Samuel Allam

Samuel focuses on renewable energy and major infrastructure projects, pollution, contaminated land, environmental compliance, and compulsory acquisition. This includes obtaining - and defending challenges to - development consents and environmental approvals.

His top tier commercial law background is complemented by in-house experience in one of Australia’s largest renewable energy companies as a Corporate Lawyer (Operations), and as a Senior Lawyer in local government. Throughout his career, Samuel has acted in numerous contentious appeals for and against government bodies and corporate entities in the Land and Environment Court of NSW. He has also acted in the Local Court, Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, and Federal Court of Australia.

At Baker McKenzie, Samuel has already advised on renewable energy assets including wind, solar, battery storage systems, pumped storage hydropower, and carbon capture and storage projects totaling in excess of 12GW of energy capacity. This equates to more than AUD 6 billion in capital investment value and is directed at supporting the future of Australia's energy transition.

Samuel’s clients comprise international technology companies, government bodies, and developers of commercial, industrial, residential, and energy projects.

• Acting for the developer of a solar farm in NSW, successfully making it the first solar farm to be approved by the Land and Environment Court of NSW following a contested hearing in its five-decade history.

• Acting for a private company to obtain planning approval for development in the Sydney CBD.

• Advising an offshore entity in Europe in respect of the purchase of one of NSW's largest power stations.

• Acting for a developer in securing beneficial changes to a Local Environmental Plan (LEP) through the planning proposal process, including in negotiations with the local Council and the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.

• Acting for a landowner in the Sydney metropolitan area in respect of a proposed new waste and resource recovery facility.

• Advising numerous corporations on development contributions payable in relation to renewable energy projects in NSW.

• Advising an offshore company regarding its obligations under legislation regulating used packaging materials and recycling requirements.

• Advising global and private companies on seeking modifications to planning approvals for large-scale developments in NSW.

• Advising an international corporation in respect of potential liability for historical land and groundwater contamination allegedly dating back to the early to mid-twentieth century.

• Undertaking due diligence for various renewable energy transactions, including the sellers of a major Australian renewable energy portfolio and the buyers of various other renewable energy assets such as solar and wind farms.

• Advising an international infrastructure entity on its acquisition of a portfolio of mobile tower and rooftop assets from TPG Telecom, with assets located across Australia.

• Advising companies on business as usual operations relating to compliance with environment and planning approvals and in respect of investigations into potential breaches of approvals.

• Acting for a company in the compulsory acquisition of its interest in land by a government authority under the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991 (NSW) and the amount of compensation to which the company was entitled.

Samuel is passionate about doing First Nations work pro bono and pursues any opportunity to advance the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.