The lawyer
Saylor Legal is a sole practice. You work directly with David, not a paralegal, not a junior. The same lawyer from first enquiry through to determination.
Saylor Legal is a boutique native title practice with one lawyer: David Saylor. That is a deliberate choice. Native title matters are complex, long-running and deeply personal to the claim groups and communities involved. Having a single experienced practitioner means consistent strategy, consistent relationships, and no loss of institutional knowledge when a matter spans years or decades.
David was admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor in Western Australia in 1996 and has practised native title law since 2003, through the development of ILUA frameworks, the evolution of PBC governance, and the Federal Court's landmark compensation rulings. That continuity matters.
For Traditional Owner groups, PBCs and RNTBCs, the ability to speak to the lawyer who knows the file, not a case manager, makes a practical difference at every stage of a matter.
Principal Lawyer
More than two decades in native title practice. Few Australian lawyers have been in the field for as long as David.
Practising native title law since 2003. David represents Traditional Owner groups in claims, consent determinations, compensation proceedings, ILUA negotiations and PBC governance matters.
Areas of practice
David takes instructions from claim groups pursuing native title determinations, including compensation matters before the Federal Court. He attends on-country hearings and ceremonies when required, and understands that connection evidence and community process are as important as the legal argument.
Prescribed Bodies Corporate and Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate face ongoing governance, compliance and land-management obligations under the NTA and the CATSI Act. David advises on structural and operational questions, dispute resolution within PBCs, and representation before the Registrar and courts.
On larger contested matters David works with Senior Counsel and junior barristers instructed in the Federal Court. He coordinates with anthropologists, historians and other experts retained for connection evidence, and maintains the ongoing relationship with community throughout the claim process.
David works from Townsville. For Traditional Owner groups across North Queensland, Cape York and the Gulf Country, that proximity matters, he can attend on-country when the matter requires it without the friction of interstate travel for every engagement.
Saylor Legal accepts instructions from Traditional Owner groups, PBCs and RNTBCs across Australia. Federal Court native title matters are national in jurisdiction; geography is rarely a barrier.