Legal, Business
Strategy,

Engagement

We offer our clients professional services in law, business strategy and engagement, aimed at enhancing community led development. We support community service providers, both Local Government and independent, to navigate the unique complexity of regional, rural, and remote communities, to deliver on community vision.

Professionals enhancing
community led development

Legal, Business
Strategy,

Engagement

We offer our clients professional services in law, business strategy and engagement, aimed at enhancing community led development. We support community service providers, both Local Government and independent, to navigate the unique complexity of regional, rural, and remote communities, to deliver on community vision.

Professionals enhancing
community led development

Discover
Our Work

Collaboration is at the heart of what we do. Our team thrives on the synergy that arises when unique perspectives converge, fostering an environment of boundless creativity. By harnessing our collective expertise, we produce extraordinary results that consistently surpass expectations.

Passionately Creating Strategic Partnerships:
Unleashing Boundless Opportunities

Culturev8 Governance Partner

We are Australia-based
our work is everywhere.

The small practice

doing BIG things with community.

We delivering
exceptional
 results

Meet our team.

We are talented individuals who are passionate about bringing ideas to life. With a diverse range of backgrounds and skill sets, we collaborate to produce effective solutions for our clients.

Together, our team of professionals are committed to delivering impactful work that exceeds expectations.

Dr Chris McLaughlin
Dr Chris McLaughlin

Practice Director and Lawyer

Melanie McLaughlin
Melanie McLaughlin

Director and Practice Support

Rob Dwyer
Rob Dwyer

Senior Risk Management Specialist

Katherine Wiggins
Katherine Wiggins

Senior Governance and Engagement Lead

Sarah Rizvi
Sarah Rizvi

Engagement, Planning and Environment Specialist

Julia Mauro
Julia Mauro

Senior Lawyer

Dr Alan Clough
Dr Alan Clough

Lawyer

Trusted by.

Our Client Voices:
Hear What They Say!

“Dr Chris McLaughlin, is a values and ethically-driven legal professional, with whom I have worked over the past couple of years in his capacity as the Chief Operating Officer – Workforce Development MyPathway. Chris is an astute and highly skilled executive, who is committed to helping business, individuals and communities gain the best outcomes for their investment. A strong methodological and rigorous approach allow Chris to identify solutions to complex problems and challenges faced by community and business in the FNQ region. Chris recently completed his PhD in which he examined issues associated with the legal and institutional mechanisms to better support Torres Strait Islanders to maintain their cultural secrets. This is an area of significant international interest, and the skills, capacities and knowledge developed by Chris, has positioned Chris as a thought-leader in this area. Chris has recently founded a new venture, culturev8, which I understand is a community-focused consultancy firm, recognising that culture within our first nation communities is an asset which enables communities to develop and prosper. I wish Chris and his team all the best with this exciting initiative.”

Dr. Scott Davis

Experienced Director, CEO and regional Development Practice Leader

“I have known Chris McLaughlin for over 5 years working with the Torres Strait Island Regional Council, Chris is an honest very reliable person and has also proven himself to have great people skills. He would be a great asset to any organisation.”

Cr. Keith Fell

Deputy Mayor and Councillor (Mabuiag Island)

“I have known and had the privilege to work with Chris McLaughlin for 10 years in my term as a Councillor for the Torres Strait Regional Council. During this time, I have found Chris a very unique individual whom had the skills, ability and wealth of knowledge to professionally deliver a very high standard of quality legal services, this effectively getting projects done on time. I have no hesitation in recommending Chris McLaughlin as a lawyer to help enhance community led initiatives through integrated legal, business and research services.”

Cr. David Bosun

Councillor (Kubin, Moa Island)

“For the years that I have known Chris is his professional role, he has demonstrated his ability to communicate effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. He is very methodical in his approach to addressing Indigenous issues, and always sensitive to cultural implications. He has also demonstrated outstanding analytical skills when dealing with sensitive issues that impact on Law and Love.”

Cr. Getano Lui (Jnr) AM

Councillor (IAMA Island)

“Culturev8 thoroughly delivered! The stakeholders in this Indigenous Land Use Agreement negotiation appreciated your highly professional and culturally appropriate facilitation and the clear and concise way in which you provided independant legal advice. The quality of your documentation and the final report detailing the process followed and the outcomes of decision-making was outstanding and will serve the parties well in securing registration.”

Instructing Lawyer

Leading Queensland Native Title Law Firm

“I have known Chris for some years, primarily as the principal supervisor of his doctoral studies. The nature of these relationships is that you get to know each other pretty well, and I think I know Chris well. He is very competent (completing a high quality PhD very quickly, while holding down a significant full-time job). He is also committed to principles of fairness and justice, and this pervades what he does. If he says he will do something, you can rest assured that he will crawl over broken glass rather than let you down.”

Prof. Paul Martin

Lawyer | Academic

“Having known Chris for well over a decade now and working closely with him for most of that time, I can fully attest to his total passion, commitment and enthusiasm towards everything that he does. Chris practised yet pragmatic approach always ensures complete and proven results whilst maintaining his ethos of continually strengthening not only himself, but the many others like myself, who have been afforded the amazing opportunity to work with Chris during his extensive and highly successful career.”

Dania Ahwang

Chief Executive Officer