Dispute resolution: litigation in Australia

‘The team is deep in knowledge, people and talent and is always a pleasure to work with. I feel genuinely supported by this firm in difficult situations, with the firm always finding a way through. Always professional, and wonderful colleagues.’

‘Alex Mason is a breath of fresh air. It is wonderful to see such a talented woman rise through the ranks and do so well. Alex operates well beyond her years as a partner and has a significant practice. She is well known for her high performance teams, and strategic approach to matters. I truly value Alex as a colleague.’

‘Peter Haig is the ultimate professional, who always sets out to achieve the best objectives for his clients. He is an absolute pleasure to work with, even during stressful periods. I will always be thankful to Pete for leading us through very challenging times.’

‘Paul Nicols is an exceptional communicator and very effective at presenting complex legal issues.’

‘Malcolm Stephens stands out for his vision, legal skills and tactics.’

‘Great team players, very sympathetic characters, easy to work with – always a pleasure to work with CU.’

‘Highly skilled people able to work in a small team on important matters.’

‘The team is dynamic, technically and practically brilliant and generally available to assist with our firm’s matters. The speed with which advice and work is provided, and the quality of the same, is never short of exceptional.’

‘Having a partner who is highly involved in the matter and adding their high level of expertise at each step is a key benefit.’

‘They provide excellent strategic support backed up by attentive, responsive service and a great relationship with the barristers engaged in our matters. They have an excellent working relationship with our legal group.’

‘The team are efficient with their time, have a deep knowledge of the background to the matters we are running and know us well. Their values and ours are in close alignment. The individual practitioners are of the highest integrity and we are of the view that they practise with impeccable honesty both towards the courts and their opponents.’

‘I found the G+T team had strong black-letter legal knowledge, but at the same time were very pragmatic and understood the client’s objectives.’

‘A first-rate team that you can trust to be across the detail of a case. Really smart lawyers who grapple with the complexities of the case (legal and strategic) and offer considered, measured and focused advice. Strength in depth across the whole team, with star individuals at the partner and counsel/associate level.’

‘The partners we work with at this firm are excellent all round. They are across the detail, and involved in all key workstreams and decisions. They think commercially and strategically and offer consistent case direction, confidently navigating litigation through the highs and lows, and in a reassuring way.’

‘Excellent team and great client base and quality of matters.’

‘Very good lawyers and good people.’

‘Excellent customer service; great legal skills; easy to work with; very responsive and very strategic.’

‘Peter Munro is extremely calm under pressure and highly responsive.’

‘Janet Whiting is highly strategic, provides excellent customer service, and is responsive and reliable.’

‘The A & O litigation practice is highly specialised and provides an outstanding service. The team are all very well regarded commercial litigators who work seamlessly on complex commercial litigation.’

‘Mark Van Brakel is technically brilliant, responsive and able to communicate and engage with our business at all levels. Very commercial, practical and down to earth.’

‘The team works with you and partners with you rather than waiting for instructions.’

‘I genuinely felt my interests and getting to an outcome that was acceptable to me as a client were foremost in their minds. Whenever possible they tried to find an outcome that kept us out of court but when required they remained tough and most importantly took the care to know the law and how it could be used to improve our position. They were never arrogant, they were very even tempered, especially when under enormous pressure. I would not hesitate to recommend them and have recommended them to others.’

‘Leon Zwier and Elyse Hilton stand out as being excellent advisers rather than just being lawyers. They are very proficient at the law and then take everything to the next level.’

‘Caroline Goulden was always professional, extremely practical, knew the law and provided us with options, was very stable emotionally even when under enormous pressure yet was able to laugh with us when the tension needed to be broken. I trust her as a person and as a professional.’

‘John Mitchell stands out for the timeliness and quality of his advice.’

‘Calm and professional service, with good collaboration.’

‘Strategic acumen, attention to detail and the unwavering commitment to the case is unparalleled.’

‘Across the board, Baker McKenzie understands clients’ problems and thinks strategically, with a great understanding of legal principles, in order to design and deliver a solution which addresses the core issues of that problem. They are a great firm, one of the best in the country. They are also very economical and efficient with their time which is reflected in their billing practices.’

‘The team has a breadth of work, knowledge and experience (with access to a global network of connections) which makes them a strong and valuable team.’

‘Georgie Farrant is an excellent legal mind, sees the big picture but also never misses the detail and has a prodigious work ethic.’

‘Alex Wolff is one of the best strategic litigators I have met.’

‘Andrew Salgo has an in-depth understanding of the litigation process and the arguments that win or lose, and can guide a client perfectly through the difficult waters of dispute resolution.’

‘David McCredie is a diligent, careful and experienced practitioner who remains down to earth and is an incredibly pleasant person.’

‘The team is extremely client-focused and very well able to manage multiple clients and witnesses. I would without hesitation recommended the Bakers team to clients engaged in large commercial litigation.’

‘Mark Chapple and Andrew Salgo are exceptional technical lawyers. Notably they are both very hands-on in their approach, which is particularly appreciated by clients.’

‘Depth of staffing and effective use of appropriate resourcing to deliver quality work at a fair price.’

‘Technical expertise and industry familiarity.’

‘Glen Ward is commercially astute, drives towards a strategic outcome and seeks to understand our business before providing counsel.’

‘Strong senior associate support provides deep bench strength. Great access to partners and senior associates.’

‘David Taylor takes the time to understand the client’s perspective and applies it well to strategic advice about the conduct of the litigation.’

‘A great collaboration of exceptional industry expertise within one part of the firm working with excellent litigation expertise.’

‘What stands out is their ability to work with and communicate well with non-lawyers. The strong partner-to-partner working relationships covering specialist industry areas and litigation played a very key part in a successful outcome. They are easy to work with and work through complex issues – very good communication with the firm that made being a client easy.’

‘Michelle Power is an extremely well organised and level headed senior partner, with terrific judgment and temperament. Would recommended her highly.’

‘The team is very responsive and technically excellent.’

‘Exceptional depth of knowledge and experience in the energy sector and an excellent grasp of the commercial and technical questions. Intelligent and academic in their approach to complex legal questions.’

‘Elan Sasson is a standout partner. He is very technically skilled but commercial and understands our business well, which makes his advice clear and on point. Highly responsive and deals with fast turnaround when required.’

‘Elan Sasson is an extraordinarily capable lawyer; I simply cannot speak highly enough of him. His grasp of the law is excellent, his strategic focus second to none and his ability to calmly and competently deal with clients has to be seen to be believed.’

‘The firm is a part of a global practice with offices all over the world. Therefore they can give advice not only on Australian law but on cross-jurisdictional matters. They are famous for their strategic approach to the task – they do not only give you advice on the questions asked but offer a whole strategy of dealing with the problem. They concentrate only on the actions which will give a result.’

‘Michelle Fox is very experienced, a strategic thinker, confident, always available and quick to give her opinion. With her you feel safe and do not need to worry about the result.’

‘Clever, strategic, commercial, focused and always available.’

‘Smart and dynamic teams who clearly enjoy working together, with excellent legal and strategic skills and an ability to adapt quickly to developments in complex litigation (always with an eye to commercial and pragmatic solutions). The quality of work is exceptional, and with tight control over costs.’

‘Louise Massey stands out for her exceptional ability to cut to the core of complex litigation, map out solutions (remaining sensitive to strategic goals, legal and practical risks, and cost efficiency), and then build and run focused teams. She has a remarkable ability to distil and communicate difficult legal and procedural issues, to ensure that clients are aware of, and are able to understand, report on, and make informed decisions about, the significant issues and developments driving litigation. Louise’s teams are always happy, highly-motivated and hard-working (and engender qualities impressed by Louise – such as inclusion and mutual respect).

‘John Dalzell has remarkable strategic insight, and is able immediately to identify key legal, jurisdictional and procedural issues likely to drive complex litigation (including multi-party litigation, across multiple jurisdictions, with complex factual matrices and claims). He is unflappable, no matter the developments in the litigation. His technical legal skills are exceptional, as is his emotional intelligence (reading the dynamic of disputant parties, the strengths and weaknesses of witnesses, and likely concerns of the Bench). John is also very enjoyable to work with – an interesting, humorous and dynamic person, who has the devotion and respect of his team.’

‘I consider the practice cares about its clients, and is organised – I have very much enjoyed working with them.’

‘Louise Massey is an organised and efficient partner.’

‘A friendly, calm, efficient, intelligent and sensible team.’

‘Dentons is a firm that has extensive geographical coverage, expertise in multiple areas of law and can service clients’ diverse needs – effectively, it has the capability to act as a one-stop shop, which sets is apart from many others.’

‘Louise Massey is a very experienced commercial litigator. She exercises very sound judgement in commercial matters and has very good client management skills. She is well considered and measured in her approach.’

‘Deutsch Miller are a truly wonderful litigation firm. Their attention to detail is amazing and they always have the best interests of their client at heart. Over the years, I’ve dealt with various litigation legal firms, both on my own account and on behalf of my clients. These firms included national and international firms and while they provided good service, they were unable to compete with the level of service provided by a boutique litigation firm like DM.’

‘The partners at DM are all specialists in their own field, and pride themselves on imparting that specialist knowledge for the benefit of their clients.’

‘The people are the strong element here – both in Mark Deutsch and how he engages with clients (they immediately feel his empathy, which is important in the stress of litigation) and his staff. There is tight integration in the firm and you get the feeling that all staff you deal with know your matter well. Layered over that are Mark’s very impressive skills as a negotiator and litigator and the results he achieves.’

‘They achieve what they set out to be – a boutique firm with big firm quality and delivery.’

‘The team at Deutsch Miller actually work as a team. They have guided us through our case, kept us informed of progress as we proceed, given us good advice and executed what was needed in achieving successful outcomes. The inclusive approach of consulting us and working through the possible outcomes is important and has given us far more comfort than is provided by other legal firms. Progressing on an informed basis is probably the most important step because this assists us in understanding the risks in advance and provides us with manageable achievable expectations. The professionals at DM are as good as I have seen over many years. We are not another case or a number; when we take up discussions after weeks or months apart on lengthy matters, there is very good recall of the detail and where the matter is up to. We get on with things fluently and efficiently in progressing the matters at hand.’

‘The practice was very professional, the team were amazing, intelligent and were able to assist me in all my legal matters very effectively and efficiently and charged very reasonable rates.’

‘We worked with Chris Stevens who was very professional and the response times were quick.’

‘Shane Anderton has safe hands and builds trust and rapport well with senior executives in regulatory investigations.’

‘Shane Anderton provides excellent down to earth and practical advice. He is excellent at case strategy, backed up by masterful grasp of the principles applicable in his areas of specialty.’

‘Kathy Merrick is an extremely capable and intelligent partner who provides commercial and common sense strategies and advice in complex litigation. Kathy has a dedicated team working with her who work in a very similar way to her.’

‘The key strength of the litigation team is Kathy Merrick. Kathy is highly experienced across all aspects of commercial litigation including regulatory work, insolvency and large scale commercial cases.’

‘The team has excellent depth of litigation skills and experience, is strategic in its approach to disputes, responsive in client management and focused on client objectives.’

‘Patrick Walsh is a skilled adviser, as well as litigator. Bringing his extensive experience to bear, he doesn’t just provide clear advice on the legal issues but also thoughtful and considered counsel on claim strategy and approach, with a view to achieving the client’s true objectives in the dispute.’

‘It has a diverse range of practitioners covering all critical areas of commercial litigation. They are collaborative and innovative in their approach.’

‘Simon Theodore is a first rate partner of the firm. He has excellent client management and strategic skills.’

‘Gadens’ dispute resolution team has excellent depth and they are very skilled lawyers. What makes them stand out is that they are personable and easy to work with and their people are always very focused on the commercial interests of the client. They can deploy great tech solutions so that they can deliver efficient and cost effective service whether dealing with a large-scale document task or small-scale debt recovery.’

‘The team took a measured approach to our litigation – they knew when to press and when to wait. This nuanced approach assisted us in achieving our desired outcomes in the litigation. Lawyers with relevant expertise were used for different aspects of the dispute.’

‘I was fond of their collaboration skills, the way they work as a team and the way they work with their client in order to get a win.’

‘Norman Lucas balanced costs incurred with direct action in our litigation, to great success.’

‘Shaun Temby was filled with confidence when dealing with the case and the other party. We could rely on him. He is good at making his client feel at ease.’

‘You are treated as an individual where consideration of your circumstances and issues are taken into account.’

‘Personable, considerate, genuinely interested in assisting you.’

‘Outstanding management of the dispute and advice that achieved the desired outcome without the need for resolving the matter in court.’

‘The strong ability to adapt legal strategy to meet the commercial needs of the business.’

‘Darren James takes a sophisticated approach to complex litigation, focusing on an overall strategy. He also gives attention to detail and is an excellent technical lawyer.

‘The practitioners are excellent and dedicate the time necessary to produce outstanding quality work. Darren James is an exceptional litigator who has his client’s best interests at the forefront of the work the firm does. The best innovations are around obtaining the best from his most important asset – his people.’

‘Darren James is an outstanding lawyer. He delves deeply into a problem and gets to the heart of an issue quickly. He is prepared to do the hard work, and then to work collaboratively with counsel and his team. He is always respectful of his clients’ needs and wishes.’

‘The team at Banton Legal has significant court experience coupled with the subtlety of the fine art of negotiation, which provides firm but fair outcomes built on integrity and strength not machismo. The team has been with Amanda for a long time and are shaped by her thinking and approach, ensuring partner involvement is seamless and highly productive. They are very client focussed and go in depth in order to see things from their perspective and ensure they think about everything to enable their client to succeed. The team has the right mix of commercial and legal skills to match the client’s needs.’

‘Amanda is vigorous yet considered, cautious yet incisive, involving counsel early to ensure the matter progresses efficiently. She knows your case, she knows where not to go. Amanda not only possesses a very high standard but also has a strong work ethic. She loves a challenge. She always listens, and takes the time to understand the client’s requirements and objective to achieve the best results. She comes out with clear advice and is honest about what is possible. She is calm, has an eye for detail and is extremely thorough with due diligence. Overall very professional, a great strategist and an excellent litigator.’

‘A leading insolvency class action firm. Innovative and tenacious. They have changed the class action landscape.’

‘Banton Group is a good commercial litigation firm with very good access to litigation funders who are prepared to fund a variety of claims. Those claims include novel and difficult claims. So, Banton Group is prepared to take on diverse, difficult and novel claims and supports clients (including with costs arrangements) in pursuing the same.’

‘Amanda Banton is a very experienced and shrewd commercial litigation operator. She is very well connected with litigation funders which facilitates the litigating of a variety of claims in her clients’ interests.’

‘Commercially astute and very well connected globally and locally.’

‘Amanda Banton is a stand out strategist and litigator.’

‘Amanda Banton puts together a unique team to tackle the biggest and most innovative plaintiff cases.’

‘Chris Ward and Rocco Russo are hands on and active together with other highly capable practitioners, each of whom is able to take the lead on conducting serious litigation effectively and efficiently.’

‘The stand outs are Chris Ward, for his years of experience, client liaison skills and ability to manage a big team, and Rocco Russo, also for his years of experience, hands-on skill in analysing and mastering complex issues and his ability to manage a team to conduct litigation of any type.’

‘Very experienced commercial litigation partners and a team of talented junior lawyers working under them.’

‘The parties are more directly involved in running matters than other firms of like size, and certainly more than larger firms.’

‘The firm has a wide range of legal expertise which made CGW a one stop shop for me.’

‘Rocco Russo’s strengths are his good communication, his knowledge and experience in litigation and his approachability. I was totally reliant on Rocco to lead the litigation process for me as I had no previous experience with this. He was able to clearly and concisely explain the strengths and weaknesses of my position and suggest strategies and tactics that gave me confidence to proceed. This was especially important due to the stressful nature of commercial litigations and the mounting costs as we proceeded. I had to have trust in Rocco and he engendered this in me.’

‘In my view, the litigation team’s key strengths are its depth (with lawyers with a range of experience levels); its continuity and stability; and the manner in which team members have a genuine investment in the outcome of the litigation.’

‘Jane Kupsch has an excellent technical understanding of the law and court procedure, and has meticulous attention to detail. A particular attribute that sets Jane apart is that she has excellent instincts about where to devote resources most efficiently to force an outcome which is either legally advantageous or which will encourage a favourable settlement.’

‘Very tactical in litigation. Strong negotiators. Very strong in use of technology.’

‘Excellent litigation skills. Willing and able to understand complex technical concepts and work internationally with witnesses and specialists from different cultures and backgrounds. I was particularly impressed with their ability to manage masses of documents and various witnesses, and choose excellent barristers.’

‘Special mention to Jane Kupsch. What stands out is her ability to manage complex litigation, manage client stakeholders and to listen to and understand the client’s needs and concerns. ’