Johnson Winter Slattery > Melbourne, Australia > Firm Profile

‘They are incredibly hard working, strategic, commercial and good value. They should be considered top-tier for managing large, complex class actions to a successful conclusion.’

‘The JWS dispute resolution team’s primary benefit to its clients is the feeling of confidence that only derives from trust. You know that you are able to leave very important and difficult decisions to the team. Large complex claims always need a flexible approach to budgeting conducted in a disciplined manner, and JWS always provides value for money whether they are seeking to find savings to cover necessary outside budget work, maximising upside advantage from opportunity, or minimising downside risk.’

‘More dynamic than many of the bigger, factory practices but with the experience and talent of the best.’

‘JWS is very professional, efficient and knowledgeable. The partners and other solicitors are friendly and communicate well both with counsel and clients. They are open and frank with fees and payment. They are quick to respond to attend to requests for assistance. The impression I have of the partners is that they would go the extra mile for their clients. It is also always encouraging to see that the partners and senior lawyers treat the junior lawyers well – it tells a lot about the culture. As a national firm they use their resources well. As a firm they punch well above their weight and compete with the big firms.’

‘Both Robert Johnston and Frances Dreyer have a capacity to materially expand their practices whilst diving into file detail when necessary. The client always comes first in strategy, planning and implementation.’

‘Paul Reidy is excellent – personable, strategic, flexible on costs, good value, always can-do and leads by example.’ 

‘They are approachable, knowledgeable, professional and on top of that decent people. They are experienced and well-qualified to do what they do, and are open and upfront with clients and counsel, whether the news is good or bad.’

‘Relentless pursuit of clients’ best interests. Aggressive but considered. Intelligent and creative.’

‘Attention to detail. True commercial understanding. Very creative. Extraordinary knowledge.’

‘Practical commercial advice, looking to achieve the best outcome for their clients in the most cost-effective way. Willingness not to “sit on the fence” and provide a definitive recommendation.’

‘Huge dedication to client outcomes and legal perseverence.’

‘Andreas Piesiewicz is an insightful, passionate and gritty litigator – superb at complex situations.’

‘The team has a great understanding of the regulatory environment that is relevant to our business. No nonsense and provide good service.’

‘Highly commercial and practical approach. Very client-focussed.’

‘Kevin Lynch is a leader in the media and entertainment field. He provides excellent, commercially astute advice.’

‘Kevin Lynch is extremely approachable, knowledgeable and effective.’

‘Kevin Lynch has unparalleled technical knowledge, combined with a thoroughly practical and strategic approach.’

‘The team has excellent commercial awareness and understands the need for practical advice which aligns with the client’s business approach.’

‘Kevin Lynch has tremendous experience and acumen in his field and consistently provides a compelling level of service.’

‘Kevin Lynch is very experienced, practical, commercial in approach and cost effective. He is a great communicator. Kevin advises on complex issues relating to search engine liability in respect of defamation law and is trusted strategic advisor in relation to disputes.’

‘The team operates collectively – you receive the advice needed from those individuals best placed to provide it.’

‘Technically gifted, with great communication skills. They respond quickly and comprehensively and anticipate the client’s needs accurately.’

‘Very commercial approach to issues, and they propose very practical solutions.’

‘Peter Smith is highly available, extremely commercial and has very strong knowledge of the insolvency profession, including recent developments.’

‘Support to pro bono clients is first-class.’

‘Stewart Grieve has consistently provided unstinting highest quality support to our organisation for over a decade.’

‘A bespoke firm with higher partner engagement than the larger international firms.’

‘Prashanth Kainthaje is, in my view, one of Australia’s top international cross-border tax practitioners.’ 

‘Very focused on strong & deep client relationships. At the forefront of providing commercial legal advice’

‘David Beckett – pragmatic commercial lawyer with a strong technical background. Always spot on with his advice’

‘They have great knowledge of the matter at hand and give balanced and measured advice. They are willing to consider alternative points of view in looking at a matter.’

‘Deep knowledge and experience in all aspects of competition law enabling fast, pragmatic and on point advice at all times. Much better than the textbook approach I have seen elsewhere.’

‘Sar Katdare made it his business to understand our operation and to stay on top of what we do. This has meant he has become a key and trusted adviser over the last 10 years. Sar is always available and his knowledge of competition law, how the law works in practice, and the expectations of the ACCC are top-notch. Ably supported by Alex Kench.’

‘The team takes a very commercial and pragmatic approach to advice, taking the time to understand the client’s unique business circumstances and apply the law in a bespoke way.’

‘Sar Katdare takes the time to understand the businesses he works with, and provides practical advice that is easy to operationalise. He communicates to internal business teams very effectively, condensing the complex into clear, actionable information. Sar also has a very down-to-earth approach, which is greatly appreciated.’

‘Sar Katdare and the team are excellent because they have a combination of deep expertise, sound industry knowledge and commercial acumen.’

‘Sar Katdare is uniquely talented at making competition law interesting for non-lawyers. Every training session that he runs, I receive positive feedback about him and his approach. When dealing with me as a General Counsel, his advice helps me to increase my knowledge about competition law so that I can answer some questions myself the next time the situations arise.’

‘The JWS team is always on top of legal developments and helps to educate in-house teams on how those developments could impact their business. A very forward-thinking firm. They are regularly looking at what the emerging trends are, and how they can build or strengthen their capabilities in those spaces to assist their clients in staying ahead of the curve.’

‘Strong technical capability across the team. Very responsive and able to manage a variety of task across a broad value range.’

‘Paul Vinci is a strong partner with great client focus. Good availability and ready of offer practical and commercial outcomes.’

‘The team were responsive, technically good, practical and had a deep knowledge of market standards. The team also appropriately balanced involvement by partners, senior associates and juniors over the course of the transaction.’

‘Andrew Williams is an excellent lawyer who balances his technical knowledge with a practical take on risk management and with a strong focus on issues that matter.’

‘The team of juniors are fantastic lawyers who we have worked with a lot.’

‘The individuals are a great crossover of legal and commercial expertise.’

‘Responsive and commercial, accessible and user-friendly.’

‘James Rozsa is commercial and adept.’

‘Clear and efficient advice. Focused on delivering what their clients need without wasting time.’

‘Austin Bell is an ideal legal partner. He is thoughtful and considered, but extremely efficient. He does what he says he will do, so a client can manage other timelines and commitments. He provides practical advice without overcomplicating issues.’

‘Advice is always on point and practical. Turn-around and response times always good and communication is clear when delays are expected.’

‘JWS delivers tier one performance despite being a small firm.  It is flexible in its approach and demonstrates a commerciality rather than legalistic approach to solving problems in our business.’

‘Will Coulthard is uniquely placed to assist with complex construction and infrastructure matters being dual qualified and having previously worked as a civil engineer.’

‘Attentive and responsive. Willing to dissect a problem and come up with alternative ways of addressing the issue.’

‘Avendra Singh is approachable and focuses on the major issues we face. He offers valuable advice with respect to both long and short term strategy in resolving issues to achieve the best outcome for our business at the least possible cost, be it financial, reputational or opportunity.’

‘The JWS employment team is very focused on delivering risk-focused and innovative solutions to employment-related disputes.’

‘Ruveni Kelleher is a top-notch employment law partner. She is a formidable player in this space.’

‘Jan Dransfield is knowledgeable, thoughtful, and really easy to work with. Her years of experience and her broad industry knowledge enables her to provide a broad range of solutions to issues.’

‘Ruveni Kelleher and her team provide excellent employment and related advice on complex matters.’

‘Outstanding client support, understanding, and efficient solutions to legal and commercial issues.’

‘Fantastic work from a dedicated team that knows its stuff.’

‘Stuart Clague has been excellent, knowledgeable, and hardworking.’

‘Consistently provides timely, digestible and useful legal advice/feedback on issues. The turnaround times, reasonable cost and ability to obtain further feedback in a timely way is beyond par.’

‘Samantha Daly and Angus Hannam are incredibly responsive and forthcoming with relevant and useful legal advice/feedback where issues may arise. They are very in tune with our organisations expectations in terms of advice/feedback required, and are readily approachable if there are follow-up questions on any particular matter.’

‘Samantha Daly is excellent, responsive, efficient, and practical.’

‘Ravi de Foneska provided excellent service with a very high level of technical expertise and understanding of Information Technology processes and terms.’

‘The team takes the time to get to know their clients’ challenges and opportunities and shows genuine interest in their success. They communicate well with the legal team and business, and always provide timely, relevant advice that is practical and commercial.’

‘Daniel Thompson’s understanding of technology, and his ability to communicate effectively with developers is a great asset. He gets straight to the heart of any problem and provides pragmatic solutions.’

‘Ravi de Fonseka leads the team expertly. He provides timely, practical advice, and proactively follows up on results. Ravi is very generous with his time and experience, and makes his clients feel in very safe hands.’

‘Absolute top of the tree – outstanding practitioners in this practice area with true leaders in Robert Wyld and Robert Johnston.’