshore and offshore wind, solar, pumped hydro, geothermal, biomass, biofuel, waste-to-energy, and tidal. We advise on oil and gas across upstream, midstream and refining, as well as firming and storage technologies, including battery storage and smart meters, and emerging energy technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture, use and storage, carbon offsets, and emissions trading.

We support clients across all aspects of their business, from investments, financing, energy regulation, and energy contracting (including offtake agreements and power purchase agreements) to project development, infrastructure, and dispute resolution.

Our environmental lawyers provide realistic, cost-effective counsel across all aspects of environmental and planning law for major infrastructure, resources, and energy projects. We advise on environmental assessment and approval strategies, planning, permitting, investigations, compliance, due diligence, environmental risk management, biodiversity, contaminated sites, water, waste, and legislation and policy.

Our team also counsels clients on water quality, air emissions, hazardous materials, climate change, occupational health and safety, compliance auditing, and environmental permits. We have skilled capability in emerging areas of environmental regulation such as clean energy, climate change, and water trading. With comprehensive front-end and back-end environmental and planning experience, we deliver solutions designed to help ensure compliance with legislation in a manner consistent with each client's corporate objectives.

Our lawyers regularly appear before federal and state courts, appellate courts, and administrative tribunals in disputes ranging from challenges to agency actions and approvals to complex, multiparty cleanup cases.

We handle Superfund, contamination and related litigation, acting in high-stakes contaminated site matters and in relation to corrective action, voluntary cleanup programs and spill and release reporting, defend criminal, civil, and administrative enforcement actions, and defend natural resource damages claims. We also manage project development approval and permitting litigation, citizen suit defense, toxic tort, nuisance, and property damage claims, as well as administrative and judicial appeals, cost recovery for insurance policyholders, and matters involving Native and Indigenous law and policy.

The past few years have seen First Nations legal issues become a priority in politics, policy making and boardrooms across the globe. Momentum for change is significant and regulation has not always kept up with community expectations.

We negotiate agreements with First Nations Peoples, including enduring and innovative benefits management, and assist our proponent and First Nations clients to build long standing relationships.

We understand the complexities of regulatory, social and environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements and advise on ESG, free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), human rights and related international standards associated with the development and financing of energy, resources and infrastructure projects.

With a sharper focus on sustainability, corporate responsibility, emerging technology driving demand for critical minerals, digitalisation, and an increasing need to decarbonise value chains, the mining and resources sector is undergoing a generational transformation. 

We draw on deep experience advising on the development and operation of mine sites and associated infrastructure to guide clients as they navigate commodity markets, stakeholder expectations and technology change. Our multidisciplinary team covers all types of commodities and supports clients across the lifecycle of their projects and transactions, from exploration, joint ventures, and development through financing and offtake arrangements into operations, closure, decommissioning and dispute resolution. We also help clients structure and negotiate transactions, navigate regulatory and permitting frameworks, secure mining and resource tenements, licences and permits, and address environmental assessments and impact statements.

We work as an integral part of each client's team to help deliver landmark projects across the energy, natural resources, transport, and infrastructure sectors. Our lawyers advise public and private sector clients on every stage of development, from the earliest access to land, compulsory acquisition, planning, permitting, environmental reviews and approvals litigation, through to procurement strategy and execution and across the full spectrum of construction from contract development and negotiation to dispute resolution and litigation.

We act for developers, public entities, funding institutions, project sponsors, contractors, and consultants, and bring commercial insight to complex challenges. We get involved from the earliest stages of any project and work closely with clients and project teams to put the right contracts in place, create project delivery strategies, overcome obstacles, and manage risk.

Our practitioners work in close partnership with grantors, sponsors and financiers to set projects up for success, designing structures that facilitate the collaboration and partnership needed to bring the most complex and challenging projects to life. The deep industry knowledge of our specialists allows our teams to cut to the heart of what matters, from revenue contracts to risk allocation.

We act for both borrowers and lenders in the most significant project financings, with experience spanning commercial bank debt, multi-source financings involving export credit agencies, development finance institutions and multilateral lenders, commodity backed financings including streaming transactions and reserve-based lending and concessional and grant financing. We bring together the legal talent needed to handle every aspect of major project finance transactions.

Our knowledge spans the full breadth of transport and infrastructure. Our team bring deep experience across roads, rail, ports and airports, renowned for their ability to assist clients in every aspect of development, financing and operations. From major project development to complex supply arrangements, our specialist transport teams have been part of some of the largest, most innovative transport and infrastructure projects.

This experience extends across all aspects of developing and operating social infrastructure. From social housing to water treatment and waste management, and defense to stadiums, we integrate all the expertise to bring social infrastructure to life.

Our in-depth knowledge of the industry and our history of working with governments, sponsors, and financiers gives us a comprehensive and balanced view of how projects work from all perspectives. We combine pragmatism with practical understanding, innovation, and a rounded perspective to deliver complex projects across developed and emerging markets.

Water resources and stakeholder access is a critical global issue in light of the increasing population and change to the environment and geopolitics. Access to water resources is becoming highly regulated with strong enforcement action and there are increasing legal disputes between stakeholders about access to water.

Our global team advises governments, water authorities, operators, contractors, developers, investors and lenders in relation to strategic projects and regulatory issues affecting the water sector. Our water experts are highly experienced in all aspects of water management including the licensing and regulation of access to water resources, the construction of water infrastructure (including dams, pumped hydro and power stations), discharge of waste water, pollution control, water recycling, production of renewable energy, biosolids management, water supply systems and water conservation.