Corrs Chambers Westgarth has appointed Naomi Hutchings to partner in its Environment and Planning team in Perth, luring the executive counsel away from Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer after four and a half years.

At HSF Kramer, Hutchings worked with Melanie Debenham, the partner who leads the firm’s Perth environment, planning and communities team.

Hutchings brings industry depth. She spent over eight years in-house at BHP across three commodity groups: uranium, diamonds and potash, and iron ore. Before moving into private practice, she also held roles as managing counsel on secondment to Todd Minerals and acting senior manager of strategy and reform at the Department of Environment Regulation.

Her practice covers approvals strategies for major projects, native title and Aboriginal cultural heritage agreements, operational compliance and enforcement, advice on decarbonisation and renewables, contaminated land and rehabilitation liability, and environmental due diligence in transactions.

The hire is another hit for HSF Kramer’s Perth office following David Gray’s move to Allens.