Best Lawyers in Australia for Litigation

Michael Astill is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Construction / Infrastructure Law, Government Practice, Litigation, Planning and Environmental Law and Real Property Law. Michael, who practices law in Sydney, Australia, has been recognized since 2008. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jeremy is briefed to advise and appear across a wide range of matters. He appears at trial and on appeal, frequently in complex commercial causes. In addition to commercial causes, Jeremy often appears in regulatory proceedings arising under the Corporations Act 2001 and the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. Jeremy regularly appears in the Supreme Court of NSW, particularly in the Commercial List, other State Supreme Courts, the Federal Court, the NSW Land & Environment Court, and appeal...

Matthew Hawke is Special Counsel in Cowell Clarke’s Building, Construction & Infrastructure and Dispute Resolution teams. Matthew has broad experience in construction advice and disputes (including construction contract drafting and advice), compulsory acquisition disputes, and the construction industry security of payment regimes across Australia. When not working in the construction space, Matthew supports clients in negotiating or litigating their general contractual, misrepresen...

Graydon leads the Hall & Wilcox Litigation and dispute resolution team. He acts on behalf of a number of national and overseas clients on large and complex commercial litigation matters and advises on all aspects of dispute resolution. He has particular expertise in contract disputes, negligence cases, regulatory matters including ASIC and ACCC investigations, coronial inquests and commissions, and product liability. He has advised clients in both the private and public sector. Clients ap...

Simon has practised as a barrister in Sydney since 2010 and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2024. He had previously worked in New York, taught at the University of Sydney Law School, and been an associate at the High Court of Australia. Simon’s practice includes commercial and corporate law, equity, insurance, professional indemnity, public law and trade practices. He has appeared in representative proceedings (for applicants and respondents), commissions of inquiry (as counsel assistin...

Tony is a senior lawyer with more than 35 years' experience in complex agreements and disputes, particularly across intellectual property (IP), information technology (IT), life sciences, and franchising. Tony also has broad international experience, particularly in the USA, UK, and Asia. Tony has been involved in many seminal deals and cases. His experience includes cases involving expert evidence and cross jurisdiction co-ordination with an emphasis on technical and parallel issues. Tony ha...

Jamie Watts is the leader of Cowell Clarke’s Building, Construction and Infrastructure team, bringing nearly 30 years of experience to his market leading guidance and advice. With expertise ranging from the drafting of contracts to the settlement of disputes, Jamie’s understanding of the whole construction cycle allows him to identify and minimise risk from procurement to completion. Although the avoidance of future claims and disputes is Jamie’s primary goal, he has signifi...

Peter Leech is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation. Peter, who practices law in Adelaide, Australia, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Peter is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Mark Farquhar is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation. Mark, who practices law in Melbourne, Australia, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mark is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Elizabeth was called to the Bar in 1996 and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2010. She regularly appears in the Federal Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of New South Wales, predominantly in the Equity Division. Elizabeth practices in the areas of commercial law and taxation, with a particular emphasis on class actions (especially shareholder class actions), corporations law and insolvency. She regularly acts for liquidators, administrators, banks and major corporations, and has extensi...

Shannon Schwarz is an experienced construction lawyer with a practice focused on building, infrastructure, engineering and other major projects. He has acted for principals, developers, head contractors, subcontractors, engineers, consultants, architects, government departments, manufacturers and suppliers. Shannon provides advice to clients in relation to contract preparation, negotiation and management, including procurement processes and risk management strategies. Shannon also regularly a...

Nick Curran is a Partner in the Disputes team with more than 15 years’ experience in commercial litigation and dispute resolution, and restructuring and insolvency. He advises insolvency practitioners, banks and individuals in relation to all aspects of corporate insolvency including receivership, voluntary administration and liquidation, as well as personal insolvency. He also acts for a variety of companies and businesses involved in commercial litigation, including publicly-listed co...

Glenn is a principal in the firm’s corporate practice. Glenn provides advice to public and private entities throughout Australia on a full range of corporate and business law issues. This includes capital raisings, listings, mergers by acquisition and schemes of arrangement, ASIC, ASX and legislative compliance, capital reductions and other securities issues and transactions. He acts for large and medium sized corporates, both listed and unlisted, providing advice on a full range of bus...

Since coming to the Bar Eliza has practiced in general commercial law, including employment and industrial disputes in both State and Federal jurisdictions, taxation proceedings in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, and in administrative and other public law matters. Eliza also acts regularly for both the Victorian WorkCover Authority and corporate defendants in occupational, health and safety prosecutions, and has appeared in pleas, committals and trials. Click here to view Eli...

Symoane Mercurio is a Director within Cowell Clarke’s Dispute Resolution team which incorporates Insolvency and Turnaround. Symoane Mercurio adopts a commercial and pragmatic approach on all matters to ensure she provides clear, practical and strategic advice to enable her client’s to meet their legal and commercial objectives. Her expertise has been recognised by her inclusion in Best Lawyers in Australia since 2021 for Alternative Dispute Resolution and Litigation Law. Symoane b...

John was admitted as a solicitor in 2013 and called to the bar in 2023. He has a diverse practice across commercial, public, and criminal law. Before coming to the Bar, John was a Senior Associate in the litigation team at Arnold Bloch Leibler. He acted for companies and individuals on a wide range of commercial disputes, regulatory investigations and enforcement action, white collar criminal matters, and public inquiries. Prior to joining ABL in 2020, John was a senior solicitor at the North...