Archives

Monty Taylor



Monty maintains a broad commercial practice with a specialisation in international arbitration. He has extensive experience representing individuals, corporations, and governments in disputes involving a wide range of industries, including oil and gas, energy, mining, banking and financial services, pharmaceuticals, and shipping.

Prior to joining the Bar, Monty was a partner in the London office of a major US law firm. In that role, he acquired nearly a decade of oral advocacy experience in complex and high-value disputes conducted under the major arbitral rules, including ICSID, UNCITRAL, LCIA, and ICC. Monty previously served as Legal Counsel at the World Bank (ICSID) in Washington, DC, and worked as a disputes solicitor at King & Wood Mallesons in Sydney.

Selected Rankings

Chambers & Partners UK Guide 2024 (International Arbitration) – “He is really excellent…He has a very good commercial head on him.” “Monty is incredibly dedicated to what he does. He is very well prepared and is a very articulate speaker.”

The Legal 500 UK 2024 (International Arbitration) – “Monty Taylor has great cross-examination and advocacy skills…He has tremendous experience in commercial and investment arbitrations, despite his still relatively young age.”

Chambers & Partners Global Guide 2023 (Dispute Resolution (International Arbitration – UK)) – “He’s not a man you want to be against – he’s thorough, knows the law and zealously represents his clients.”

Chambers & Partners UK Guide 2020 (International Arbitration) – “Monty Taylor is ‘among the very top of his generation,’ according to interviewees.”

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.

Bradley Smith



Bradley has a broad practice and accepts briefs in all areas of civil law.  He has particular experience in commercial law, corporations law, insolvency, real property, equity, insurance law and inquests.  He was admitted to the legal profession in 2018 and called to the Bar in 2020.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Bradley was a solicitor at King & Wood Mallesons where he worked on a wide range of commercial disputes, with a focus on corporate insolvency.  In 2017, Bradley was Tipstaff to the Honourable Justice Rowan Darke, the Real Property List judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.  At university, Bradley won a number of prizes including first place in corporations law and evidence law, as well as best oralist in the Australian rounds of the Jessup Moot.

Bradley holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney.

 

 

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.

Amy Campbell



Amy accepts briefs in all areas of the law, and specialises in commercial, competition and intellectual property law.  Amy previously lectured in corporations law at the University of New South Wales.

Before coming to the Bar, Amy practised in disputes at Gilbert + Tobin and Minter Ellison. Amy was an associate in the Federal Court of Australia.

Amy received the Christopher Gee QC Memorial Prize for Advocacy for the September 2018 Bar Practice Course.

She is recognised in Best Lawyers 2026 as “One to Watch” in the areas of Class Action Litigation, Commercial Law and Corporate Law.

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.

Matthew Darke SC



Matthew appears in and advises on a range of complex commercial, regulatory, insurance, and intellectual property matters.  He has significant experience in class actions and civil penalty proceedings.

Matthew is recognised by:

  • Chambers & Partners, in Band 1 of their Asia-Pacific senior counsel rankings for 2025;
  • The Legal 500, in Band 1 as a leading silk in commercial disputes;
  • Doyle’s Guide 2023/2024, as a Leading senior counsel in Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property litigation, and Class Action litigation;
  • Best Lawyers Australia 2026, in its lists for Banking and Finance Law, Class Action Litigation, Commercial Law, Corporate Law, Insurance Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Litigation; and
  • Who’s Who Legal: Commercial Litigation, as a leading litigation legal figure.

Matthew’s past and current clients include Westpac, NAB, IOOF, KPMG, Qantas, Virgin, AMP and Nuix.

Notable recent and current matters include:

  • representing Nuix in a $183 million claim by its former CEO, Eddie Sheehy, in relation to certain share options: Sheehy v Nuix Pty Ltd [2023] FCA 56;
  • representing insurers in resisting a claim for indemnity by SunWater in relation to its liability in the Queensland Floods class action: Liberty Mutual Insurance Company v SunWater Ltd (No 2) [2021] NSWSC 1582 (first instance); SunWater Limited v Liberty Mutual Insurance Company [2022] NSWCA 273 (appeal);
  • representing Virgin Australia Holdings in ongoing class action proceedings brought on behalf of purchasers of unsecured notes: Matheson Property Group Pty Ltd (Trustee) v Virgin Australia Holdings Limited [2022] FCA 1243;
  • representing JLT Risk Solutions in class action proceedings brought on behalf of NSW local councils alleging breaches of contract, negligence and breaches of fiduciary duties: Richmond Valley Council v JLT Risk Solutions Pty Ltd [2022] NSWSC 1761;
  • representing Westpac in ongoing regulatory proceedings brought by ASIC alleging insider trading and unconscionable conduct;
  • representing Meta in ongoing class action proceedings alleging anti-competitive conduct in connection with Meta’s cryptocurrency advertising ban;
  • representing Katy Perry in ongoing trade mark proceedings brought by an Australian designer styled Katie Perry (judgment reserved);
  • representing Jaguar Land Rover Australia in ongoing product liability class action proceedings concerning the diesel particular filter on certain Jaguar and Land Rover model vehicles sold in Australia.

     

Amelia Smith



Amelia was admitted to practice in 2011 and called to the Bar in 2017. She accepts briefs in a wide range of practice areas.

Since joining the Bar, Amelia has acted for major Australian and international corporate clients as well as smaller corporations and individuals before State and Federal Courts. She has also acted for clients before commissions of inquiry and in regulatory matters. In 2010, Amelia was the Associate to Justice McKerracher at the Federal Court of Australia.

Education

Flinders University; Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice (Hons I) and Bachelor of International Studies
University of Sydney; Master of Laws (High Distinction)

Amelia is recognised in both Global and Asia Pacific Chambers & Partners Guides 2025 for Dispute Resolution. Best Lawyers Australia 2026 recognise her for her practice in the areas of Litigation (2024 “Lawyer of the Year”), Alternative Dispute Resolution, Class Action Litigation, Commercial Law and Corporate Law. She is also included in Doyle’s Guide 2024 Leading Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution Junior Counsel Barrister Rankings, NSW.

Rico Jedrzejczyk



Rico Jedrzejczyk (pronounced “Yen-Jay-Chik”)

Rico was called to the Bar in 2012 and has a broad commercial and taxation practice. He is listed in Best Lawyers 2026 for Information Technology Law and Defamation and Media Law. He also appears in the Doyle’s Guide 2024 to the legal profession as leading junior counsel for Technology, Communications and Media matters.

Rico’s recent experience includes:

  • Acting for GetSwift Ltd in proceedings brought by ASIC and related shareholder class action.
  • Acting for the successful taxpayer, Mr Andrew Greig, in a Full Court appeal considering the application of the Myer Emporium principle to trading in listed shares.
  • Acting for insurers in proceedings arising out of a claim for indemnity in excess of $1 billion by parties involved in the Queensland floods class action litigation.
  • Appearing for the Seven Network in various matters, including proceedings arising out of the termination of the Yahoo!7 joint venture.
  • Acting for reinsurers in litigation concerning a $750 million claim by the National Australia Bank in respect of losses incurred in selling interest rate hedging products in the United Kingdom.

Rico regularly appears for taxpayers and the ATO in taxation matters.

Rico completed his law degree at Sydney University and has a Master of Laws from Columbia University in New York.

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 2026 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 2026 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)

David Studdy SC



David Studdy has a broad commercial practice predominantly acting for companies in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the Federal Court of Australia involving a wide range of issues. His trial practice has included trials in the Supreme Court of Victoria, the Supreme Court of Queensland and the Supreme Court of Western Australia, appearing before arbitrators, in inquiries and in liquidators’ and other examinations. In addition, he has represented individuals in complex civil penalty proceedings brought by the ACCC and ASIC and has also acted for the regulators.

Julian Sexton SC



Mr Sexton is listed in Doyle’s Guide 2024 as Leading Professional Indemnity Senior Counsel NSW and previously as Recommended Insurance Law Senior Counsel New South Wales.

He is also recognised in Best Lawyers in Australia 2026 for his work in:

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

James Lockhart SC



James Lockhart is an experienced commercial silk, representing a broad range of clients in trials and appeals. James is recognised as a leading commercial silk in:

  • Chambers & Partners 2025 (Asia-Pacific and Global) barrister rankings for Dispute Resolution
  • Best Lawyers Australia 2026 list published by the Australian Financial Review in the Commercial Law, Corporate Law, Litigation, and Class Action Litigation categories
  • Legal 500 as a leading silk in commercial disputes.

James regularly appears for banks, insurance companies, liquidators, superannuation trustees, and major multinationals. His clients past and present include Qantas, Uber, KPMG, Westpac, ANZ, Ramsay Health Care, Hancock Prospecting, Deloitte, REST Super, Allianz, AON and liquidators (e.g. Bell Group, HIH group and Babcock & Brown).

Practice areas: commercial disputes; competition and regulatory; corporations (including schemes of arrangement); class actions; insolvency; professional liability; arbitrations; and property and equity disputes.

Notable recent and current matters include:

  • representing Uber in a test case concerning payroll tax on technology intermediaries in the “gig economy”. Uber Australia Pty Ltd v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue [2024] NSWSC 1124;
  • representing the liquidator of merchant bank Babcock & Brown in defending claims brought by shareholders for breaches of the continuous disclosure obligations under the Corporations Act and ASX listing rules. Eg. Pain v BBL [2024] FCA 1338; Masters v Babcock & Brown Ltd v BBL [2024] FCA 1336; [2021] FCAFC 161;
  • representing Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd in an arbitration concerning beneficial ownership of valuable mining assets. Rinehart & Anor v Hancock Prospecting & Ors (2023 – ongoing);
  • represented a national tertiary institution in test case proceedings concerning whether its lecturers are employees or contractors and associated superannuation issues. JMC Pty Ltd v Cmmr of Taxation [2023] FCAFC 95; [2022] FCA 750;
  • represented liquidators in proceedings concerning the methodology of distribution of the remaining assets of a Ponzi scheme: ASIC v Marco & AMS Holdings (WA) Pty Limited (in liq) [2023] FCA 83];
  • represented James Hardie in proceedings for judicial advice concerning the terms of a scheme established to compensate asbestos victims: WorkCover Queensland v Asbestos Injuries Compensation Fund Ltd [2024] NSWCA 317, and [2024] NSWSC 1163.

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

Shereef Habib SC



Shereef has an extensive practice in commercial litigation, including complex multi-party litigation and class actions. Shereef also practices in intellectual property, principally in patent, trade mark and consumer protection. He has appeared for and advised a wide range of clients including major Australian and foreign banks, large international pharmaceutical companies, and major insurers such as NRMA and Hannover.  Shereef’s recent matters include:

  • Appearing for the class in the Supreme Court of NSW in representative proceedings against Suncorp with respect to superannuation fees;
  • Appearing for the class in the Federal Court of Australia in representative proceedings against Nulis (formerly an NAB subsidiary) with respect to superannuation fees;
  • Appearing for the respondent in the Full Federal Court against Avant concerning significant insurance issues relating to the notification of claims. I appeared before the High Court on Avant’s special leave application which was dismissed;
  • Appearing in the High Court for the appellant on novel questions concerning the assessment of damages for the loss of use of motor vehicles;
  • Appearing for Apotex, Alphapharm & Aspen in patent infringement litigation brought by Lundbeck – Federal Court of Australia;
  • Appearing for Apotex prosecuting significant claims on various undertakings as to damages given in patent litigation- Federal Court of Australia;
  • Appearing for the Applicant in an investor class action funded by IMF concerning an alleged misleading prospectus and alleged contravention of continuous disclosure obligations – Federal Court of Australia;
  • Defending NRMA in commercial litigation concerning allegations relating to its preferred repairer programme – Supreme Court of Queensland;
  • Appearing for the Commonwealth in a substantial claim brought by OPEL (an Optus and Elders joint venture vehicle) concerning the roll out of broadband to regional Australia – Supreme Court of NSW;
  • Appearing for a major software integrator in a dispute with Optus concerning its wholesale business – Supreme Court of NSW.

Before joining the bar, Shereef was a visiting scholar at Stanford University Law School in California. After returning to Australia, Shereef was an associate to Wilcox J in the Federal Court of Australia, a solicitor at Freehills in the commercial and intellectual property divisions and for approximately 15 months a prosecutor at the Commonwealth DPP.

Shereef is regularly briefed by the top tier Australian commercial law firms.

Lachlan Gyles SC



Lachlan Gyles SC is recognised in Best Lawyers Australia 2026 for his practice in Insurance Law, Sports Law, Litigation, Commercial Law and Personal Injury Litigation.

Best Lawyers Australia 2026 recognises him as “Lawyer of the Year” in Sports Law.

He is recommended in Doyle’s Guide as Leading Professional Indemnity Senior Counsel – New South Wales, 2024.

 

Charles Colquhoun SC



Charles has a broad commercial practice, including competition and consumer protection, corporations and insolvency, equity and trusts, insurance, professional negligence, banking law, property law and private international law.  Within these areas, he has worked extensively in commercial arbitrations, class actions and regulatory proceedings.

Charles holds a Master of Law from the University of Cambridge (with First Class Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts/Laws (with First Class Honours) from the University of Sydney.  Prior to coming to the Bar, Charles was a senior associate at Herbert Smith (now Herbert Smith Freehills) in London and a solicitor at Mallesons Stephen Jaques (now King & Wood Mallesons) in Sydney and worked as an associate at the Federal Court of Australia.

Charles is ranked in Chambers and Partners’ Asia-Pacific Guide 2025 in Dispute Resolution: The Bar.  He is also recognised in Best Lawyers 2026 in the categories of Class Action Litigation, Commercial Law and Litigation.  Charles has previously been listed in Doyle’s Guide as a Leading Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution Junior Counsel (NSW), Leading Class Action Barrister (Australia) and Leading Insolvency & Restructuring Junior Counsel (NSW).