A must-attend for planning and environmental lawyers. Join expert-led sessions designed to build practical capability and enhance your effectiveness. Learn proven strategies for drafting and responding to planning submissions and appeals. Strengthen your litigation approach with tips and techniques for strategic litigation. Gain actionable insights into evidence preparation and expert engagement. Secure practical knowledge you can apply immediately.

Presenters

Mark Cowan, Special Counsel, Cooper Grace Ward
Mark brings 20 years of experience in resolving planning, environment and land access issues, working across private practice and in-house government and commercial roles. Mark is a special counsel in Cooper Grace Ward’s planning and environment team. He delivers commercial results for clients by combining 20 years of specialist legal expertise in planning, environment and land access, with his broader experience as former legal counsel and environmental planner in local government.

Joanna Ling, Partner, Thomas Geer
Joanna advises and acts for major Australian companies and individuals in all areas of planning, development, environment, contaminated land, heritage, water, pollution, waste, and compulsory acquisition. She has extensive experience acting for both consent authorities and proponents across a range of development types throughout all stages of property use and development. Joanna became an Accredited Specialist in Planning & Environment Law in 2020. She was recognised as 'One to watch' in Best Lawyers for 2024 and 2025 and as a Rising Star in Doyle's Guide for 2024.

Breellen Warry, Partner, Maddocks
With over 18 years’ experience, Breellen specialises in all areas of planning and environmental law. Breellen advises local and State Government clients, in addition to a range of private sector clients, including within the development industry, waste and education sectors. As well as working in private practice in Sydney and London, she has worked as an inhouse counsel for a number of government agencies in NSW and in the UK, as well as being seconded to NSW Government agencies. Breellen also has a particular interest in waste regulation, contamination, biodiversity conservation, climate change, environmental markets, pollution and heritage matters. Breellen has been recognised in the Doyle's Guide as a Leading Planning & Development Lawyer – New South Wales since 2020 and in the 2021 and 2022 Editions of Best Lawyers for Planning and Environmental Law. She is recommended by the Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2023) Guide for her work in Native Title.

Matthew McDermott, Barrister, Quay 11 Chambers
Matthew was called to the bar in 2018. Between late 2010 and 2018, Matthew was a solicitor at two national law firms in Brisbane and before that practised as a barrister and solicitor in New Zealand. Since coming to the bar, he has acted in disputes in the Queensland Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, District Court, Magistrates Court and other disputes tribunals in a broad range of practice areas but particularly in relation to property law (including body corporate and community management issues), planning and environmental law, regulatory enforcement and prosecutions, defamation and general commercial disputes.