M Watts Legal acts on behalf of project proponents in:

• Providing a range of commercial assistance:
  • Native title and heritage agreements;
  • Legislation advice including Native Title Act and heritage legislation compliance issues, section 18 and 16 applications and future act processes;
  • Strategic advice including in relation to Native Title Act and heritage legislation and land access processes; and
• Providing litigation support (National Native Title Tribunal, Federal Court and Supreme Court proceedings).

M Watts Legal and Melissa Watts have also acted on behalf of indigenous parties including major project mining agreements, future act proceedings (including as instructing solicitor in relation to the first determination that a future act was not granted) and heritage agreements.

M Watts Legal’s clients include local and international blue chip mining proponents, junior miners and explorers, petroleum proponents, government authorities, industry representative groups, specialist project developers, pastoralists, Aboriginal representative bodies and traditional owner groups.

In addition to junior and blue chip mining and oil/gas proponents, she has also represented Government port authorities, pastoralists, fishing and pearling proponents in both native title litigation, native title negotiations and heritage matters giving M Watts Legal a balanced understanding of native title issues from all perspectives on all regions of Western Australia.

This experience gives M Watts Legal a unique understanding of native title and heritage matters and an unmatched ability to manage complex negotiations.

M Watts Legal regularly represents respondent parties in native title litigation proceedings (Federal Court) and future act proceedings (National Native Title Tribunal and Federal Court review proceedings).  M Watts Legal has also represented clients in Supreme Court heritage proceedings.