Our Real Estate, Conveyancing & Land Law practice provides strategic, commercially focused advice to domestic and international clients on property transactions, development projects, land tenure, and regulatory compliance across PNG.
We help clients navigate PNG’s distinctive land environment with confidence, combining technical legal expertise with practical, transaction-focused guidance that supports secure investment, effective project delivery, and long-term asset protection.
Led by Michael Sullivan, with Stephen Lewin, Amira Ward and David Denniston, our team acts for companies, developers, investors, financial institutions, government agencies, and landowners on complex land and property matters. We are recognised for delivering clear, commercially practical advice in a legal setting where customary and State land systems intersect, helping clients manage risk, satisfy regulatory requirements, and achieve efficient, legally secure outcomes.
Core Capabilities
Property Transactions & Conveyancing
We provide comprehensive support across the full lifecycle of property transactions, including the sale, acquisition, leasing, financing, and structuring of commercial, industrial, and residential assets. Our team combines detailed due diligence, title verification, conveyancing compliance, and practical tenure advice to help clients secure property interests, address legal and commercial risks, and progress transactions efficiently in PNG’s complex land environment.
Development & Infrastructure Projects
We advise on the structuring and delivery of property, mixed-use, and infrastructure developments, including public-private partnerships, development concessions, land use planning, subdivision, building approvals, and stakeholder engagement. Our approach brings together legal, regulatory, and project delivery insight to support developments from initial structuring through to implementation, helping clients manage approvals, environmental obligations, stakeholder expectations, and commercial objectives.
Land Law & Regulatory Approvals
We guide clients through PNG’s land law and regulatory approval framework, including compliance with the Land Act, Physical Planning Act, Building Act, and related administrative processes. Our advice covers State and customary land registration and development pathways, compensation rights, landowner consultation requirements, foreign investment structuring, and ownership restrictions, ensuring clients are well positioned to obtain approvals and protect their interests.
Disputes & Governance
We support clients in resolving title, boundary, lease, compensation, expropriation, tenancy, and property-related disputes, as well as regulatory investigations and compliance reviews. Drawing on our dispute resolution, governance, and regulatory experience, we provide practical strategies that preserve commercial value, protect legal rights, and assist clients to manage sensitive land and property issues with confidence.
Representative Experience
Our experience includes advising Bainggap Investment, PNG Forest Products, Capital Centre Limited, ExxonMobil PNG Limited, Mainland Holdings, Airways Development Ltd, Steel Industries, Constantinou Group, and the U.S. Embassy in PNG on significant property sales, leasing arrangements, development and infrastructure projects, land tenure issues, and regulatory compliance frameworks. These engagements reflect our ability to support sophisticated clients on high-value property portfolios and complex projects requiring careful legal structuring, regulatory navigation, and practical commercial judgement.
Why Clients Choose Us
Clients choose us for our deep understanding of PNG’s legal, regulatory, and customary land systems, our proven history on high-value developments and property portfolios, and our ability to deliver integrated support across corporate, finance, infrastructure, and disputes matters. We combine commercial judgement with risk-aware legal advice, giving clients the confidence to pursue complex land and property transactions in a challenging and highly regulated environment.
