Firm Profile > Bird & Bird > Sydney, Australia

‘The materials distributed by Bird & Bird during Covid 19 in Privacy and Data Protection law and Employment law have been an invaluable practical resource, particularly in the In house space.‘

‘Lisa Vanderwal, Special Counsel is an excellent lawyer, particularly in her currency of evolving Privacy and Data Protection law. She has a wonderful skill of tangible explanations of complex technical issues and is solutions focused.‘

‘Great access to the international network of Bird & Bird for latest thinking and practice in other jurisdictions. The team in Australia are also very knowledgeable about local privacy laws and practices.‘

‘Sophie Dawson is great – very experienced in this area, and focussed on great client service. Very responsive and taps into the international network readily.‘

‘Willing to work in a flexible manner and at times as a virtual in-house counsel to meet my specific needs. Very pragmatic on commercial issues in the technology space and understands when legal risk aversion is unhelpful.’

‘Hamish Fraser is responsive and gives pragmatic advice. He was willing to invest in growing our relationship, which meant I got the external support when I needed it, and within budget, and he has received what is now a steady source of work.’

‘Savvy commercial skills and a terrific understanding of the TMT/IT industry. Excellent communications, prompt support, with keen attention to, and focus on, client deadlines.’

‘Hamish Fraser has a brilliant understanding of the TMT sector in Australia and elsewhere, and is an excellent communicator. Hamish has an engaging personality, is flexible in accommodating clients’ demands, and has a highly pragmatic approach to legal support.‘

‘Excellent depth of experience in the media industry in Australia and access to international networks and resources which can provide relevant information and expertise to assist in evolving Australian issues.’

‘The team is very responsive, keen to share knowledge with their clients, and very experienced in working with Australian media, so have great expertise.’

‘Sophie Dawson, Jarrad Parker and Joel Parsons are all excellent to work with.’

‘Jane Owen is always responsive and practical in her approach.’

‘Great access to international networks where that will provide relevant insights into practices which may be relevant in Australia. The team in Australia is experienced in both contentious and non-contentious IP issues so can meet the breadth of our needs. They are commercially pragmatic while having deep legal knowledge.’

‘The team (Sophie Dawson, Joel Parsons, and Jarrad Parker) have great knowledge of our business and a real passion for working with the media industry. They are very responsive to client needs, concerned about providing value for money, and work hard to help us succeed as a business.’

‘Responsiveness; Subject matter expertise; Global network of related firms and agents providing extra responsiveness; Always friendly and willing to assist.’

‘Patience in waiting for instructions and repeating advice where necessary; No unreasonable demand placed; Always friendly but professional.’

‘Approachable, efficient, and sensible. They have a good instinct to make the right call and are willing to take the responsibility of doing so. This particularly applies to Troy Gurnett.‘

‘Partners and a number of associates who are very experienced in the litigation we need (media/defamation and IP); strong client focus; work efficiently to help us resolve disputes.‘

‘Sophie Dawson, Joel Parsons and Jarrad Parker are all a delight to work with – experienced, responsive, great at communicating with us about matters and strategy. Really proactive about offering training sessions for our in-house team to share knowledge.‘

‘Bird & Bird has very strong capabilities in technology-related disputes. In particular, it has a unique ability to master the technical aspects of software and other technology projects, and to use that understanding and knowledge to advance their client’s interests in disputes.‘

‘Sophie Dawson combines an ability to get across the minutiae of a technology-related dispute, with strategic and commercial thinking.‘

‘Jarrad Parker is showing great potential and is one to watch in the future.‘

‘The team was very measured and analytical whilst giving very commercially focused advice. They were also very accessible, which was tough given the time differences between us and them. They had an excellent experience which they brought to bear. They were very efficient and managed timescales for litigation well.‘

‘Kristy Peacock-Smith leads an exceptionally diligent and commercially-minded practice. They’re a pleasure to work with and understand the competing pressures in-house counsel often face.‘

‘Kristy Peacock-Smith and her team of associates have been exceptional in their service to my company. Kristy approaches each problem in a pragmatic, practical way and always brings humour to even the most complicated situations. She is extremely knowledgeable and intelligent and so is her team. The Bird & Bird team is responsive and finds ways to properly manage deadlines.‘

‘Responsive and commercially minded and willing to understand their client’s reasons/drivers.‘