Freehills partner Melanie Cave has been named 2009 Australian Young Environmental Lawyer of the Year by the Law Council of Australia.
At just 34, Ms Cave, a Banking & Projects partner in Freehills’ Perth office, has ten years’ experience specialising in the water and waste industries, and heads up Freehills’ national waste focus group.
Ms Cave was pleasantly surprised to have won this award given the high calibre of nominations and past winners.
“I am extremely honoured to have won this award and to be considered among such outstanding young lawyers,” Ms Cave said.
The Australian Young Environmental Lawyer of the Year Award is awarded annually to a young practising barrister, solicitor, or university employee who has made a significant contribution to environmental law and has carried out extra work giving back to the legal community as well as to the community at large.
Ms Cave’s practice has led her to advise on national and international projects, including notable firsts such as Western Australia’s first and second desalination plants, Western Australia’s first resource recovery facility to be delivered by a local government as a PPP, Singapore’s first desalination plant, and Singapore’s first privatised incineration plant and first incineration plant to be delivered as a PPP.
Ms Cave is an active member of the community and has been a member of the Big Issue Advisory Committee in Perth for two years, chairs Freehills’ Perth Community Committee and has been an active Scout leader for 15 years.
Her nomination was backed by nominating partner Tony van Merwyk, and glowing recommendations by her clients – who described her as much more than just an environmental lawyer, highlighting her professionalism, integrity, friendly personality, and above all else her commitment and dedication to her clients and her profession.
Freehills’ team of environmental and planning lawyers provides a practical, commercial and problem-solving approach and is recognised as one of the leaders in this field, providing both the breadth and depth of the legal services required by our clients, including environmental law, corporate law and trade practices law.