A major resources approval may be granted yet still face judicial review. Critical-minerals investment is increasingly shaped by governments, foreign-investment controls and strategic intervention. The Mining and Resources Law Summit 2027 brings together leading legal, industry and economic perspectives to examine what it now takes to approve, defend, finance and deliver major resources projects. Navigate environmental and project-approval reform, emerging litigation exposure, native title and cultural-heritage obligations, transaction due diligence, critical-minerals investment and the legal assumptions hiding inside project valuations. Gain practical strategies to protect approvals, strengthen investment decisions and preserve project value from development through delivery.

 

Presenters

Tom Weaver, Principal, Weaver Strategic Advisory
As FMG’s Group Manager, Community and Government, Tom supports a multi-disciplinary team and broad external affairs and Government approvals portfolio including Native Title, Aboriginal heritage, State Agreement Acts and Regulatory Affairs, Community Development, Aboriginal Business Development and Government Relations. Tom has lectured in native title at Murdoch University and at the University of Tennessee. At Fortescue, Tom has led the development and negotiation of multiple Indigenous Land Use Agreements, native title land access agreements and heritage agreements. Tom also led the development of Fortescue’s inaugural Corporate Social Responsibility strategy. Tom joined Fortescue in 2011 after 8 years at the National Native Title Tribunal.


Lucy Shea, Partner, Clayton Utz
Lucy is a Partner at Clayton Utz in Perth, specialising in environmental, planning, Aboriginal heritage and public law. Lucy helps clients to navigate Western Australia's complex project approval and regulatory landscapes.  She advises clients from a broad range of sectors, from energy and resources, industrial and government infrastructure, to agribusiness, renewable energy and property development. Helping clients across the full project lifecycle, from inception to construction, operations and end of life, Lucy is recognised for her deep knowledge and strategic advice on a broad range of statutory frameworks and subject matters, and her clear and practical advice and representation in the context of litigious matters including environmental and planning approval appeals and environmental prosecutions. Lucy also has a background in legislation drafting. With this experience and her expertise advising clients on the EPBC Act over many years, Lucy has been deeply involved in the ongoing EPBC Act reform process. She appeared before both Senate Inquiry hearings in 2025 and 2026 as a technical legal expert for the Urban Development Institute of Australia, has contributed to numerous submissions on various aspects of the reforms for a number of development and mining industry bodies and she attends weekly Technical Working Group meetings with DCCEEW to discuss the latest elements of the reform being worked through.

Marcus Holmes, Principal, Land Equity Legal
Marcus Holmes is Principal of Land Equity Legal, Perth- based native title, mining and environmental lawyers. Marcus has specialised in native title and Indigenous heritage law since the 1992 Mabo decision and has worked for major resources companies in WA, Victoria, NSW, Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory. He is also an experienced commercial property, environmental and mining lawyer. As well as working for mining companies in native title negotiations, Marcus works with Indigenous land councils and for native title holder groups through their corporations and is a specialist in agreement making and as a mediator/ facilitator in Developer/ Indigenous and intra-Indigenous dispute resolution.

Marshall McKenna, Partner, Gilbert + Tobin
Marshall McKenna has been a partner since 2000. He joined the partnership of Gilbert & Tobin in its Perth office on 1 June 2016. His principal focus is on commercial litigation, intellectual property, mining litigation (in both the Warden's Courts and the Supreme Court), native title, litigation, land access and planning and environmental approvals and Freedom of Information issues. He is also active in negotiating and documenting compensation, heritage and land access agreements. Marshall has extensive litigation experience including appearing as counsel in several native title and mining matters, and has also instructed in significant trust remediation matter, enforcement of confidentiality obligations, restraints of trade and employment obligations. He was the counsel for the successful party in the first determination that an act not be done under the Native Title Act 'right to negotiate' process. He has previously lectured in Mining and Petroleum Law at the University of Notre Dame and has lectured in Equity at that institution and at the University of Western Australia. Marshall is recognised by Chambers and Doyle's list as a preeminent practitioner in native title and Australia's Best Lawyers recognises him as being a leading lawyer in Litigation and Dispute Resolution; Mining Law; Native Title; Land Access and Planning.

David Salim CEO and Principal Solicitor, Hetherington
David Salim has been a cornerstone of Hetherington since joining the team in 2010. Rising through the ranks to become the Group CEO of both Hetherington Sydney in 2016 and Hetherington Perth in 2019, David has been instrumental in shaping the firm’s evolution into a full-service firm in resources, mining, and environmental law. David holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Wollongong, where his focus on Environmental Law and Native Title Law laid the foundation for his future endeavours. Further honing his legal acumen, David completed his Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice and was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2009. Before joining Hetherington, David gained invaluable experience working in the NSW Parliament within the Shadow Attorney General’s Office and a private law firm. His early career provided a diverse range of legal experiences, preparing him to handle the complex challenges he would later face in the mining and environmental sectors. Under David’s leadership, Hetherington has expanded to encompass three specialised entities: Hetherington Tenements, Hetherington Legal, and Hetherington Environmental. David has established a reputation for delivering top-tier legal compliance, regulatory guidance, and strategic management of exploration and mining tenure. His expertise extends beyond Australia, advising ASX-listed and privately-owned companies in jurisdictions across the Pacific, New Zealand, Canada, North and South America, the Middle East, and India. David’s industry recognition speaks to his impact. As a finalist in the 2019 NSW Minerals Council’s Young Achiever Award and the 2020 Gender Diversity Advocate Award, he is not only a legal expert but also a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion. David has played a pivotal role in land access negotiations, Native Title arbitrations, and the management of state-significant developments, earning him a respected place among his peers. He is also a specialist in due diligence for mergers and acquisitions, particularly in drafting and advising on complex joint ventures and farm-in agreements. His stewardship of over 200 mining companies, both domestic and international, is a testament to his strategic insight and dedication to client success. Moreover, David is a recognised expert in the VALMIN Code 2015 and the preparation of ASIC and ASX-compliant Independent Solicitor Reports. His work has been critical in enabling companies to navigate the rigorous requirements of the Australian, Canadian, and Singaporean Stock Exchanges. David’s commitment to excellence and client service is unwavering. His ambition to become a leading authority in the industry is matched only by his dedication to advancing diversity, inclusion, and community engagement within the sector.

David Perks, Partner, MinterEllison
David co-leads the Corporate and Commercial team in Perth and has over 25 years experience advising some of Australia’s leading energy and resources companies. David has a broad range of corporate experience with particular expertise advising ASX 200 clients on large, complex and innovative transactions. As a highly-regarded corporate and commercial lawyer, David has been consistently ranked as one of Australia’s leading energy and resources lawyers in various directories. Recognised by his peers in The Best Lawyers in Australia for his work in Corporate/Governance Practice, Energy Law, Mining Law, Oil & Gas Law, Natural Resources Law and Equity Capital Markets (2013 to 2023), David is also ranked in The Asia-Pacific Legal 500. David also has expert knowledge of the Corporations Act, ASX Listing Rules, the petroleum legislative regime, the mining legislative regime and foreign investment regulation.


Nunzio Lucarelli KC, Aickin Chambers and Francis Burt Chambers
Nunzio has practised at the Bar for 42 years and has been a silk for 26 years. He practises in a wide range of large complex commercial cases in all Australian Superior Courts. He also appears in Courts of Appeal and the High Court in appeals. His major areas of practice include: commercial law, contracts, corporations law, trade practices, property, the law of mortgages, trusts, and commercial arbitrations (both international and domestic). Nunzio is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an accredited mediator. Nunzio is a member of the Victorian Bar and the Western Australian Bar. He is also admitted to practice in England and Wales and in New Zealand.


Conrad Liveris, Chief Economist and Director, Black Swan Economics & Advisory
Conrad is an independent economist based in Perth, working nationally across litigation, and economic advisory and development. Much of Conrad’s work involves putting defensible dollar figures on legal claims, including economic loss, employability, earnings capacity, and workforce participation, as well as developing business cases and socio-economic impacts. He works with lawyers, businesses, governments and community organisations on matters where economic evidence must be clear, practical and capable of withstanding scrutiny. Conrad has a particular interest in matters of disruption and counterfactuals. Conrad is a Professional Member of the Economic Society of Australia and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (UK).

Wendy Treasure, Contracts and Negotiation Specialist, Horizon Power