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Quality and consistency through collaboration

We are excited to share that Partners Alan McKelvey, Catherine Morton and Naomi Simmons have been recognised in the 2026 Doyle’s Guide as Leading Town Planning & Development Lawyers – NSW. Alan has been ranked as a Leading lawyer while Catherine and Naomi have each been recognised as Recommended lawyers.

Alan specialises in NSW planning, environment and mining law and has extensive litigation experience, particularly in the NSW Land and Environment Court. His sister, Janet McKelvey, has also been recognised in the Doyle’s Guide as a Preeminent Environmental Law Junior Counsel in NSW—it clearly runs in the family!

Alan understands the complex NSW planning system and uses this knowledge to assist predominantly miners and property industry participants to obtain planning approvals. He is constantly helping clients prepare planning applications, review environmental impact statements, interpret planning approvals and deal with valuation matters. He also advises on environmental incident management and investigations by regulators.

Catherine provides regular advice to council and private clients on various aspects of planning law. She has been involved in extensive litigation in the Supreme Court and the Land and Environment Court, typically involving judicial review, easements proceedings, contempt proceedings and merits appeals from the actual or deemed refusal of development applications.

Naomi is an Accredited Specialist in Local Government and Planning Law and also practises environment law. Naomi's focus includes Land and Environment Court litigation, drafting and negotiating planning agreements and advising on planning and environment legislation in NSW.

The celebration continues with Sparke Helmore ranked as a Leading Town Planning & Development Law Firm – New South Wales (Second Tier)—an improvement on last year’s third tier placement.

Congratulations to Alan, Catherine, Naomi and the entire team!

About Sparke Helmore

We’ve come a long way since our doors first opened in the Hunter in 1882.  We’ve had an office in Sydney since the ‘60s and we recently opened our tenth office in Cairns.

We cover six key areas of law – Corporate & Commercial, Commercial Insurance, Government, Property Environment & Finance, Statutory Lines of Insurance and Workplace – with more than 30 specialised areas of expertise. We’re a truly national, full service and proudly Australian firm that delivers results through deep collaboration with our clients. Wherever our clients need us, that’s where we’ll be.

Covering a big country needs a big team—we’re more than 1000 people now and still growing. And in true Australian spirit, we’re friendly, approachable and easy to work with. And when you work with one of us, you get the expertise of all of us.

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