Alex McGlue
Special Counsel

Alex is an experienced lawyer specialising in town planning law, environmental law and land compensation.  His client base includes leading property developers, significant landowners and high net-worth individuals. He also acts for not for profit organisations and ordinary property owners.

Alex is recognised as a leading litigator in property development matters, with experience in the High Court, Supreme Court, State Administrative Tribunal and Magistrates Court.  He has the knowledge and expertise to provide advice on all aspects of land ownership and property development. 

Alex has a reputation amongst clients and colleagues as being able to provide commercially relevant advice on complex issues in a timely manner and for achieving favourable results in difficult circumstances.

Recently, Alex has acted on many of the most controversial, challenging and high-profile development proposals in Western Australia. He regularly acts for developers of apartments and mixed-use proposals and have assisted in obtaining a number of development approvals, including in challenging circumstances, such as where there has been community and local government opposition.  Alex also regularly advises on significant and complex proposals in the industrial, commercial, greenfield residential, education, resources and aged care sectors.

Alex assists clients at all stages of the development process, including by undertaking planning and environmental due diligence prior to acquisition, assisting with legal issues that arise in the context of development applications, advising on obligations under the Environmental Protection Act and the EPBC Act, dealing with contaminated sites issues, giving deputations to Councils and JDAPs and conducting review proceedings in the SAT.

In relation to land compensation, Alex  has acted for a variety of dispossessed or affected landowners in obtaining fair compensation for compulsory acquisition or injurious affection, including in circumstances where claims are resisted by the acquiring authority or where there are major disputes as to valuation or the quantum of a claim.

In addition to his commercial expertise, Alex regularly represents clients in planning, environmental and health prosecutions, both at first instance in the Magistrates Court and on appeal in the Supreme Court.

Alex has an active interest in matters of law reform as it relates to property development and currently sits as a member of the Law Society of Western Australia’s Environment, Town Planning and Local Government committee.