Jocelyn Jaffray

Jocelyn Jaffray practices nationally, undertaking trial and appellate work, regularly appearing led and unled in various State and Federal Courts. She has appeared in the High Court. Jocelyn practises predominantly in commercial law, and is often briefed to appear unled in final hearings and on contested motions, and as junior counsel in large-scale and complex matters. She is ranked as a leading junior barrister, Tier 1, in the Legal 500 – Australian Bar, Commercial Disputes section (2024, 2025).

Jocelyn acts for listed Australian and International public companies and private corporations, government departments and agencies, and high net worth individuals.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Jocelyn was a solicitor at Herbert Smith Freehills and before this she was an Associate to Justice Kiefel of the High Court of Australia. Jocelyn completed a masters of law at the University of Cambridge in 2010 and studied Advanced Finance electives at Wharton Business School in 2023.

Bart Dziubinski

Bart accepts briefs in a broad range of areas including commercial, equity, corporations, regulatory, financial services, insolvency, and taxation law.

Before his call to the bar, Bart was a senior associate at O’Loughlin Westhoff, a boutique litigation firm. Before that, he was tipstaff to the Honourable Justice RW White of the NSW Court of Appeal, and to the Honourable Justice SG Campbell of the Supreme Court of NSW. Bart teaches Equity at the University of Technology Sydney.

Bart holds a Bachelor of Civil Law (with Distinction) from the University of Oxford, a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours and University Medal) and a Bachelor of Business (Economics) from the University of Technology Sydney.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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

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 1^st 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 2026 in the area of Litigation.

Chris McMeniman

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.

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).

Stefan Balafoutis SC

Stefan advises and appears for corporations, government agencies and individuals in complex commercial disputes. He is recognised in Best Lawyers Australia 2026 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.