Meara O'Brien
Solicitor
LLB/BA (USYD)
Expertise
Meara is a Solicitor at Terri Janke and Company who supports clients across a range of practice areas and domestic and international policy settings, including commercials law, intellectual property (IP) law, Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), governance and Indigenous Data Sovereignty.
A significant part of Meara’s practice involves supporting new and established First Nations organisations and their boards to develop strong corporate and cultural governance arrangement that support self-determination and long-term community and economic aspirations.
Photo by Stephen Wilson Barker
Experience
Meara joined Terri Janke and Company in 2023 as a paralegal and was admitted as a lawyer of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in December 2025.
Her experience includes drafting commercial, IP and ICIP agreements, governance documents and policies, and advising on the protection of First Nations knowledges, cultural expressions, heritage and data. She also works on land, water and environmental governance matters, including building frameworks for community-led enterprises, cultural governance and sustainable models for working on Country.
Meara works with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, organisations, cultural institutions, language centres, artists and creatives, government agencies, and businesses. She brings strong legal research and drafting skills to her work, together with a background in project management, community consultation and facilitation.
Recent Projects
Assisting clients on IP management, brand protection and trade mark registration.
Advising First Nations bush products and native foods businesses on IP, branding, consumer law, regulatory requirements, and access and benefit-sharing frameworks.
Supporting the establishment and registration of companies, Aboriginal corporations, not-for-profits and registered charities, including drafting culturally informed governance documentation.
Advising new and established boards on corporate and cultural governance frameworks and delivering tailored governance training.
Developing and implementing ICIP management frameworks and industry protocols for galleries, libraries, archives, museums and other cultural institutions, including for archives, exhibitions and collections.
Supporting health organisations with the design and implementation of legal mechanisms to implement Indigenous Data Governance.
Community
Meara grew up on Dharawal, Ngunnawal and Yuin Country, and was fortunate to be surrounded by communities that recognised First Nations leadership, knowledges and cultural authority as essential to caring for Country. This shaped her interest in environmental law and continues to inform her work at the intersection of environmental protection, ICIP and First Nations governance.
