Tony Abbott

Sam Richardson is a Director of Cowell Clarke’s Property team and advises on a variety of matters from purchase and sale of property to complex lease negotiations. Sam has acted for clients in the acquisition and disposal of property, as well as for developers on residential and mixed use developments. Sam is an active member of the Property Council of Australia and the Urban Development Institute of Australia where he sits on the community housing committee. Sam’s expertise has b...

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...

Meet Vanessa Varga, the heart and soul behind Varga Lawyers. A true luminary in Wills + Estates, Vanessa's name has graced Doyle’s Guide every year since 2018. As a dedicated legal professional, Vanessa’s passion shines through in delivering an authentic legal service with your best interests at heart. Vanessa is well equipped to assist you with all your complex Wills + Estates legal matters. Whether it is the creation of a sophisticated estate plan involving Testamentary Trusts a...

Melissa Eaton is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law, Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation. Melissa, who practices law in Adelaide, Australia, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Melissa is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

Paul is a principal in the firm’s disputes practice. Paul has particular expertise in: all aspects of industrial relations and workplace law, and work health and safety; privacy, data and cyber/information security and response; risk management advice and the investigation and resolution of corporate and commercial issues and disputes; advice and representation of clients in competition and consumer law matters; and insolvency matters. Paul is a key member of the Cyber Alliance Group &n...

Sarah Hooper is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation. Sarah, 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 Sarah is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

John is a Special Counsel in the firm’s Insurance practice and is nationally recognised in the area of dust diseases litigation. John has over 15 years’ experience in insurance and civil litigation. John’s work involves complex legal, scientific and medical issues in the specialised field of toxic torts. He has extensive experience involving asbestos related claims, general insurance matters including property damage, negligence and motor vehicle insurance, public liability,...

Bronwyn is a commercial lawyer with specialist expertise in the areas of intellectual property, privacy, regulatory and competition and consumer law. Her practice traverses public and private industry sectors including automotive, higher education, health, manufacturing, medical devices, energy and resources, government, financial services and ecommerce, from start ups through to multinational groups. Bronwyn’s intellectual property practice includes advising on all matters of ownership...