Bird & Bird > Sydney, Australia > Firm Profile

‘Experienced partners and lawyers with access to international practice and expertise, to supplement their local knowledge. We’ve used Bird & Bird on some law reform issues, where that breadth of knowledge has been very useful. The team is very responsive and thoughtful.’

‘Sophie Dawson is excellent to work with – responsive and knowledgeable. Good at engaging others and getting the confidence of our business people. Emma Croft is a good associate.’

‘The data protection team at Bird & Bird is sophisticated yet very practical and relevant in its advice to individual and corporate clients alike. Highly effective and very enjoyable to work with.’

‘Sophie Dawson brings great experience, insights and wisdom in the area of Australian defamation law.’

‘Very experienced partners in the media space, across contentious and non contentious matters. The team has grown in the last 12 months, to allow better partner availability which is a plus.’

‘Sophie Dawson and Julie Cheeseman are both experienced media advisers whose expertise we value. They are efficient, pragmatic, and highly knowledgeable in a technical area of the law. They are also both a pleasure to work with. Joel Parsons is excellent beyond his years – very much trust him with our work.’

‘The Bird & Bird team, expertly led by Sophie Dawson and Julie Cheeseman, has an impressive depth and breadth of understanding on the framework of law and regulation impacting the media industry. They are approachable, accessible and lead a strong team.’

‘Sophie Dawson and  Julie Cheeseman are each incredibly responsive and adaptable to our industry, priorities and pressures. Sophie Dawson’s knowledge of media regulation and law reform is encyclopedic and at the highest level.’

‘The Bird & Bird team has a brilliantly broad reach, both intellectually and across borders. Their area of specialty requires an constantly-evolving understanding of developments locally as well as in other territories.’

‘Julie Cheeseman is another great credit to the Bird & Bird team. She is a pleasure to deal with and is able quickly to distil complexity into a manageable and practical way forward. Her experience in and passion for the industry is clear immediately and it is put to excellent use for her clients’ benefit.’

‘Rich Hawkins is trustworthy, friendly. His ability to break down complex problems, describe them in plain language and solve those issues is a huge plus.’

‘Good knowledge on contentious and non-contentious IP issues and experience with a variety of clients. Pragmatic and commercial.’

‘Sophie Dawson is a pleasure to deal with. Efficient and knowledgeable.’

‘Kristy Peacock Smith’s team at Bird and Bird, Australia is a pleasure to work with. They are very prompt and give the most practical advice, to take forward our business. Most external counsels are risk-averse, but not so for Kristy Peacock Smith.’

‘Personal attention and willingness to work all hours beyond any reasonable expectation to get the job done to a deadline.’

‘Organised, understands the commercial issues not just the legal ones, thinks beyond the square into the outside paddock. Sally Barber is one of the best I have worked with over 30 years of complex commercial transactions.’

‘The team is very practical and commercial and work with clients in a collegiate manner which makes them more like team members than external advisors. This makes for very effective and efficient working relationships.’

‘Their knowledge is diverse and their ability to deliver complex advice in a simplified manner is outstanding. They made me feel comfortable throughout the process, without feeling intimidated by the volume of legal issues we were covering.’

‘Shane Barber’s calm demeanour even during challenges was reassuring.’

‘Strong collaboration and work ethic from ALL members of the team.’

‘James Durnall is a relentless and collaborative partner, who gives strong advice and counsel when required. Additionally, he has a methodical approach to timelines.’