Todd Neal

Overview

Todd advises private landowners, developers, contractors, state and local governments and state-owned corporations in relation to planning, infrastructure, environment, and property development law.

Running a comprehensive end-to-end practice, Todd addresses environmental and planning issues from inception to completion, with a deep insight into local and state government processes, protocols, codes, and empowering legislation that enables him to tackle planning and environmental challenges effectively.

As a litigation expert, Todd navigates cases across several courts, including Federal, Land and Environment, Supreme, and District courts, dealing with a variety of legal proceedings such as merit appeals, civil enforcement proceedings, criminal prosecutions for planning and environmental offences, compulsory land acquisition and land access proceedings, valuation of land disputes, and Local Government Act matters. Todd also provides representation to witnesses in public inquiries and compulsory examinations conducted by the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

In addition to his litigation expertise, Todd conducts due diligence for greenfield and brownfield sites, linear infrastructure projects, and business acquisitions. His practice includes addressing native title and Aboriginal land rights issues, access to information issues, compliance with the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, pollution and contamination matters including "toxic torts", and development compliance. 

Todd specialises in navigating approval and compliance matters across all scales of development, and resolving land access challenges on congested sites. 

He has acted on numerous compulsory land acquisition matters, involving leases, easements and freehold, where he provides guidance on the application of the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991 (NSW) and the Lands Acquisition Act 1989 (Cth).

Todd holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours). He was admitted as a solicitor in 2004 and is admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia. He is a member of the Law Society of New South Wales.