The expansion of this practice group, the firm said in a statement, furthers its commitment to “supporting decarbonisation and Australia’s pathway to successfully transition to net zero emissions by helping government and the corporate sector navigate climate and energy transition risk and realise growth opportunities”.

Allison Warburton, who is a director of CleanCo Queensland, has joined as a senior consultant. Katherine Lake is the firm’s newest special counsel, coming over from AGL Australia, where she served as a senior legal counsel, and Jessica Orsman joins as a senior associate, coming over from BigLaw firm Maddocks.

The addition of the trio brings Hive’s energy and climate change team to 13, including principals Mitzi Gilligan and Andrew Brookes, associate principal Rohila Rahimi, and senior associates Rachel Varghese and Adrian Faelli.

According to Ms Warburton, “the scale of change we are witnessing in the energy sector is comparable to the industrial revolution”.

“Understanding the market’s drivers and challenges ahead is crucial to positioning for success, and Hive legal is at the forefront of this work,” she said.

“I’m thrilled to be joining such a strong energy and climate change team. Their vision and innovative approach to service delivery really resonate with me.”

Ms Lake added: “It’s a great time to join the energy and climate change team at Hive Legal — the Australian government has passed its historic Climate Change Act and is implementing a range of carbon reduction policies across the economy.

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“This momentum presents many opportunities for companies to lead, innovate and grow their businesses. I enjoy using my deep expertise in climate change law to help our clients understand the legal issues, address the risks and prosper in a low-carbon economy.”

Mr Brookes stressed that it is an invigorating time to be leading an energy and climate change team, given the seismic transformations currently playing out in the sector and in the broader Australian economy.

“We are extremely fortunate to have people of the calibre of Allison, Katherine, and Jess joining us as we continue to build a deep team of highly experienced lawyers with genuine expertise in complex regulatory work, law and policy reform and major commercial projects — a unique combination of skills which allows us to see the whole field in an increasingly complex environment for both government and corporate clients,” he proclaimed.