Cooper Grace Ward > Brisbane, Australia > Firm Profile

Cooper Grace Ward
GPO BOX 834
BRISBANE, QLD 4001
Australia

61 7 3231 2444 61 7 3221 4356

Australia > Dispute resolution: litigation Tier 5

The Brisbane-based litigation and dispute resolution team at Cooper Grace Ward is co-led by Rocco Russo, Graham Roberts, and Miranda Klibbe. Russo specialises in high-profile and sensitive litigation and is experienced acting for businesses and individuals, while Roberts’ expertise lies in enforcement of securities, insolvency and bankruptcy matters, and Klibbe focuses on property and construction disputes.

Practice head(s):

Rocco Russo; Graham Roberts; Miranda Klibbe

Other key lawyers:

Ben Williams; Mali Karunaratne; Bridget Camilleri

Testimonials

‘Their depth in people that can pick up the the issues at hand and go to the fine detail and understanding the processes and functions of what was to be provided to our client was just great.’

‘Cooper Grace Ward have a leading Brisbane-based litigation team with depth across the Partner and Special Counsel group that allows them to resource teams with the expertise required to cover complex matters with the right lawyers necessary to engage with and solve the litigation issues.’

‘Brisbane-based Cooper Grace Ward has an impressive spread of work in all Australia’s states. The firm’s legal proficiency and capability to manage major disputes means its service offering sits up with many firms with larger office footprints. Its teams span a wide cross section of commercial sectors and readily collaborate for complex intersectional matters which means clients receive comprehensive and well-rounded support.’

‘Rocco Russo is one of the very best litigators in Queensland. He never gets trapped in the fight for the sake of the fight. He is always obviously mindful of the commercial reason for every step. He pushes the matters which require it to judicial or arbitral determination, but otherwise matters are developed to the most appropriate moment for mediation or ADR and then resolved for the best overall commercial result. He shows old-school legal ethics with modern commercial insight.’

‘Miranda Klibbe is a fearsome operator, with a good and developing commercial acumen. Miranda is a future market leader.’

‘Rocco Russo is a highly experienced litigator who is extremely responsive, exceptionally knowledgeable and has a knack for providing succinct, strategic advice no matter how complex the problem or how pressured the timescale. He can deal with the most challenging of cases with good humour and real skill. In short, he is a pleasure to work with.’

‘CGW has great depth and experience in its solicitors that rivals larger firms but offers excellent value.’

‘Rocco Russo is a very experienced and accomplished partner in commercial litigation in Queensland. He has a proven track record of delivering good results.’

Key clients

Horizon SolSolutions Pty Ltd, trading as Cocoon SDA Homes

YFG Shopping Centres Pty Ltd

Newclip Technics Australia Pty Ltd

AirEng Pty Ltd

Lancini Property Group

Lakeba Group Limited

Circa Contemporary Circus Limited

Credit One Group

Korda Mentha

House Property Group

Work highlights

Acting for the administrator of a significant property estate in high-profile Supreme Court litigation instigated by a prominent Australian developer.
Acting for Australia-wide NDIS provider Horizon SolSolutions Pty Ltd, trading as Cocoon SDA Homes, and its related companies in a $57.5m claim in the Supreme Court of South Australia against a group of former employees and business partners that are alleged to have misappropriated sensitive business information and intellectual property for the benefit of a competing business controlled by them.
Acting for unlisted public technology start-up incubator Lakeba Group Limited in high-profile litigation in the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

Cooper Grace Ward was established in 1980 and has quickly become one of the largest independent Brisbane based law firms, with more than 20 partners and 200 team members.

The firm offers a full range of commercial legal services to clients, focusing particularly in the areas of corporate and commercial, property, litigation, insurance and family law. Their key practice areas are among the largest Brisbane-based teams in their respective areas.

Cooper Grace Ward has highly specialised people who strive for excellence in everything they do. They work across many different industries for an array of clients, including listed companies, private companies and individuals, and local and foreign governments.

The firm invests heavily in technology that enables a high quality and efficient service experience for clients.

Cooper Grace Ward is known for its outstanding client service and internal culture. They see that both of those things are interrelated. They understand that practising law is not just about knowing the law; it is also about having people who are able to work with others to achieve the best outcomes for clients. This sets them apart from other law firms.

Department	Name	Email	Telephone
Corporate Advisory	Charles Sweeney	charles.sweeney@cgw.com.au	+61 7 3231 2940
Workplace Relations and Safety	Belinda Winter	belinda.winter@cgw.com.au	+61 7 3231 2498
Property, Planning and Environment	Marcus Ford	marcus.ford@cgw.com.au	+61 7 3231 2972
Revenue, Tax and Superannuation	Scott Hay-Bartlem	scott.hay-bartlem@cgw.com.au	+61 7 3231 2458
Litigation and Dispute Resolution	Rocco Russo	rocco.russo@cgw.com.au	+61 7 3231 2468
Banking and Finance	Greg Thorne	greg.thorne@cgw.com.au	+61 7 3231 2493
Family Law	Justine Woods	justine.woods@cgw.com.au	+61 7 3231 2497

Name	Position	Profile
Miranda Klibbe	Miranda was promoted to partner in July 2021. With ten years of…	View Profile
Graham Roberts	Graham is a partner in Cooper Grace Ward’s litigation and dispute resolution…	View Profile
Rocco Russo	Rocco Russo is an internationally recognised dispute resolution lawyer with expertise in…	View Profile