Bradly Torgan

Special Counsel, Darwin

Bradly Torgan joined Ward Keller in December 2017, practising in the firm’s natural resources law practice group.

Brad practised in the United States in North Carolina and California for 25 years, mostly in public and environmental law. He also spent several years as an appointee of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as chief counsel for California State Parks.

Brad came to Australia in early 2016 on a professional sabbatical to do post-graduate work at the University of Sydney. He’d been visiting Australia occasionally for more than a decade and always liked his time here. This time, he decided to stay.

Brad acts for mining and petroleum companies, both in exploration and production. He advises on all facets of environmental regulatory compliance, including environmental impact assessment, along with Aboriginal land rights and native title. He also negotiates land access agreements and manages administrative litigation before the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal and the National Native Title Tribunal.

Brad also represents numerous pastoral and agribusiness interests, providing advice on pastoral diversification, environmental regulatory compliance and native title. He has represented numerous pastoralists in native title determinations.

Along with his practising certificate in the Northern Territory, Brad maintains active membership in the California bar, making him one of few attorneys in the Northern Territory with an active law licence in both the Northern Territory and the United States. He has advised businesses in the Top End on United States defence procurement law.

Areas of Law

  • environmental law and regulation
  • mining and resources
  • pastoral and agribusiness
  • United States government procurement law

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Bachelor of Arts, Duke University
  • Master of Regional Planning, University of North Carolina
  • Juris Doctor, University of North Carolina
  • Master of Environmental Law, University of Sydney
  • Admitted to the practice of law in North Carolina (1992), Maryland (1993) and California (1996)
  • Admitted as a legal practitioner in the Northern Territory (2017)
  • Registered on the Register of Practitioners of Australian Federal Courts (2018)
  • Member, Law Society Northern Territory (LSNT)
  • Member, California State Bar
  • Member, American Institute of Certified Planners
  • Member, Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand.

Contact Details