Barangaroo, New South Wales, Australia
Driven by a strong commitment to both the natural and built environment, Francesca is a lawyer at McCafferty Legal specialising in energy transition, major projects and commercial law. She advises clients across the full lifecycle of clean energy and infrastructure projects, providing strategic and solutions-focused guidance on complex contractual, commercial, and transactional matters. Francesca brings a multidisciplinary background with experience spanning planning and environmental law, energy law, animal law, and climate change policy. Her work reflects a deep understanding of the regulatory and commercial frameworks that underpin Australia's evolving energy and infrastructure sectors. With a passion for aligning commercial outcomes with sustainability and innovation, Francesca thrives on helping clients navigate legal challenges to deliver impactful, future-focused projects. In recognition of her contribution to the field of animal law, Francesca was awarded the RSPCA Australia Sybil Emslie Animal Law Scholarship in 2021.
- Co-managed Class 1 development appeals representing primarily large-scale developers to acquire development approvals and favorable conditions of consent for construction of developments including residential flat buildings, boarding houses, top shop housing and residential dwellings
ASO5 - Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate, Environment, Water and Emissions Reduction, Climate Change and Energy - Climate Change Policy - Provided policy advice and developed policy options driving the uptake of Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEVs) in the ACT, including input for the ACT Zero Emissions Vehicle Strategy. - Developed legal advice for legislative amendments to increase ZEVs in the ACT and achieve net-zero emissions by 2045 by analysing multiple pieces of ACT environmental and transport legislation and exploring several legislative avenues for introducing regulatory and incentivising schemes encouraging purchases of ZEVs and discouraging purchases of internal combustion engine vehicles. - Represented the ACT Government at workshops and events including the Lord Mayors Climate Group. - Translated legal advice received from the ACT Government Solicitors Office into policy considerations for ACT ZEV strategies.
ASO4 - Law/Public Policy and Governance Graduate - Undertook 3 rotations in different government business units. - First rotation - Co-developed a Climate Impact Analysis (CIA) model allowing Members of the ACT Legislative Assembly to access and engage with CIA of proposed legislation. Actively applied a consulting methodology in undertaking stakeholder engagement, research, analysis and creating a visualisation of the project. - Second rotation - Performed various business-as-usual tasks, including assisting implementation of the government-wide ‘Wellbeing Framework’, validating directorate delegations entered into the ‘iDelegate’ database, and assisted risk profiling and risk analysis of various Transport Canberra and City Services business units. - Third rotation – Analysed and drafted policy options for the ACT’s ‘Zero Emission Vehicle Policy’, co-drafted the 2020-21 FY Minister’s Annual Report for the Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act 2010 (ACT) (‘Climate Change Act’) and assisted the 10-year review of the Climate Change Act including analysis of legislative amendment recommendations.
- Co-drafted educative materials for publication including ‘Useful Resources List’ for comparative United States/Australian Animal Law educative module focusing on regulation and management of farmed animal welfare. - Co-drafted 'Animal Law Student Society Guide' based on experience founding UNSW Animal and Environmental Law Society. - Drafted case summary of Brett Cattle Company Pty Ltd v Minister for Agriculture [2020] (‘Brett’s Case’) in collaboration with co-intern for website publication.