Darren is a specialist environment and planning lawyer and experienced litigator.

He is recognised in the 17th Edition of The Best Lawyers in Australia (2023-2025).

Before co-founding Bick & Steele, Darren worked for over a decade at "Top Tier" law firms, Herbert Smith Freehills and Clayton Utz, advising clients in the urban development, infrastructure and energy sectors. 

He advises clients on all aspects of environment and planning law including:

• planning advice (including developing planning approval pathways, advising on planning proposals to rezone land and preparing and negotiating voluntary planning agreements)

• obtaining and modifying development consents under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and other NSW and Commonwealth approvals required to carry out a development including under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the Local Government Act 1993 and the Roads Act 1993

• conducting specialist environment and planning litigation including planning appeals (merit and judicial review proceedings) in the Land and Environment Court of NSW

• advising on environment protection licences, environmental offences (such as pollution and waste offences) and other environmental issues under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997

• advising on heritage, biodiversity and waste issues

• advising on the redevelopment, management and remediation of contaminated land including environmental risk allocation in the sale of contaminated sites and the regulation of contaminated sites under the Contaminated Land Management Act 1997

• advising on compliance issues, regulatory investigations and enforcement (such as responding to an incident, "show cause" notices, notices to provide information or records, development control orders as well as clean-up, prevention or prohibition notices); and

• advice and representation in relation to regulatory enforcement including defending environment or planning prosecutions

Darren regularly conducts litigation in the NSW Land and Environment Court, NSW Supreme Court, and the Federal Court of Australia.

Qualifications

Darren has the following qualifications awarded by the University of Technology Sydney:

• Juris Doctor (JD)

• Bachelor of Business

Credentials

A selection of matters on which our Team have advised or acted during the course of their career can be found here.