Samuel specialises in town planning and land use, resumption, environmental, and infrastructure matters. He has extensive litigation experience in the Planning and Environment Court and also has experience in the Land Court and regulatory/criminal prosecution matters in the Magistrates Court. Samuel advises on strategic and commercial issues arising both pre- and post-acquisition of development sites, and regularly assists the Real Estate and Projects Group with due diligence and contractual drafting/negotiations.
He is outcome-focused and prioritises practical, commercially sound results. Samuel advises a broad client base including ASX-listed property developers, private and boutique residential/commercial property developers, landowners and lessees, energy and resources companies, industrial developers, and infrastructure providers.
Samuel is a member of the Queensland Environmental Law Association. He has been recognised as a “Rising Star” in Doyle’s Guide in 2025 and 2026 and was a finalist in the 2025 Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards (Planning and Environment).
Expertise
Experience
- an ASX listed company Advising in relation to various large scale infrastructure projects and catalyst developments (involving the development of 3000-7000 lot residential subdivisions and master planned communities), including the preparation and negotiation of several infrastructure agreements for those developments.
- a Melbourne based developer Providing advice in relation to Planning and Environment Court appeals concerning large scale residential subdivisions (1300+ lots) in SEQ and associated negotiations regarding the delivery of several items of trunk infrastructure.
- a national developer Providing advice in relation to a large-scale residential subdivision (200+ lots) and master planned community (to be developed under a preliminary approval) situated in the Urban Footprint within SEQ and associated negotiations regarding the delivery of several items of trunk infrastructure to be delivered by the developer and other adjoining developers within the area.
- a private developer Advising in relation to a third-party challenge against the approval of the prominent Highgate Hill development “Westbourne Residences”. An approval was obtained for the developer’s project through the Planning and Environment Court.
- a natural gas producer Advising in relation to the sweeping effect of the 2025 reforms to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
- private developers Advising private developers in appeals commenced on their behalf in the Planning and Environment Court against local governments refusing development applications and change applications for multiple dwellings (varying between 9 unit apartments to 122 unit townhouse and 156 unit apartment developments), service stations and childcare centres.
- a large international developer Providing advice in relation to contaminated land issues and an expert determination process under a deed of settlement.
- an international developer Advising in relation to the drafting and negotiation for the sale of a master planned community concerning various Commonwealth, State and Local Government approvals and the transfer and assignment of infrastructure offsets.
- a Melbourne based developer Advising in relation to land use and strategic advice for a 1000+ lot development in Walloon, including the negotiation, preparation and execution of infrastructure agreements between developers, a local government and distributor-retailer authority.
- private developers and landowners Providing advice in relation to the early acquisition and compulsory acquisition of land by constructing authorities, and associated negotiations and settlement of compensation (including the negotiation of deeds of release and discharge for multiple third parties).
- a private company Advising in relation to a significant dispute in the Land Court concerning the forfeiture of perpetual and term leases under the Land Act 1994.