Leighton O'Brien

Alex Haslam is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law, Legal Malpractice Litigation and Professional Malpractice Litigation. Alex, who practices law in Sydney, Australia, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Alex is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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

Kirrilee Kennedy is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation. Kirrilee, who practices law in Sydney, Australia, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kirrilee is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Marlia is an experienced media/entertainment, intellectual property and privacy lawyer who has extensive top-tier law firm expertise and a unique client perspective after working as a senior in-house lawyer for many years. She was the Senior Litigation Counsel at News Corp Australia for four years, and previously worked at a top-tier international firm for 13 years where she acted for and advised most of Australia’s major media organisations, social media and streaming platforms, large ...

John has over 20 years’ experience as a litigator specialising in all areas of insurance and has managed a significant number of large litigated matters. John is an Accredited Specialist in Commercial Litigation (Insurance) and leads our insurance team. He has acted in matters in all States of Australia. John is an experienced advocate, regularly appearing for clients in court and participates in alternative dispute resolution programs in those matters identified as unsuitable for litig...

Samantha has particular experience working for health related clients, including private and public hospital operators, not-for-profit organisations, aged care and retirement village operators, Medicare Locals and Local Health Districts. During her time at Thomson Geer, she has worked on major health projects, including acquisitions, restructures and arrangements between both State and Commonwealth governments and private hospital operators. Samantha frequently advises on regulatory issues re...

Edward Cox SC is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Shipping and Maritime Law and Transportation Law. Edward, who practices law in Sydney, Australia, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Edward is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Madeleine is a versatile junior counsel with a broad practice in commercial and public law. She regularly appears in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and Federal Court of Australia. Recent matters in which Madeleine has been briefed include: Class actions : Acting for CFSIL and CBA in three separate superannuation class actions, and for Uber in a class action commenced by taxi industry participants. Regulatory : Acting for financial services providers (including NAB, NULIS, CFSIL and Macq...

Kate Rafton is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Kate, who practices law in Parramatta, Australia, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kate is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

John is a senior corporate and commercial lawyer who has specialised in technology and intellectual property law for over 25 years. He is a partner in the Corporate and Commercial team at Hall & Wilcox. John advises clients on commercial transactions and legal disputes in the fields of IT, telecommunications and media. His expertise covers all the legal issues associated with the use of technology in business and government, including licensing, privacy and data protection, copyright, bra...