Former NSW Labor mining minister Ian Macdonald "got nothing" out of a decision that made millions for a political associate, his lawyer has told his criminal trial as it enters its final days.

Mr Macdonald is standing trial for misconduct in public office over a 2008 decision to grant a lucrative coal exploration licence to Doyles Creek Mining, a company chaired by former union boss John Maitland.

The Supreme Court has heard Mr Maitland made more than $6 million when he sold shares in a company that acquired Doyles Creek Mining after the licence was granted.

Mr Maitland, a former head of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), is also on trial as an accessory before the fact.