Climate change litigation garners a lot of attention and is changing business activity. In this online session, we bring together a funder, litigator and responder to climate litigation to consider the impact of climate change litigation, where it is heading and current issues in this area of law.
In 2021, Alan Schwartz AM, a former lawyer, revealed that he has been funding strategic litigation through the Grata Fund, particularly on climate change matters. A former lawyer, he will contribute this discussion sharing his perspective as a funder of litigation and will be joined by human rights lawyer Maria Nawaz (Grata Fund) who conducts this litigation. Lucy Shea (HWL Ebsworth) will consider the responses to climate change litigation and their impact on business decisions. Lea Hiltenkamp (National Environmental Law Association; HFW) will chair this session and lead the discussion.
Attendees will be eligible for 1 CPD point in CA4 (Substantive Law).
Lea Hiltenkamp is the President of the National Environmental Law Association (WA), which is a peak body for advancing Australian environmental law. She is actively involved in making environmental law reform submissions and works with a dedicated committee to host events about current legal issues in climate change and environmental issues.
She is also an associate at HFW focusing on climate and energy transition matters. She is passionate about law and policy matters that seek to limit global warming, including carbon markets, renewable energy and actions to net zero by 2050.
Lea began her career at Glen McLeod Legal and completed Piddington PLT.
Maria Nawaz is the acting Executive Director of Grata Fund, she is a human rights lawyer with expertise in human rights, discrimination law and women’s rights.
Maria is an experienced public interest advocate, having advocated for stronger human rights protections with individual clients and the community at the NSW, Commonwealth and international levels. She was previously a Lecturer at UNSW Law, where she co-taught the UNSW Human Rights Clinic.
Maria was previously the Law Reform and Policy Solicitor at Kingsford Legal Centre, where she led the centre’s law reform work on human rights, discrimination law, women’s rights, employment rights, and housing rights. Maria has experience leading civil society engagement with United Nations review processes, including at the UN Human Rights Committee and the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
Prior to this, Maria was KLC’s Employment Solicitor where she ran many discrimination cases focussing on sexual harassment, disability discrimination and race discrimination. She has also worked in the Human Rights Team at Legal Aid NSW where she focussed on police torts and visa cancellations, and as a Legal Officer at the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department.
Alan Schwartz AM professional life has transitioned from “entrepreneur and business builder” to “active investor, philanthropist and social activist”.
Alan’s passion for business and commerce has always been balanced with a deep commitment to family and community. His hunger for knowledge and his curiosity have broadened and enriched his life. During his legal professional practice year, he started the first of a long series of entrepreneurial ventures. All but one, (maybe two) were successful. For 30 years Alan created, acquired, built, managed and sold a number of successful businesses in industries as diverse as publishing, software and professional services. In 2005 Alan sold his legal publishing and software business, Anstat Group, to an ASX listed company. Today Alan is the Managing Director of the Trawalla Group which he founded with his wife Carol.
Alan and his wife Carol Schwartz established the Trawalla Foundation in 2004 as a vehicle for the family’s philanthropic activities. In recognition of his contribution to community and business, Alan was awarded a Centenary Medal in 2003, followed by an Order of Australia (AM) in 2007.
Lucy Shea is a partner at HWL Ebsworth and specialises in environmental, planning and government law, and helping clients to navigate the breadth and complexities of project regulation and approval requirements in Western Australia.
Lucy advises clients from all sectors, including energy and resources, industrial, agribusiness, infrastructure, government and property development clients. Her practice covers a very broad range of subject matters relating to project approval and regulation, including advice on matters such as water, native vegetation and fauna, emissions, animal welfare, dangerous goods, Aboriginal heritage, Native Title, contaminated sites, compulsory land acquisition compensation, planning and noise.
Note:
Practitioner ID numbers are issued by the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia. Information from the Board is available here. We require these to issue CPD certificates. If you are not a lawyer or do not want a CPD certificate, please put '00000' in the box on the booking form.
Location
Online, via Zoom
Contact Details