Darren Fooks

Darren Fooks is a seasoned lawyer with over three decades of experience advising across a diverse range of industries. His practice encompasses cryptocurrency and digital assets, employment law, corporate and commercial transactions, securities, and the energy and resources sectors. Darren has been involved in complex legal matters such as mergers and acquisitions, both public and private; capital raisings; corporate structuring and restructuring; directors’ duties; and corporate governance. He also provides guidance on employee incentive schemes and cross-border transactions. Throughout his career, Darren has contributed to the legal aspects of major infrastructure and project developments in Australia and internationally. His work spans renewable energy projects including wind, solar, hydro, and battery storage, as well as facilities such as abattoirs and over 60 mining developments. He has also been instrumental in structuring and executing substantial commodity supply agreements involving coal, gas, gold, and other base metals. His expertise extends to state asset privatisations, significant franchising transactions, and the financing, restructuring, and sale of large corporate entities. Darren has advised companies preparing for listings on the ASX and NASDAQ, regularly managing applications to the Foreign Investment Review Board and navigating critical infrastructure approvals. His industrial relations experience includes enterprise bargaining, compliance, and handling complex employment matters for multinational organisations operating across multiple jurisdictions. In Native Title and Cultural Heritage law, Darren has negotiated Indigenous Land Use Agreements, Cultural Heritage Agreements, and conducted Good Faith negotiations. Beyond his legal practice, he holds direct equity interests in crypto-mining ventures and remains actively engaged in the evolving digital economy. Prior to joining Salerno Law, Darren was a partner at the prominent Australian law firm Clayton Utz and subsequently at the global law firm Baker McKenzie. Darren’s expertise has been recognised consistently in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific as a Leading Individual, and in Best Lawyers Australia for Mining, Natural Resources, and Oil & Gas from 2009 to the present. He is ranked Band 3 by Chambers in Native Title and Energy & Natural Resources: Mining and is recommended in Doyle’s Guide for Energy & Resources Law in Queensland.