Michael Johns

Jacob (Jake) is a member of Hall & Wilcox’s commercial dispute resolution team, practising predominantly in general commercial litigation. Jake acts for clients in a wide range of contractual disputes, corporations and equity matters, insolvency proceedings, disputes with regulators, class actions, environment and sustainability disputes, trade practices and tax litigation. Jake specialises in legally and factually complex disputes and litigation, with a particular focus on disputes...

John Spender is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Family Law. John practices law in Melbourne, Australia Best Lawyers has recognized John Spender since 2021. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which John Spender is held by other lawyers.

Hugh has extensive experience in corporate and commercial law with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, capital raisings, managed investment schemes and financial services. His practice includes working on takeovers, schemes of arrangement, venture capital and private equity deals, infrastructure investments, privatisations, prospectuses, underwritings and managed funds, and advising clients with a mutual structure.

Sam heads KCL Law’s Estate Group and practises in estate planning, estate administration, trusts, asset protection and estate disputes. With over 28 years of experience, Sam has provided tailored estate planning solutions to clients from diverse backgrounds, circumstances and complexities, including many of Australia’s wealthiest individuals. Recognising the challenges faced when a family member has died, Sam has established a dedicated estate administration practice to guide clie...

Alex King is a disputes, litigation and insolvency lawyer. He has a broad client base, which includes private clients, family-based businesses, publicly listed companies, large institutions and government bodies, in Australia and overseas. Alex recognises that his clients’ commercial imperatives are often unsuited to the costs and inconvenience of full-scale litigation and works with them to explore ways in which a dispute or litigation might be resolved quickly and commercially. Howeve...

Nick Golding is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Equity Capital Markets Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Nick practices law in Melbourne, Australia Best Lawyers has recognized Nick Golding since 2020. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Nick Golding is held by other lawyers.

Kaitilin is a Principal Lawyer in the Business Law team and a specialist tax lawyer focused on complex, high-stakes disputes involving the ATO. She acts for high-net-worth individuals, private groups, family offices, and corporates in tax disputes, as well as advising on tax risk in transactions. She is also frequently engaged where tax becomes a critical issue in shareholder disputes, family law disputes, M&A-related claims, and complex group-level disputes. Kaitilin’s practice is ...

Alasdair McLean is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Commercial Law, Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Alasdair practices law in Melbourne, Australia Best Lawyers has recognized Alasdair McLean since 2026. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Alasdair McLean is held by other lawyers.

Edward is a Principal in the business law area at Sladen Legal, with a particular focus on equity, trusts and succession. The focus of his dispute practice is on protecting vulnerable beneficiaries and others negatively affected by the decisions of the incumbent controllers of estates and trusts. He represents plaintiffs and defendants in the County Court and Supreme Court in matters relating to: The removal and replacement of executors and trustees of estates and trusts; Applications for jud...

Bonnie Phillips is an Accredited Family Law Specialist with the Law Institute of Victoria and has been recognised in Best Lawyers and as a Preeminent Family & Divorce Lawyer in Regional Victoria in the 2025 Doyle’s Guide. Bonnie is a Director and Principal of Coulter Legal and acts for clients in all aspects of Family Law, ranging from divorce and intricate parenting matters, through to complex and multifaceted financial matters, including multi-party international disputes. Bonnie ...