Back to rankings
Australia
1

Media and entertainment

Thomson Geer logo

Thomson Geer

More information
Thomson Geer’s national media law team specialises in defamation and a broad range of media disputes, from claims of misleading or deceptive conduct and breach of confidence to cases involving contempt, FOI, copyright, and protections for journalists. The team is co-led by Justin Quill, a leading media law advisor on pre-publication issues and vilification claims, and John-Paul Cashen, recognised for his expertise in privilege, FOI, and journalist source protection cases - both of whom are based in Melbourne - alongside Sydney-based Marlia Saunders, a skilled litigator. Sophie Meixner supports the team, drawing on her background in journalism. The practice was further bolstered by the addition of Joel Parsons, who joined the team from Clayton Utz in June 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Justin Quill, John-Paul Cashen, and Marlia Saunders are knowledgeable and strategic in their approach to media disputes.’

  • ‘It is hard to think of a better team than Marlia Saunders, Justin Quill, and John-Paul Cashen, whose exceptional strategic approach and technical expertise mean the job is always done to the highest standard.’
  • ‘John-Paul Cashen, Justin Quill, and Marlia Saunders have unrivalled legal knowledge combined with clear, commercially-sound advice. They provide timely guidance, often on short timeframes, supported by an exceptional and trustworthy team of senior associates and associates.’
  • ‘The Thomson Geer team are clear leaders in the field, acting for many of the country’s major media organisations with unrivalled depth of knowledge.’
  • ‘They are highly capable, quick to respond, and skilled at handling issues with precision. They are forensic, efficient, and a joy to work with.’
  • ‘They bring deep and longstanding expertise in media defendant defamation and contempt law, paired with sensible and reliable case management.’

Key clients

  • Network Ten Pty Limited – Paramount
  • Nine Network Australia Pty Limited – Channel Nine
  • The Age Company Pty Ltd and Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (Nine newspapers)
  • Nationwide News Pty Ltd – The Australian and The Daily Telegraph
  • The Herald and Weekly Times Pty Ltd – Herald Sun
  • Leader Associated Newspapers Pty Ltd
  • The Geelong Advertiser Pty Ltd
  • HarperCollins Publishers Pty Ltd
  • Seven Network (Operations) Limited – Channel Seven
  • Southern Cross Austereo Pty Ltd
  • X Corp. (formerly Twitter)
  • Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Work highlights

Acted for television broadcaster Network Ten (owned by US entertainment giant Paramount) in its successful defence of a defamation action brought by former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann.
Acting for Nine Network Australia and others in a defamation action brought by surgeon Dr Munjed Al Muderis who claimed articles conveyed imputations that he inappropriately selects patients for surgery, fails to explain risks and complications, fails to provide adequate post-operative care, and is unethical and dangerous.
Acted for Nationwide News Pty Ltd and others in a defamation case brought by John Peros alleging a podcast had implied he murdered Shandee Blackburn.

Lawyers

Leading partners

The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Leading associates

Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.

Sophie Meixner
Joel Parsons

Practice head

Justin Quill; John-Paul Cashen; Marlia Saunders

Other key lawyers

Samantha McGeoch; Isabelle Gwinner; Sophie Meixner; Joel Parsons

Comparative Guides