Laura specialises in planning, environment, and climate change litigation. She accepts briefs to appear and advise in commercial, public, and criminal matters.
Her expertise includes:
- “greenwashing” - misrepresentations about environmental, climate, or sustainability attributes/credentials (eg under the Australian Consumer Law and in relation to financial services)
- judicial and mertis review of government decisions, including approval decisions for projects and activities that contribute to climate change and/or environmental harm
- matters involving climate change attribution and complex causation
- adaptation planning, permit/development applications; and
- environment and wildlife protection
Laura enjoys working with experts and expert evidence.
Before coming to the bar, Laura practised as a solicitor in planning and environmental law (DLA Piper), and served as the Foote postdoctoral fellow in Climate Solutions at the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, where she advised government and industry as well as the former US VP Al Gore, chairman of the Climate Reality Project. She is a lecturer at Sydney Law School, and Deputy Director of the Australian Centre for Climate and Environmental Law. She teaches the subject Environmental and Climate Science in Court, and tutors Land Law. She publishes in leading academic journals and supervises Honours and PhD students.
Laura holds a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of Melbourne (Planning and Environmental Law Prize); a Master of Environment (First Class Hons, Dean’s Prize); and a PhD in environmental law (APA Award; Endeavour Australia Award). She attended Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Law as a visiting scholar and Oxford University’s Law Faculty as a visiting academic before commencing her postdoctoral fellowship. She is a member of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law.
Laura read with Katherine Brazenor and her senior mentors are Emrys Nekvapil SC and Juliet Forsyth SC.