About.
Established in 2010, MacLean Legal is a Perth based legal practice and consultancy specialising in land access, native title, governance and regulatory compliance matters.
MacLean Legal is grounded in a strong understanding of both legal frameworks and cultural governance, enabling effective navigation of high-stakes negotiations and regulatory processes.
We provide strategic, culturally informed and practical advice to resource proponents, stakeholders, private companies, pastoralists, Traditional Owner groups and Aboriginal corporations across complex regulatory and consultation environments.
Operating beyond our Perth desks, we work with clients on country, enable us to provide clear, strategic and commercially aligned advice.
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MacLean Legal is named after husband and wife founders Gavin MacLean and Alisha Maharaj-MacLean. Gavin MacLean, a proud Banjima and Nyiyparli man was appointed to be a Magistrate of the Magistrates Court of Western Australia and Children’s Court of Western Australia in 2020. Alisha Maharaj-MacLean continues to lead the team at MacLean Legal delivering quality cost effective legal solutions.
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Services.
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Our practice is senior lawyer led and strategically focused. We advise and represent clients in relation to future act strategy, process and compliance under the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), including right to negotiate matters, Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs) and section 31 agreements.
We act for Traditional Owners, proponents and government agencies, bringing a balanced and informed perspective to complex, high-stakes negotiations. Our breadth of experience enables us to anticipate risk, align stakeholder interests and structure agreements that are durable, commercially sound and culturally informed. We deliver strategic, discreet and carefully tailored advice aligned to the specific risk profile and objectives of each project, ensuring legal, commercial and community outcomes are effectively integrated.
Drawing on more than 20 years of project experience, we have acted across:
Mining developments, including iron ore, gold, lithium, magnetite and manganese
Quarry operations
Renewable energy projects, including solar and wind developments
Major infrastructure projects, including pipelines, roads and transmission lines
Land access arrangements, including leases, licences and easements under the Land Access Act 1997 (WA)
Pastoral operations
We are engaged where complexity, sensitivity and commercial consequence intersect.
Click here to see our work in pictures.
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With more than 20 years’ experience, we advise Traditional Owners, proponents and government on the design and implementation of culturally appropriate consultation and decision-making frameworks.
Our work is senior lawyer led and strategically focused. We provide advisory and negotiation support in relation to:
Aboriginal heritage protection and management
Drafting and negotiation of Aboriginal heritage agreements and Cultural Heritage Management Plans
Compliance, due diligence and audit processes, including cultural risk identification and mitigation
Managing impacts to Aboriginal sites, including section 18 Ministerial consent applications and responses (objections)
We are engaged on matters balancing statutory obligation, cultural responsibility and project delivery.
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We advise Aboriginal corporations, including Prescribed Bodies Corporate, on governance, native title, compliance and strategic matters.
Senior lawyer led and commercially informed, we provide strategic advisory and representation in relation to:
Compliance with the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth) (CATSI Act) and associated regulatory frameworks
Examinations under section 453-1 of the CATSI Act and related investigations
Rule Book and Constitution drafting, interpretation and amendment
Governance reviews, including policy development and related party matters
Board advisory services, including CEO engagement and capacity-building support
Future act management
Establishment of corporations and securing nomination as Prescribed Bodies Corporate
Contract management and compliance, including matters relating to native title, land access and indigenous land use agreements
Advice and support for Annual General Meeting compliance
We provide clear, practical advice that supports strong governance, regulatory compliance and long-term organisational stability.
Click here to see our work in pictures.
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We advise on consultation and engagement obligations under the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 (Cth) and associated regulatory frameworks.
Our work includes:
Advising on statutory consultation requirements and risk exposure in offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas approvals
Supporting Relevant Persons including Traditional Owner engagement in NOPSEMA environmental approvals processes and associated consultations
Reviewing and advising on consultation reports and regulatory submissions
Aligning regulatory compliance with culturally appropriate consultation practices
We provide clear, strategically grounded advice that focuses on legally robust consultation processes and procedurally sound outcomes.
Click here to see our work in pictures.
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We advise on complex and unexpected issues arising in the course of operations, particularly where regulatory exposure, reputational risk and cultural considerations require an immediate and measured response.
Our work is senior lawyer led and discreet. We have provided strategic advice and coordination in relation to:
Data breaches under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), including compliance with the Notifiable Data Breaches Scheme and regulatory engagement
Serious incidents during heritage surveys, including advising clients on their engagement with WorkSafe and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), and development of strengthened governance and wellbeing protocols
Oil spill responses involving Traditional Owner interests, acting as a nominated point of coordination and strategic adviser
Discovery of skeletal remains, advising on statutory compliance and culturally appropriate management
Firearms licensing and ammunition access for Traditional Owners within evolving regulatory settings
On-Country burials, facilitating engagement with relevant government departments to secure lawful authorisation outside designated cemeteries
We are engaged where urgency, regulatory scrutiny and cultural responsibility demand clear judgement, structured response and steady leadership.
Team.
Alisha Maharaj-MacLean
Director
About
Alisha leads MacLean Legal advising clients on complex native title and cultural heritage matters.
Alisha works with resource companies, corporations, Traditional Owners and other stakeholders to deliver commercially practical and strategic legal advice that supports project development while managing regulatory, cultural heritage and stakeholder obligations.
Her practice focuses on helping clients manage native title and cultural heritage issues that arise in the development of major projects.
She is known for providing clear, pragmatic guidance that helps clients navigate complex legal frameworks and evolving regulatory environments.
Alisha’s advises and assists clients with:
Developing practical strategies that balance legal obligations, project timelines, cultural heritage management and Traditional Owner engagement.
Managing impacts to Aboriginal cultural heritage sites, including preparing and advising on Section 18 Ministerial consent applications and responses (objections)
Managing future acts under the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth)
Establishing corporations and secure nominations as Prescribed Bodies Corporate
Board advisory services.
As a registered Trade Marks Attorney, Alisha assists clients with intellectual property law matters via her practice MacLean IP. Through her work with her native title clients, she has developed an interest in intellectual property management in the commercialisation of both biodiscovery activities involving traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions.
Alisha is committed to delivering high-quality legal advice that is both strategic and commercially sound.
Alisha is a member of the Law Society of Western Australia.
Contact
You can contact Alisha at [email protected]
Qualifications
Masters of Intellectual Property, Intellectual Property Law (MIP)
Bachelor Laws (LLB)
Bachelor Economics (B.Ec)
Qualifications
Bachelor Laws (LLB)
Bachelor Philosophy (BPhil)
Bachelor Marketing and Public Relations (BMktg&PR)
Senior Lawyer
Sue Maharaj
About
Sue advises on native title and cultural heritage issues arising from major resource and infrastructure projects.
She has extensive experience in assisting clients to navigate the intersection of native title, cultural heritage protection and project development. Sue provides strategic advice on sensitive and high-stakes matters, including complex negotiations with Traditional Owners, urgent cultural and regulatory compliance in dynamic project environments.
Her practice includes advising clients on:
Native title negotiations and agreement-making
Cultural heritage management in the context of large-scale projects
The management of skeletal remains and other sensitive heritage matters
Progression and registration of native title claims.
Sue is known for delivering clear, practical advice that enables clients to manage risk, meet cultural heritage obligations and maintain project momentum in challenging circumstances.
She is a member of the Law Society of Western Australia
Contact
You can contact Sue at [email protected]
Contact.
MacLean Legal
Suite 156, Level 2 Equus Building
580 Hay Street
Perth WA 6000
Ph: (08) 9218 8272
Fax: (08) 9202 1845
Email: [email protected]
For all enquiries, please contact us at [email protected] or alternatively please use the below enquiry form. We will endeavour to answer your enquiry as soon as possible.