Discover the latest emerging trends in Climate Litigation. Explore the use of corporate and consumer law, directors' duties, class actions, and human rights-linked causes of action. Gain insights into recent climate change cases, greenwashing regulation, and carbon offsets. Enhance your understanding of climate litigation with our expert panel and join us for this essential event. 

Presenters

Mr. Graeme Dennis, Principal, Adarite Legal
Graeme has over 30 years experience as a lawyer in private practice in the energy sector, and specialises in projects and trading. He has been national practice leader in energy and resources at several large firms, including Clayton Utz and Corrs Chambers Westgarth. Graeme wrote the industry standard contracts for trading in renewable energy certificates and carbon emission units in Australia, and acted for the Australian Government in the development of its Australian carbon credit unit purchasing auction contracts. He has been ranked by Best Lawyers as one of Australia’s leading lawyers in energy, climate change and regulation for the past 15 years. In addition to his private practice, Graeme is also a convenor of the Energy and Resources Law course at Macquarie University and a guest lecturer in energy law in the LLM course at University of Sydney.


Ms. Ilona Millar, Partner, Gilbert + Tobin
Ilona specialises in Climate Change and Sustainability and previously headed the climate change group of a global law firm. She has worked for over 20 years on climate law and finance, including the development of law and policy and its implementation by both governments and the private sector. This experience extends to complex multi-jurisdictional transactions as well as the development of innovative responses to climate change and sustainability problems. Ilona has worked extensively on the development of carbon contracts, carbon funds and carbon transactions in both the compliance and voluntary markets. Ilona's experience also extends to all aspects of environmental law and policy. Ilona is listed among the best lawyers for Climate Change and Environmental Law by Best Lawyers Australia, featuring in the Australian Financial Review. Ilona sits on the board of the NSW Natural Resources Access Regulator, which oversees compliance with water legislation in NSW and is a former Commissioner on the NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC), which has a role in advising on and determining certain State significant developments.


Mr. Clifford Ireland, Barrister, Thirteen Wentworth Selborne
Clifford has over15 years of experience at the Bar, and a total of 26 years as a specialist in environmental, planning, mining and associated areas of property law. Listed as either a leading or recommended barrister in the environmental and planning area in the “Doyle’s Guide” for the past ten years. Since 2020, he has also been listed on the Best Lawyers list in the areas of environmental, climate change, property and water law, including for the current year 2022- 2023. Complementing his specialist practice in environmental, planning law, and environmental crime, he also practises in related areas including mining law, property, building and construction, commercial tenancy, administrative law and judicial review, local government, and in related areas of commercial law. Clifford has advised on and/or appeared in relation to many major projects across the State. He appears both for proponents and objectors. He appears in the Land and Environment Court, Supreme Court, District Court and Local Court, and in NCAT in its commercial leasing and liquor licensing jurisdiction.


Ms. Claire Smith, Partner, Clayton Utz
Claire Smith is the National Practice Group leader of Clayton Utz' Environment and Sustainable Development team, and is a specialist environment, planning and climate change lawyer with a focus on energy transition, natural capital, sustainability reporting and greenwashing risks. In addition to advisory matters, Claire is experienced in environmental and planning litigation and dispute resolution. She has a mix of private sector and public sector clients and has acted on a number of complex and high profile projects in NSW including the Barangaroo Carbon Neutral Precinct development. She is listed as a next generation partner in Legal 500 and a leading environment and climate change lawyer in Doyle's Guide.


Ms. Emily Tranter, Partner, Clayton Utz
Emily is an experienced litigator who works collaboratively with her clients and our national practice groups to provide efficient and effective advice throughout the dispute resolution process. Emily has extensive experience advising clients across all aspects of large-scale litigation, ASIC regulatory investigations and prosecutions, government inquiries, arbitrations and other complex commercial disputes. Emily’s client base is wide with a particular focus on the energy and resources, government and financial services sectors. Drawing on her broad corporate exposure and understanding of regulatory requirements, Emily also guides her clients on best practice in relation to climate-risk disclosure and greenwashing in order to manage climate change litigation and ASIC regulatory investigations.


Ms. Zaina Shahnawaz, Barrister, Black Chambers
Zaina Shahnawaz practices primarily in environmental crime. Zaina is a member of the NSW Bar Association’s Climate Change Committee and features in “Lifting the Bar” as leading female junior counsel in planning and environment law. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Arts from University of Sydney and a Master of Laws (Environmental Law) from New York University. Previous work includes with Independent Diplomat, an NGO providing diplomatic representation to Pacific Island nations on climate change, 596 Acres, a not-for-profit focusing on urban renewal, and prosecution roles for the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, the Environment Protection Authority, National Parks and Wildlife and the Commonwealth DPP.