Presenters

Claire McGowan, Partner, Mining Access Legal
Claire joined Mining Access Legal in June 2018 from the land access and approvals team of a leading global law firm. She is an experienced regulatory approvals and compliance lawyer, having worked on a number of major Western Australian mining, oil & gas and infrastructure projects. Claire is a member of AMEC's Environment and Water Committee and the current President of the WA branch of the National Environmental Law Association. She has also previously served as a member of CME's Land Access Committee and Native Title & Aboriginal Heritage Working Group, and as a tutor for the environment unit of the AMPLA UWA Mining Law Workshop.


Daniela Tonon, Director, Daniela Tonon Legal
Daniela Tonon Legal was established in July 2017. Daniela has over 25 years’ experience providing strategic advice to the resources, energy, infrastructure and government sectors in relation to stakeholder engagement & communication, land access & statutory approvals, native title & Aboriginal heritage, water regulation & policy, compliance & due diligence and corporate governance. Daniela is recognised in the 2025 Edition of The Best Lawyers™ in Australia for Native Title Law, Mining Law, Natural Resources Law and Water Law and was awarded Lawyer of the Year for Water Law in Perth. Daniela was also recommended in 2022 Doyle’s Guide Leading Native Title Lawyers (Project Proponent Representation) – Australia. Over the past 25 years, Daniela has thoroughly enjoyed unique opportunities to engage with project proponents and Traditional Owners to assist them to foster effective relationships. Daniela is currently involved in negotiating and drafting a number of agreements for projects of State significance.


Clare Lawrence, Partner, Ashurst
Clare specialises in Indigenous land law and major project approvals. 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 across all industries that require access to land. 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 as a market leader in this space by contributing to the reform of key legislation in the field, and spearheading Ashurst's native title thought leadership and seminar programs, which includes Ashurst’s annual publication, Native Title Year in Review. She is ranked as a leading lawyer in Native Title by Chambers Asia-Pacific and Legal 500, and in 2023, was recognised by Best Lawyers as Native Title Lawyer of the Year (Melbourne). In the Ashurst Melbourne Office, Clare is a Reconciliation Champion working to deliver the outcomes from Ashurst's stretch Reconciliation Action Plan in the Victorian context.


Katherine Perincek, Special Counsel, DLA Piper Australia
Kat is a native title and Indigenous cultural heritage specialist, with more than 20 years’ experience acting for traditional owners and project developers on native title, Indigenous heritage and Indigenous corporate governance matters. Having commenced her legal career working for a native title representative body then an Aboriginal corporation, she now supports mining, energy, infrastructure and traditional owner clients with agreement making, heritage approvals, trust structures and regulatory requirements regarding native title, cultural heritage and First Nations engagement.


Melissa Watts, Principal, M Watts Legal
Melissa has more than 20 years’ experience practicing in relation to all aspects of resources and land access law, native title and Aboriginal heritage issues. She holds degrees in Law and Commerce from Murdoch University. She was admitted to the Supreme Court of Western Australia and High Court of Australia in 2004. Formerly a partner at a Western Australian law firm, Mel established her own firm, M Watts Legal in August 2013, where she represents a broad range of clients, from traditional owner groups to major mining/petroleum companies, State Government agencies, pastoralists and industry groups.  Mel regularly appears in the National Native title Tribunal Federal Courts and Warden’s Court, as well as providing general legal and strategic lead negotiator services. Mel is recognised both locally and internationally as a leading native title lawyer.  Mel has been twice recognised as “Lawyer of the Year – Native Title Perth” in the Best Lawyers in Australia – (2022) and (2018). She is currently recognised by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Native Title Law, Litigation, Mining and Natural Resources Law, Mel was ranked by Chambers and Partners Asia Pacific Region in 2024 in the practice area of native title.