Demetrio Zema, the founder and director of Law Squared, emphasised the significance of a renewable energy and infrastructure project for Australia’s future – particularly as it has reportedly been three decades since Australia last undertook “large-scale acquisition for transmission projects”.

“The efficiency and timely construction of renewable generation and storage, linked by transmission lines, is critical for our energy transition and net zero objectives. Removing roadblocks and engaging affected landowners and communities effectively is critical to this ambition,” Zema commented.

The NewLaw firm’s use of innovative technologies will enhance the “efficiency and effectiveness” of the land access and engagement process, Zema said.

“Without an efficient, effective and transparent land access process, and positive landholder engagement, projects can stall, and landowner trust is compromised, leading to delays, increased costs, and potentially, a more onerous land acquisition process,” he added.

“Our unique approach seeks to significantly increase positive landholder engagement, improve social licence adoption, and provide deep insights and analytics on the data captured.”

Despite significant technological advancements that have revolutionised project management and operational efficiencies, Law Squared said that “the standard playbook for land access remains rooted in a purely legalistic approach”.

“Leveraging technology is a threshold requirement for most projects with widespread consumer impact today,” Zema said.

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“By combining legal expertise with disciplined project management and technology, under our fixed-cost approach, clients have cost certainty and visibility at every stage, informing strategic decision making and delivering more cost-effective outcomes.”

The team behind the new practice group comprises Law Squared members “skilled in complex property matters”, including Natasha Ozolins-Stubbs, Nam Truong, Sarah Ward, Alissa Dai, and Jacqui Sarah.

The NewLaw firm expressed that the “multidisciplinary team offers a one-stop solution for energy and infrastructure clients tasked with land acquisition”.

The project group is set to “deliver project support and legal capability to manage land access agreements, options for easement/purchase, long-term lease arrangements and compulsory acquisition (if required).”

Introducing this project group will “eliminate the need to engage multiple law firms, reducing duplication of effort and costs, leading to single point accountability and building a powerful body of landholder data”, according to Zema.

Nino Ficca, Law Squared’s advisory board chair, expressed his excitement about the firm’s innovative approach to assisting energy and infrastructure companies.

“Law Squared changes the conventional legal approach to landholder engagement significantly. Instead of relying on time-based billing metrics where every delay, legal challenge, and inefficiency benefits the legal provider, this outcomes-focused approach provides a single point of accountability and shifts the risk from clients to Law Squared,” he said.

“Innovative approaches like this will be crucial for accelerating Australia’s transition to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future and ultimately a better way to manage land access and landholder engagement.”