Class action settlement totals skyrocketed to over $900 million last year, and one law firm negotiated the lion’s share, with $672 million in settlements under its belt.
A leading Sydney silk who has appeared for the prosecution in a high-profile criminal cartel case over a $2.5 billion ANZ share placement is set to become New South Wales’ first woman to serve as Director of Public Prosecutions.
Although she planned a career as a professional flautist, the law is where Gilbert + Tobin’s Natalie Zwar ended up, using her talent and love of music to build a successful practice in cutting-edge intellectual property litigation.
Lander & Rogers special counsel Melissa Tan brings the same fierce work ethic and tenacity when competing in Latin dancing competitions around the globe that she does to working on complex insurance disputes.
For Herbert Smith Freehills partner Christine Tran her first all-nighter at the law firm was a critical moment in her career in class action litigation.
Levitt Robinson senior associate Jem Punthakey had a unique opportunity to flex his creative muscles while working on two recently settled class actions against 7-Eleven, which spawned novel interlocutory skirmishes and a special leave application to the High Court.
For Elit Lawyers by McGirr & Snell partner and co-founder Danielle Snell, experiencing one of the strictest COVID-19 lockdowns in the world fundamentally changed the course of her career in litigation.
Growing up in rural Australia as the son of a Vietnam veteran, Colin Biggers & Paisley partner Michael Russell’s childhood instilled in him a resilience and a can-do attitude which he credits with helping him tackle the most difficult class action defenses.
Facing off in the courtroom against large litigation firms is never easy, says solicitor Christiaan Roberts, the head of Sydney’s Roberts & Partners, but there are advantages to being small and nimble.
While Johnson Winter & Slattery’s Andreas Piesiewicz is known for his advocacy and ability to hold his own in the courtroom against some of Australia’s top silks, the 39-year-old partner opted for the camaraderie of the law firm to the life of a barrister.