Personal bio
Timor-Leste and Australian citizen. I was a Member of the Timor-Leste National Parliament (2007 to 2012); Minister for Natural Resources, Minerals & Energy Policy & Secretary of State for Tourism, Investment and Environment (2002-2007); oversaw enactment of Timor-Leste’s petroleum laws, the sovereign wealth fund, the law on companies and investment laws. 2004-2006: Chief Timorese Government negotiator with the Australian government on maritime resource sharing in the Timor Sea resulting in Treaty Concerning Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea (CMATS); Commissioner for Timor-Leste state in the Timor Sea Joint Petroleum Development Area (JPDA) Joint Commission; 2007: Timor-Leste on the Ministerial Council of the JPDA . 1990 - 2000: practicing lawyer in Queensland, Australia in civil litigation, environment, environment, planning and development, construction, administrative, tax, native title and resource law; extensive practice in mediation and arbitration of building disputes. 2000-2002: United Nations mission in East Timor civil affairs officer. 2013-present: advocate in Timor-Leste courts; civil (administrative, commercial and property, constitutional law, taxation law, property law, international investor and commercial arbitration and mediation) and criminal law. Legal counsel on European Union, Asian Development Bank, International Finance Corporation, World Bank, United Nations, USAID, UNESCO, UNEP projects in Timor-Leste. Bachelor of Arts, University of New England and Bachelor of Laws, University of Queensland. Member of Timor-Leste´s Supreme Council of the Attorney General’s office: 2016 to July 2023; member Timor-Leste Supreme Court of Justice Selection & Recruitment Commission. 2013 to date: member of NSW Law Society, Australia 2016: Associate of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. 2024: Accredited mediator with Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. 2024: member of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.