PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT COUP FOR MORAY & AGNEW MELBOURNE
Moray & Agnew Melbourne has appointed Scott Stewart, previously the leader of planning and environment at Melbourne based Rigby Cooke, to head up its Planning and Development practice.
Stewart’s appointment follows that of Michael Markowitz who joined the firm last year, and adds to the firm’s intention to build one of the leading property development practices in Victoria.
Scott Stewart is one of Victoria’s most active and respected planning and environmental lawyers and is an accredited specialist in the field. He has acted for some of the leading brands in the development industry including major retailers ALDI, Coles Myer and Woolworths, a host of private and public companies and government departments and instrumentalities.
Stewart has experience in all aspects of planning and development law, including planning and development approvals, environmental advice and due diligence, environmental audits, compulsory acquisitions, liquor licensing, gaming and heritage law. More broadly, he has advised on many of Victoria’s largest development projects, including shopping centres, office towers, cinemas, resorts, restaurants, power stations, transport and logistics, infrastructure, sporting and entertainment complexes, subdivisions, student housing, higher density housing and industrial premises.
Stewart said he looks forward to enhancing and growing the firm’s planning and environment practice at Moray & Agnew’s Melbourne office, and has begun this growth with the recruitment of Senior Associate, Reto Hoffman to add depth to the existing Senior Associates in the office with planning experience.
Together with Bill Papastergiadis, Melbourne’s Managing Partner, and one of Victoria’s leading construction law partners, Moray & Agnew now boast a first class team with the experience, skills and resources to guide clients in the due diligence, purchase, approval, construction and sale of projects with the cost efficiencies of a mid-tier, national legal firm. “Focusing on the client relationship through a whole of project focus means clients can use Moray & Agnew for every aspect of the project with all the inherent efficiencies and cost benefits this provides”, Stewart says.
Bill Papastergiadis is delighted with the addition: “We are bucking the trend in this market – continuing to grow and prosper when we hear that many other firms are downsizing in this area. We must be doing something right!”