IT and Telecoms
Ben Hamilton
Ben has a range of experience in intellectual property, technology, and commercial matters.
He specialises in technology and commercial contracts, branding and product labelling advice, advertising and marketing law, trade mark matters, intellectual property commercialisation, copyright advice, disputes and licensing, and competition and consumer law matters.
Ben has also advised and assisted clients in drafting and negotiating procurement, technology and other commercial contracts, asserting and defending substantial copyright and trade mark infringement claims, implementing a national trade mark certification scheme, drafting agreements relating to the commercialisation of new plant varieties and patented technology.
James Deady
James has experience in a broad range of commercial and intellectual property matters, including intellectual property commercialisation, agreements and licensing, trade mark registrability and infringement issues.
James also has extensive experience in technology procurement, licensing and outsourcing matters. This work includes drafting and advising on IT contracts, including software licences, software, platform and infrastructure as a service agreements, software development agreements, IT project and implementation agreements, and IT service contracts, and drafting and advising on general commercial agreements.
John Gray
John is a senior corporate and commercial lawyer who has specialised in technology and intellectual property law for 30 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, branding and e-payments.
Known for his hands-on and pragmatic approach, and his ability to find solutions to legal and commercial issues, John is a seasoned practitioner in the IT market and often acts for governments and financial institutions in relation to major IT projects.
Eden Winokur
Eden is a leading cyber, privacy, disputes and insurance lawyer who heads Hall & Wilcox’s cyber team.
Eden specialises in advising on the full spectrum of cyber risk. This includes:
acting as incident response provider/breach coach and/or legal advisor in the event of a cyber security incident or data breach, providing an urgent triage and assessment of the incident and risks;
managing the incident response process, including the engagement of cyber security and other expert vendors, along with directing IT forensic investigations. Beyond IT experts, cyber incidents can involve engaging specialist vendors for reputational risks, notification specialists, call centre services, credit monitoring providers, business interruption adjustors and ransomware negotiation experts. Eden has strong relationships with leading specialist vendors dealing with all aspects of cyber incidents;
cyber insurance coverage advice, including in relation to claims by SMEs as well as large and complex claims, which often require technical knowledge about cyber incidents;
providing privacy and other legal advice in respect of actual or suspected data breaches or security incidents, including drafting notifications to and engaging with the OAIC and individuals affected by data breaches;
advising clients in relation to regulatory investigations initiated by the OAIC, as well as assisting clients respond to and settle complaints with the OAIC following a data breach;
managing privacy advice from local experts in multi-jurisdictional incidents, particularly those involving European citizens under GDPR;
advising on notifications to regulators and regulatory bodies, including ASIC, APRA, ASX, ACSC and ACNC; and
defending or bringing subrogated claims arising from cyber incidents, particularly in relation to social engineering fraud, breach of contract or negligence.
Alison Baker
Alison has more than 20 years’ experience in a wide-ranging employment practice, advising private sector and public sector clients on all aspects of employment, industrial relations and human resources law, and work health and safety law. She also advises private and public sector organisations on the application of privacy legislation.
Jacqui Barrett
Jacqui has extensive experience in advising and assisting clients with M&As, corporate structuring, corporate compliance and governance, capital raisings and managed investment schemes. She also advises clients with day-to-day legal issues affecting their business including supply arrangements, licensing arrangements, protection and commercialisation of intellectual property, manufacturing and distribution arrangements consultancy arrangements, terms and conditions, and privacy and confidentiality issues.
John Bassilios
John has broad experience in financial services, funds management, blockchain, corporate and commercial law, with a particular emphasis on funds management related matters. John is one of Australia's leading Fintech and Blockchain/crypto lawyers and is a Director on the board of Blockchain Australia.
John has acted for a wide range of financial services providers (both start-ups and established industry providers), including retail and wholesale fund managers, investment advisers, financial planners, stockbrokers, IDPS operators, managed discretionary account providers and consumer credit providers. He has advised financial services providers on all aspects of managed investments schemes, AFSL and ACL licensing, disclosure requirements, and ongoing compliance with regulatory requirements.
Anthony Bradica
Anthony is a highly regarded tax practitioner with over 20 years’ experience. He has particular expertise in taxation planning and structuring for corporate clients, including advising on capital raisings, business structuring, mergers and acquisitions, and disputes with Federal and state taxation authorities.
Anthony’s current practice primarily focuses on tax advisory, advising in respect of employee share plans and executive remuneration, and managing tax disputes with revenue authorities. He has specific industry experience in the telecommunications, software / IT services industries, media and entertainment industry, and the property and construction sector.
Fay Calderone
For over 20 years, Fay has acted for employers across a range of industries including professional services, manufacturing, sport, health, aged care, community services and local councils focused always on the purpose and imperatives of the organisations she is servicing.
As a specialist on all matters touching the workplace, Fay provides practical advice and guidance on proactive compliance, change management and restructuring, discrimination, bullying, harassment, misconduct investigations, performance management, enterprise agreements, and industrial disputes. In circumstances where disputes cannot be resolved, Fay represents employers in proceedings before industrial tribunals, including unfair dismissals, adverse action claims, and restraint matters in State and Federal Courts.
Deborah Chew
Deborah has extensive experience across a broad range of commercial transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, equity capital markets and other corporate transactions, equity investments, shareholders and joint venture arrangements, management equity arrangements, ASX listed company advice, and a wide variety of commercial arrangements.
Deborah’s major clients span a range of industries, with particular focus on the technology and biotech industries, and on agribusiness, and vary in size from start-ups to Australian industry leaders.
Deborah began her legal career in New York, where she practised corporate and commercial law for over 10 years. She relocated to Australia in 1999.
Deborah combines a deep knowledge of her clients and the industries they operate within with a familiarity with corporate transactions that is based on over 25 years of experience in both Australia and the United States
Oliver Jankowsky
Oliver is a Corporate Partner, whose practice focuses on mergers & acquisitions, corporate advisory, divestments, foreign investments and start-up capital raising.
He has particular expertise in cross-border transactions advising foreign clients on their legal needs in Australia and how to enter the Australian market. Oliver’s practice also comprises drafting a range of commercial agreements including shareholders and distribution agreements and advising on IT contracts.
Steve Johns
Steve’s practice focuses on corporate law, specialising in M&A and joint ventures. He has particular expertise in transactions in the technology (including ICT), life sciences, biotechnology and services sectors.
Steve advises clients on share and asset sales, strategic investments, joint ventures and restructures (including carve-outs). His clients including foreign and domestic corporations and private equity and venture capital funds.
In addition to his sector expertise, Steve has a focus on cross border transactions, and in particular transactions involving the US. He has worked in the US and regularly advises US clients on transactions in Australia.
Suzie Leask
Suzie is a highly regarded specialist in corporate and commercial law. With over 15 years’ experience, Suzie assists companies and their boards, directors, company secretaries, management, in house legal teams and key business stakeholders to comply with a variety of commercial transactions, corporate governance and regulatory compliance obligations. Suzie is experienced in a range of areas including business transactions, corporate advisory, commercial contracts and procurement, IT and intellectual property, privacy law and cyber security, regulatory compliance, competition and consumer laws including unfair contract laws.
James Morvell
James has a broad range of both corporate and general commercial experience, particularly in the areas of equity capital markets, corporate advice, and public and private M&A. James has acted for a diverse range of clients including publicly listed companies, private companies and multinational organisations. In particular, he has extensive corporate and transactional experience in the funds management and REIT sectors.
Martin Ross
Martin is a Partner at Hall & Wilcox, and leads the firm's national Corporate and Commercial team.
Martin practices commercial law with extensive experience in contracts and commercial litigation. He focuses on corporate, commercial, regulatory and private clients, with particular expertise in the sports and media sectors.
Martin's expertise includes complex commercial contracting, intellectual property and mergers and acquisitions. He has worked on high-profile and complex transactions and litigation, including media rights transactions, major sponsorship agreements, M&A in sport, governance, and rules and regulations.
Matthew Smith
Matthew joined Hall & Wilcox on 1 July 2017, after almost 30 years at Harris Wheeler, most recently as managing partner of the firm and supervising partner of the firm’s Commercial practice.
In addition to advising on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters, Matthew has provided advice to a number of Hunter public sector clients including Port Stephens Council, Newcastle City Council, Maitland City Council, Hunter Water Corporation, Hunter Development Corporation, Newcastle Airport Pty Limited, Hunter New England Local Health District, the University of Newcastle, Hunter TAFE and Hunter Resource Recovery.
Matthew’s special knowledge covers legal risk management and the allocation of risk in commercial contracts, contract drafting and negotiation, precedent development, legal audits of insurance cover, procurement, contract tendering and contract administration, corporate governance and probity, trade practices and competition law, the protection and commercialisation of inventions and other intellectual property, technology related contracts, joint ventures & public/private partnerships.
Jacob Uljans
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 in the financial services and regulatory spaces.
As a co-founder and director of a Melbourne-based brewing and hospitality business, Jake has substantial business knowledge and experience, and has previously held roles as a director of the Craft Beer Industry Association and on the Board of Management of the Flemington and Kensington Community Legal Centre.
Adrian Verdnik
Adrian is the section leader of the firm's national Banking and Financial Services practice. Adrian’s financial services law practice covers superannuation, managed funds, insurance, and financial advice. His work includes both advisory and transactional services. He works for a variety of participants in the financial services industry, including issuers, investment professionals, and service providers.
Adrian is valued by his clients for his ability to balance the technical and commercial aspects of financial services law, and for his effective management and delivery of work.
Shaun Whittaker
Shaun specialises in new economy transactions revolving around social infrastructure, technology and impact investment.
He has extensive experience advising on the structuring, delivery and financing of various social and affordable housing projects, build-to-rent projects, specialist disability accommodation (SDA) projects, hospital and healthcare projects, childcare facilities and technology platforms integrating with these sectors.
Shaun’s clients benefit from his considerable projects and finance expertise. He regularly advises on bankability risks in infrastructure projects, with particular experience in capital grants, impact investment funding, alternative debt funding and subsidised arrangements. His experience in structuring, joint ventures, corporate, investment and finance enables him to provide ‘whole of project’ solutions to clients.
Shaun has a deep understanding of the political, commercial and regulatory issues around funding and delivery of successful new businesses and projects, drawing on his experience acting for public and private entities, including not-for-profit and startup enterprises, to provide a holistic service to clients.
Team Services
In today’s world, technological innovation and disruption have become the new norms for business. To stay ahead, businesses must embrace change by being agile and innovative.
Our technology clients range from tech start-ups to market-leading multinational technology suppliers. We act for a diverse range of private sector clients, as well as government agencies in the acquisition of technology and digital assets.
The breadth of our legal expertise and our deep industry knowledge adds significant value to our clients operating in this ever-changing and dynamic field.
Our capability includes advising on, and implementing complex cross-border technology-based transactions, assisting tech start-ups through our ‘Frank’ program, acting in complex and high-profile media rights transactions, advising on all aspects of data protection, responding to cyber security incidents, advising on regulatory issues relating to cryptocurrencies and liaising with government and regulators on blockchain and the taxation of digital assets.
At Hall & Wilcox, we live and breathe technology in our day-to-day practice. We embrace the philosophy of delivering Smarter Law, which challenges us to implement technology in the delivery of legal services.