Archives

Michael Gvozdenovic



Michael was admitted to practice in 2019 and called to the Bar in 2023.  He accepts briefs in all areas of law, with a particular focus on commercial, competition and consumer, intellectual property, and corporations law.

At the Bar, Michael has advised and appeared, both led and unled, for commercial and public sector clients in State and Federal Courts, including in class actions, appellate, and regulatory matters.  Before being called to the Bar, Michael practised at Herbert Smith Freehills, Clifford Chance, and Clayton Utz, and in 2020 was the Associate to the Hon Justice Wigney of the Federal Court of Australia.

Michael has an extensive academic background.  He holds a Master of Laws (James Kent Scholar) from Columbia Law School, where he studied on a Fulbright Scholarship, and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sydney, where he remains an Adjunct Senior Lecturer.  His academic writing, including a two-volume competition law text, Current Issues in Competition Law (The Federation Press), has been cited by the Federal Court of Australia.

Michael is recognised in Doyle’s Guide as a Recommended Competition Law Junior Counsel, Australia (2024).

Christopher Chiam



Christopher accepts briefs in all areas of law, with a particular interest in commercial, corporations, equity and public law.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Christopher was tipstaff to the Honourable Justice AJ Meagher of the NSW Court of Appeal and practised as a solicitor at Herbert Smith Freehills, where he worked primarily on complex commercial litigation. Christopher has also been a Teaching Fellow at the University of New South Wales.

Christopher holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales with First Class Honours and the University Medal, and a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) with Distinction. He also holds a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney, where he was awarded the Judge Samuel Redshaw Prize for administrative law. He has also published a number of articles in peer-reviewed law journals, including on the areas of administrative law, statutory construction, equity, and insolvency.

Maggie Kearney



Maggie accepts briefs in all areas of law, with a particular interest in commercial, corporations, equity, media and intellectual property law.

Maggie regularly appears both led and unled in NSW courts, the Federal Court, Tribunals and investigations and inquiries.

Maggie was admitted as a solicitor in 2018 and called to the Bar in 2022. Before coming to the Bar, Maggie was a Senior Associate in commercial litigation at Corrs Chambers Westgarth.  Maggie was previously tipstaff to the Hon. Justice Hammerschlag.

Maggie holds a Master of Laws with distinction from the University of Sydney, where Maggie was awarded the Ross Waite Parsons Scholarship, and a Juris Doctor with distinction from the University of New South Wales. Maggie received the 2022 Peteris Ginters Prize for achieving the top score for the Ethics Exam in the 2022 Bar Readers’ course.

Timothy Smartt



Tim accepts brief in all areas of law, but the focus of his practice is commercial and defamation matters.

Before coming to the Bar, Tim was tipstaff to the Hon Justice Brereton AM RFD of the Supreme Court of NSW, the Associate to the NSW Attorney General and a solicitor in the commercial litigation team at Corrs Chambers Westgarth. He has also lectured criminal law at the University of Sydney and is currently a contributor to Robson’s Annotated Corporations Legislation.

Tim holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Sydney, and a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) and Bachelor of Arts (Economics and Plan II Honours) with Highest Honours from the University of Texas at Austin. At university, Tim won a number of academic prizes, including the Governor-General’s Prize in 2016.

Julian Brezniak



Julian accepts briefs in all areas of law. He was admitted in New South Wales in 2014 and New York in 2018.

Before coming to the bar, Julian was at Quinn Emmanuel Urquhart & Sullivan in New York where he worked on significant commercial litigation in State and Federal courts. Prior to that he practiced as a solicitor at Herbert Smith Freehills in Sydney, where he focused on white collar crime and competition law. In 2015, Julian was Tipstaff to the Hon Justice F Gleeson in the New South Wales Court of Appeal.

Julian holds a Masters of Law from New York University, a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and a Bachelor of Economics (Distinction) from the University of New South Wales.

Christine Ernst



Christine was admitted as a lawyer in 2013 and called to the Bar in 2019. She accepts briefs in commercial and public law.

Before being called to the Bar, Christine was Counsel Assisting the Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth. Christine was previously a Senior Legal Officer in the Commonwealth Attorney‑General’s Department, and a Lawyer at Allens specialising in commercial litigation and competition and consumer law. She was also an Associate to the Honourable Justice Susan Kiefel AC of the High Court of Australia.

Christine holds a Bachelor of Civil Law with Distinction from the University of Oxford, and a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and Bachelor of Economic and Social Sciences from the University of Sydney.

Simon Snow



Simon has over 20 years’ experience advising on contentious and non-contentious matters, with a particular focus on competition, regulatory and consumer law issues.  Simon has advised clients from a wide range of industries, including transport, retail, financial services, telecommunications, building products and utilities.

In addition to advising and acting on a broad range of commercial matters, Simon has substantial experience in acting for clients in contentious competition and consumer law matters including between private parties as well as proceedings instituted by regulators.  Simon also has experience managing investigations by regulators in relation to competition and consumer matters, including criminal and civil cartel matters, misuse of market power allegations and advising in relation to immunity and leniency applications.

Simon is a member of the Competition and Consumer Committee of the Law Council of Australia and the Antitrust Section of the American Bar Association.

Previous experience:

  • Partner in the Competition & Regulation Group, Gilbert & Tobin, 2004-2017
  • Senior Lawyer, Gilbert & Tobin, 1999-2004
  • Senior Associate and Lawyer, Blake Dawson Waldron (now Ashurst), 1995-1999

Simon is listed in Doyle’s Guide; Leading Competition Law Junior Counsel – Australia, 2022.

Manu Jaireth



Manu has a broad commercial practice.  He appears in matters involving competition and consumer law, corporations law, criminal law, equity and trusts, financial services, insolvency, professional negligence and sports law.

Manu has particular experience in large commercial disputes (including class actions), regulatory investigations and civil enforcement and criminal proceedings.

Before being called to the Bar, Manu was an Associate in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group at Allens in Sydney and prior to that, Tipstaff to the Hon. Justice D.J. Hammerschlag of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

Manu was named by Best Lawyers Australia 2025 as “One to Watch” in Sports Law, and previously in both Sports Law and Commercial Law.


Education
Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (ANU)
Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) (UC)

Francis Douglas KC



In his time at the Bar, and since he took silk, Mr Douglas has been involved in a wide range of work at the highest level in constitutional and other fields of public law including public international law, and commissions of inquiry. He has been involved in cases such as the Nuclear Test Case in the International Court, and the Tasmanian Dams Case in the High Court. He was also Senior Counsel for the Applicants in both challenges to the cross-vesting legislation in the High Court. He has appeared as counsel in arbitrations in India, and sat as an arbitrator in the London Court of International Arbitration (“LCIA”) and the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (“SIAC”).

Over the course of his career he has also been involved in a wide range of cases at first instance and on appeal in most fields of commercial law, in all of the States and Territories of Australia, and in the Federal and High Courts. He is primarily interested in appellate work and work in the field of alternative dispute resolution including arbitration and mediation. He has received recognition in Best Lawyers for ADR and Commercial Litigation since 2013, and is included in Doyle’s List 2019 as a leading mediator in New South Wales. Who’s Who Legal will recognise him as among the world’s leading commercial arbitration experts for 2021. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Mr Douglas is listed in Best Lawyers in Australia 2025 for his work in:

  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Commercial Law
  • Litigation


Education

BA LLB Qld;
LLB (Cantab);
Diploma International Law (Cantab);
FCIArb (Fellowship Chartered Institute of Arbitrators)

Julian Sexton SC



Mr Sexton is listed in Doyle’s Guide 2023 within NSW Leading Professional Indemnity Senior Counsel and 2021 Recommended Insurance Law Senior Counsel New South Wales.

He is also recognised in Best Lawyers in Australia 2025 for his work in:

  • Insurance Law
  • Litigation
  • Class Action Litigation
  • Shipping and Maritime Law

Richard Scruby SC



Mr Scruby has a broad ranging practice with a focus on commercial, insolvency, corporations and taxation (State and Commonwealth) matters.  He regularly appears in appeals, trials and commercial arbitrations.  In 2015 he was counsel assisting the Royal Commission into Trade Union Corruption.  Before coming to the bar, he worked as an associate to Justice Callinan in the High Court of Australia.  He has a BCL and MPhil from Oxford University and a BA (hons 1st class and university medal in English) and LLB (hons first class) Sydney University.  Mr Scruby has adopted the national equitable briefing policy and was a member of the Diversity and Equality Committee of the New South Wales Bar Association from 2016 to 2018.  He has published a number of articles in academic journals on corporations and commercial law.  Mr Scruby is listed in Best Lawyers 2025 in the area of Litigation.

Patrick Knowles SC



Memberships of Professional Associations:

  • New South Wales Bar Association
  • Australian Association of Constitutional Law


Experience

  • 2009 – Present: Barrister, 10th Floor Chambers
  • 2004 – 2009: Solicitor, Freehills (Commercial litigation group)
  • 2003 – 2004: Associate to the Hon. Justice Beaumont, Federal Court of Australia

 

Education

University of Cambridge – Master of Laws (First class)
Chevening Scholarship
Pegasus Scholarship
University of New South Wales – Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws

Stefan Balafoutis SC



Stefan advises and appears for corporations, government agencies and individuals in complex commercial disputes.  He is recognised in Best Lawyers Australia 2025 for his expertise in Commercial Law.  He has a particular interest in contracts, property law, taxation, regulatory disputes, corporations law and intellectual property.

Contractual, property and regulatory disputes: clients include Ford Motor Company, Lendlease, Optus, Westpac, Qantas, the ACCC and the Australian Energy Regulator.  He also acts for medium size businesses and property developers in a broad range of disputes.

Taxation: Stefan is regularly briefed by the Chief Commissioner of State Revenue and taxpayers.  He has appeared in leading cases about stamp duty, payroll tax and land tax.  Recent matters include appearances in the NSW Supreme Court and Court of Appeal about whether the purchase of power stations should attract stamp duty, whether medical centres’ payments to doctors should be subject to payroll tax, and the extent of the employment agency and relevant contracts provisions.

Corporations law: Stefan has been awarded an Advanced Certificate in Insolvency from ARITA and is a professional member of ARITA.  He appears for liquidators and corporations.  Stefan has experience in oppression proceedings, matters alleging breach of directors’ duties and proceedings seeking the recovery of unfair preferences and uncommercial transactions.

Intellectual property: clients include Universal Music, Phonographic Performance Company of Australia and Sony.  Stefan has acted in substantial trade mark and copyright disputes in the Federal Court and Copyright Tribunal.