Craig Chapman

Michael is a qualified lawyer, with over ten years’ experience advising on taxation matters in roles with leading Australian law firms and the major international accounting firms. Michael specialises in transaction taxation and structuring as well as litigious disputes with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Michael has acted for publicly listed and large private groups in both buy side and sell side transactions, as well as major restructures and corporate dealings. His transaction...

Richard Leahy is the Legal Practitioner Director of Cochrane Leahy Litigation. Richard was a partner in an award winning, national firm, practising in commercial and insurance litigation. Identifying a gap in the Queensland legal market, he has now created his own boutique commercial litigation firm, with an emphasis on expert but commercially pragmatic service for businesses and individuals.

Kelli has extensive experience in insurance, product liability, public liability and workers’ compensation having acted for more than 30 years on behalf of insurers (both domestic and international), corporations, government bodies and instrumentalities. In the insurance area she has vast experience in acting on liability claims, particularly product liability, public liability and workers’ compensation. She has appeared before courts, regulatory bodies, inquiries and coronial inq...

Kirsty is an experienced construction dispute lawyer and front-end lawyer, specialising in litigation, expert determination, mediation and arbitration concerning a wide range of issues on construction projects that often lead to complex negotiations, disputes and settlements. Kirsty works as part of a specialised team to successfully achieve objectives set by clients, including coordinating high pressure adjudication proceedings. Her understanding and interest in her client’s business a...

Lyndon is a qualified lawyer, chartered accountant and chartered tax adviser who advises on GST, payroll tax, land tax, income tax, capital gains tax and the establishment of private ancillary foundations. His diverse experience in dealing with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) from an accounting and a legal perspective has given him a valuable insight into the motivation of agencies. Lyndon has acted for clients from diverse backgrounds in a wide range of industries, including the non-pro...

Laura is a Special Counsel in the firm's Disputes Resolution & Litigation team, specialising in the areas of family business succession, estate planning and superannuation. She has over 16 years’ experience working with private clients and family businesses in crafting and executing succession plans. Laura’s key focus is to understand each individual or families motivation for their succession planning and tailor an appropriate plan for the individual or family. Her areas of e...

Kirsten Van Der Wal is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Medical Negligence. Kirsten, who practices law in Brisbane, Australia, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kirsten is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Sophie is a media lawyer and litigator with extensive expertise in media and defamation matters. She specialises in defamation, contempt of court, suppression orders, freedom of information and court access applications, confidential information claims, privacy law, pre-publication advice, copyright and cyber safety law. She has acted for and advised many of Australia’s largest media organisations, large corporations and politicians, authors, and high profile/high net worth individuals ...

Ben Cohen is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Alternative Dispute Resolution, Ethics and Professional Responsibility Practice, Legal Malpractice Litigation, Litigation and Professional Malpractice Litigation. Ben, who practices law in Brisbane, Australia, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Ben is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice...

Michaela Manning is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Regulatory Practice. Michaela, who practices law in Brisbane, Australia, has been recognized since 2027. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michaela is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.