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David Smith



David Smith is a barrister based in Sydney, specialising in equity, trusts, property, corporations, insolvency, and general commercial litigation. Called to the New South Wales Bar in 2018, David initially practiced as a litigation solicitor for a decade at leading law firms in Sydney, London, and Hong Kong.

David’s formal education includes a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours from the University of Technology, Sydney. He was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2008 and the High Court of Australia in 2009, before transitioning to the Bar in 2018. Throughout his career, he has represented clients in a variety of matters, ranging from complex equity and trust disputes to real property cases and multifaceted corporations litigation.

David has a record of handling large-scale disputes, showcasing his ability to manage intricate legal challenges and deliver favourable results. He has represented clients in all courts and tribunals in New South Wales, demonstrating a proficiency in dealing with a range of legal issues in different judicial settings.

David is focussed on engaging closely with solicitors and clients to achieve practical and commercial outcomes.

Llewellyn Judd



Before coming to the Bar, Llewellyn was a solicitor at several leading mid-tier firms in Sydney and Brisbane practising in their liability insurance and corporate recovery teams. In his varying capacities, Llewellyn’s responsibilities included the management of high-volume recovery actions and large-scale multi-party litigation.

At the Bar, Llewellyn has a broad civil practice that encompasses commercial law, personal and corporate insolvency law, class actions, competition and consumer law, professional negligence law, succession law, taxation debt recoveries, insurance and personal injury law, both Queensland and New South Wales.

Llewellyn has appeared on trials and applications in the Federal Court of Australia, the Supreme Courts of Queensland and New South Wales, all other state courts of Queensland and New South Wales, and the civil and administrative tribunals of Queensland and New South Wales. He has appeared as junior counsel on appeals to the intermediate appellate courts of Queensland and New South Wales.

On numerous occasions, Llewellyn has represented parties at mediation and in other forms of alternative dispute resolution.

Llewellyn is admitted to the High Court of Australia.
Liability is limited by a scheme under professional standards legislation.

Robert Turnbull



Robert’s principal areas of practice are commercial, construction, transport, public law and white-collar crime disputes.  He has a particular expertise in arbitration, as counsel and tribunal secretary.

Robert accepts briefs to advise and appear throughout Australia and abroad.

Before the Bar, Robert practised in disputes in London at Slaughter and May and in Sydney at Clayton Utz.  Before that, he was tipstaff to the Hon P A Bergin AO, Chief Judge in Equity and Tribunal Secretary to Professor Doug Jones AO, international arbitrator.

His clients have ranged from individuals to large listed companies, governments to small charities, across many areas of the economy.

He was educated at the Universities of Sydney and Cambridge.

Anthony Lo Surdo SC



Anthony Lo Surdo SC was called to the Bar in 1996, having previously practiced as a solicitor since his admission as a legal practitioner in 1987. He was appointed as Senior Counsel in 2011. He practices from chambers in Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin, London and Dubai.

Anthony has enjoyed a broad practice both at trial and appellate level spanning diverse areas including banking, contract, commercial, corporations, equity, professional indemnity, insurance, insolvency, property and sports law. He was described by Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Profession in 2015-2020 as one of the country’s leading insolvency and reconstruction Silks.

Anthony is an exponent of all forms of ADR and especially mediation, arbitration and expert determination. He is also adept at facilitating expert conclaves.

He is an internationally accredited mediator and an advanced and nationally accredited mediator. He has been ranked by Doyle’s Guide in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 as a leading mediator.

Anthony is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and registered in the Australian Register of Practising Arbitrators as a Grade 1 Arbitrator. He is also accredited as an arbitrator in Dubai and PNG and registered by the National Court of Justice of PNG as an international and domestic arbitrator. He was ranked by Doyle’s Guide in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 as one of the country’s leading arbitration Silks.

He is a panel member of many of the leading international arbitral institutions and is regularly appointed as an arbitrator both domestically and internationally. Anthony has sat as both a sole and panel arbitrator including as Chair in over 100 domestic and international arbitrations involving complex commercial, disciplinary and governance disputes.

Anthony is a leading, internationally recognised, sports law Silk and regularly sits as an arbitrator on international and domestic sport tribunals including the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Football Australia Appeal Panel and Disciplinary and Ethics Committee and the National Sports Tribunal.

Anthony is a part-time Senior Member of NCAT sitting on its Appeal Panel and in the Occupational Division.

Further information about Anthony’s ADR expertise can be accessed here or at www.silkmediator.com.au

Matthew McGirr



Matthew is a highly regarded junior counsel, with a wide-ranging practice primarily focussed on commercial law, common law (including intentional torts), superannuation, property law, construction, strata, and general equity. Matthew regularly appears in all Federal and State courts and tribunals. Matthew will accept briefs in all areas of law.

Prior to being called to the bar, Matthew was a solicitor for over 7 years. Immediately prior to the bar, Matthew was a Senior Solicitor at the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), where he advised APRA in relation to several high profile contentious and non-contentious matters.

Prior to APRA, Matthew practised at law firms Herbert Smith Freehills and Gilbert + Tobin. During this period, Matthew acted for some of Australia’s leading companies, including Westpac, CBA, Bupa, Telstra, JP Morgan Australia. Matthew also worked on a number of class actions and commissions of inquiry.

Matthew has also worked as a policy adviser and lawyer at the Australian Institute of Company Directors, where he worked closely with governments, directors, and stakeholders important legal policy issues, including the insolvency safe harbour reforms.

Matthew graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in history. Matthew then graduated from the University of NSW with a Juris Doctor with Honours.

 

 

Bill Ilkovski



Bill Ilkovski, having worked as a solicitor for 7 years, commenced as a barrister in October 2007. He read on 8th Floor Wentworth Chambers.  He appears in all of the courts and most tribunals in New South Wales and in federal courts and tribunals as well.   He also regularly appears in courts of other states and territories.

The disputes work for which he has expertise is work that has a predominant commercial or trading element.  This includes contracts disputes, property related disputes, building and construction disputes, or trade practices disputes in which he has acted for private individuals, corporations and governments.  He also take briefs and has expertise in dust diseases, administrative law and regulatory offences matters.

Mandy Tibbey



Mandy has practised at the NSW Bar since 2004 and, prior to that, as a solicitor. She is experienced in a range of equity, commercial and administrative law matters such as family provision, wills and probate, general equity, trusts, commercial and property-related claims, discrimination, consumer law and disciplinary matters. She appears in the Supreme Court of NSW, Federal Court of Australia, Federal Circuit Court, Administrative Appeals Tribunal, ICAC and other courts and tribunals as required.

Mandy is a Part-Time Senior Legal Member with the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, appointed to the Guardianship, Commercial and Consumer and Administrative and Equal Opportunity Divisions.
She is a trained and experienced Mediator, a Member of the Mediation Panels for the Supreme Court of NSW and District Court of NSW and a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner.

Mandy is a contributing author to Thomsons NSW Civil Procedure and the popular Thomsons Civil Law Procedure Handbook.
She is often asked to present legal education seminars to the profession, has been a Member of the NSW Bar Association’s Human Rights Committee and Professional Conduct Committee, past Chair of the Women Barristers Forum and is a member Advisory Board of the Sir Francis Forbes Society for Australian Legal History.

Kevin Tang



Kevin Tang is a commercial law barrister and practises in :

  • Contract law
  • Equity/trusts
  • Real property
  • Administrative law

Mr Tang was educated in Law at the University of Sydney (LLM) and the London School of Economics (LLM) (UK). Despite having a focus on commercial equity, fraud and breakdown of business relationships, Mr Tang accepts briefs in a wide range of jurisdictions and areas of law eg. wills and estates, judicial advice, shareholder disputes, sale of goods and building & construction. He appears in all jurisdictions and in matters raising difficult property law issues, migration law cases and complicated trust arrangements.

Mr Tang also advises and acts in ecclesiastical/canon law matters concerning clergy discipline and professional standards. He has also acted for charitable institutions and religious organisations seeking advice. He is a member of the Ecclesiastical Law Society of the United Kingdom.

Mr Tang appears frequently as counsel in final hearings (and appeals) in the Supreme Court of New South Wales. He has appeared as leading or sole counsel in the NSW Court of Appeal, the Supreme, District and Local Courts, the Federal Court (including Full Federal Court), the Federal Circuit and various tribunals (NCAT and AAT).

Mr Tang also acts in arbitrations and mediations for parties in the Asia Pacific Region.
Mr Tang also speaks Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin) and French (fluently).

Prior to being admitted to the Bar, Kevin practised as a solicitor in large commercial law firms in Sydney in all aspects of commercial dispute resolution. He was also a Judge’s Associate in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and worked for the Hon. PA Bergin SC (former Chief Judge in Equity), the Hon. WV Windeyer and the Hon. Justice MA Pembroke in the Equity Division.

Senior

Raoul Wilson SC

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Raoul Wilson is one of Australia’s Leading Equity Senior Counsel with particular reference to Wills and Estates. He has been listed as Leading Senior Counsel in Doyle’s Guide for Wills and Estate Litigation Barristers, New South Wales each year since 2016 .

Raoul’s specialty is advising and appearing both at first instance on appeal and in the High Court in unique, complex and high profile contested Wills cases, often involving disputes between family interests, charities and competing corporate entities. Raoul advises and appears in matters throughout Australia. His expertise also extends to advising and appearing in Protective matters in the Supreme Court of New South Wales on behalf of both the Protected person and other parties.

Raoul has a particular interest in the intersection between Probate, Protective matters and the jurisdiction of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia where the jurisdictions are seen to complement and affect each other. This can be seen at a pre-trial stage where his skill is in the development of a strategy designed to avoid costly and protracted litigation or at the hearing stage with matters running concurrently in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia or in one court after a cross-vesting application.

He also appears at first instance in the Family Court of Australia (now the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia) and the Full Court of the Court in disputes involving company directors, creditors, trustees in bankruptcy and third party equitable interests.

Raoul also customarily appears both at first instance and on appeal in Equity, Real Property and Commercial matters in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the Federal Court of Australia.

As junior counsel, Raoul appeared regularly for the Official Trustee in Bankruptcy. In 2002 he was a member of the Family Law Committee of the NSW Bar Association.  In 2008 he was a member of the joint committee of the NSW Bar Association and the Law Society which considered the provisions of the Succession Amendment (Family Provision) Act 2008 and in 2009 was a member of a similar committee which considered the provisions of the Succession Amendment (Intestacy Act) 2009.

Raoul is a regular presenter at seminars on Wills and Estates held by specialist gatherings of Wills and Estates practitioners and Regional Law Societies. He also presents papers in the area on behalf of the leading MCLE providers.  He is also an experienced Mediator in Wills and Estate matters which are referred by the Supreme Court of New South Wales for private mediation.

Raoul’s interests outside the law include undertaking challenging bushwalks, bird watching and gardening.

Philippe Doyle Gray



Philippe maintains a diverse practice and has acquired extensive knowledge and experience across most areas of civil law. Since being called to the Bar in 2001, he has represented clients in complex and bespoke litigation, ranging from commercial and equity matters, to professional negligence and professional disciplinary matters, as well as disputes regarding legal costs and disbursements. He is often briefed to advise and appear in cases in which allegations of criminality, fraud, or other serious misconduct are made, which has led to the launch of criminal prosecution proceedings.

Philippe accepts briefs from both solicitors in law firms and in-house legal departments. His widespread experience has seen him represent a vast array of clients, including on a pro bono basis. He appears primarily in the Federal Court of Australia, Supreme Court of New South Wales, and occasionally the District Court of New South Wales. He has also appeared in the High Court of Australia and New South Wales Court of Appeal.

Complementing his litigation practice, Philippe is regularly briefed in mediations and other dispute resolution forums. He is also well placed to act as a Facilitator in Joint Expert Conferences and Conclaves, lending to his extensive experience and expert knowledge in specialist fields including industrial chemistry and mathematics.

Philippe possesses an avid interest in law and its interaction with technology and is focused on the cost-effectiveness of the delivery of justice in order to make litigation affordable to all. He has published a book regarding the ethical use of technology in legal practice and has achieved professional certification in Legal Project Management both domestically and in the United States of America (the first barrister so certified). Philippe’s recognition is evidenced by his appointment as the first lawyer practising outside North America to the Council of the American Bar Association Law Practice Division.

Philippe has also had significant involvement with the New South Wales Bar Association in varying capacities, including as former Honorary Secretary of the Association and as a founding member of one of its Committees. His international reach has seen him regularly deliver presentations on developments in the law and topical issues in Australia and abroad, including to the judiciary and new barristers. Notably, Philippe is the first and only Australian invited by the American Bar Association to lecture at its annual legal technology conference in Chicago, TECHSHOW. He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree and Bachelor of Arts degree (with a major in chemistry) from the University of Sydney.

Meher Gaven



As a barrister since 2012, Meher has a broad commercial litigation practice with focus areas in discrimination and employment law and intellectual property. Meher has a well-established government practice acting for Commonwealth, State and Local government in matters ranging from statutory interpretation, administrative law, regulatory matters, defending discrimination claims, defending trade mark determinations and assisting with investigations.

As a solicitor Meher worked in both private and government practice. As a senior litigator for the Australian Government Solicitor, Meher acted on a number of high-profile proceedings, which focused on Commonwealth enforcement action and included service to the ACCC, IP Australia, National Industrial Chemicals Notifications and Assessment Scheme, Department of Human Services and the Companies Auditors Liquidators and Disciplinary Board. Meher was seconded to the Arts Law Centre of Australia.  In private practice, Meher’s focus areas were in commercial litigation and intellectual property disputes.

Meher was an associate to a Federal Court Judge, Justice Murray Wilcox (2005-2006).

Lachlan Menzies



Lachlan Menzies is a commercial litigator with more than 20 years’ experience. His practice combines large matters in collaboration with Senior Counsel, and a full range of matters unled. As well as litigation, he is briefed for transactional advice and drafting including direct briefs from in-house counsel.

A strong position, control, and success in Court are built on precision in pleadings, affidavits, written submissions and associated legal research. Close cooperation with instructing lawyers and a positive client connection are maintained through practical advice, and meetings and calls in conference. Lachlan is adept at Information Technology in legal practice and holds a degree in computer science.

Lachlan mainly practises in State and Federal jurisdictions in New South Wales, and also acts in trials and on appeal in the Supreme Court of Victoria.

Lachlan is a lecturer in the Master of Applied Law courses at the College of Law, appointed in 2009.

For further information including areas of practice, please refer to Lachlan’s CV, linked on this page.

Julian Zmood



Since coming to the Bar, Julian has been retained in a broad range of commercial disputes, including class actions, disputes that relate to equitable obligations (fiduciary obligations, breaches of confidence and of trust), contracts, the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) and property.

Julian appears, regularly, in the District Court, the Supreme Court and in the Federal Court of Australia.

Before coming to the Bar, Julian was in-house counsel for broadcast media and technology companies, both in Australia and in the United Kingdom.

Julian holds BA and LL.B (Hons) degrees from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Laws (LL.M) with Distinction from King’s College, University of London.

Julian is member of the Victorian Bar (Young’s List)

https://www.youngslist.com.au/the-list/julian-zmood

Joel Cook



Joel is an experienced commercial litigator. He accepts briefs in a broad range of commercial and civil matters in all Australian jurisdictions.

Prior to being called to the bar in 2018, Joel was a solicitor at mid and top-tier firms in Sydney.  He has a keen professional interest in corporate and personal insolvency, succession law and trusts.

Joel works closely with clients, their advisors, and key stakeholders to provide comprehensive but practical advice. His approach is pragmatic and outcome-focussed. He identifies, develops and implements strategies that achieve commercial as well as legal outcomes.

Jeffrey Rose



Jeffrey possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience as a commercial litigator, which he has developed while practising as a solicitor for almost two decades, followed by more than 10 years as a barrister. He accepts briefs to advise or to appear on matters in all areas of law and in all jurisdictions across Australia.

He maintains a busy and diverse practice, with particular expertise in the areas of commercial law, administrative law, equity, corporations, insolvency, insurance, property and estates matters, and in military law. He has appeared in a broad range of Federal and State jurisdictions, including in Federal courts and tribunals, and in courts and tribunals in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory.

Jeffrey also appears as Counsel in mediations and in Royal Commissions and other statutory inquiries.  Jeffrey is often called upon to appear as Counsel in urgent interlocutory hearings, where he has achieved successful outcomes for clients applying for or defending claims for urgent relief.

In addition to his practice as a barrister, Jeffrey sits as a part-time Tribunal Member in the Consumer and Commercial Division of the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT), where he hears and determines a wide variety of consumer, commercial and tenancy claims.

Jeffrey is a Legal Officer in the Royal Australian Navy Reserve, where he is commissioned as a Lieutenant. He holds an Australian Government security clearance.  He has received several Civil and Military Awards, including the Australian Active Service Medal for his service with the International Coalition Against Terrorism in 2013.  He is also the current Honorary Legal Counsel to Scouts NSW.  He appeared as Counsel for Scouts Australia and Scouts NSW in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.  He has drafted or settled submissions to Government for various clients on areas of law reform, including on the establishment of the National Redress Scheme.

Jeffrey holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting)(with Merit) from the University of New South Wales.  He has completed postgraduate courses in legal practice management, notarial practice and in military law.  He is currently studying for a Graduate Diploma in Military Law with the University of Adelaide, sponsored by the Department of Defence.

Jeffrey accepts briefs from solicitors and from in-house legal counsel. He is commended by his clients for his attention to detail, depth of knowledge and his meticulous preparation of submissions on both law and facts.

Faraz Maghami



Faraz was called to the Bar in 2009, after spending 18 months as a Judge’s Associate, prior to which he spent some 4.5 years with the in-house legal team of a large multi-national technology/e-commerce company.

He is a versatile barrister, with a focus on broad Corporate/Commercial/Equity disputes, especially Cross-Border and International matters, including Construction, Mining and Major Infrastructure and Property litigation. Further, he is an experienced trial and appellate advocate and appears in matters in the Pacific region, including advisory and appearance work for Governments and various agencies of several Pacific Nations and accepts briefs (including those on a pro bono basis) in matters involving Public Interest Litigation, Strategic Litigation as well as Constitutional and Administrative law more broadly.

Additionally, Faraz has cultivated a complimentary and growing practice in Criminal Law (including matters concerning Public International Law) with advice and appearances in serious Criminal Trials and Appeals, mainly of the White-Collar variety, including for alleged Corporate Misconduct, breaches of Directors’ Duties, Financial Crime, Money Laundering and Taxation Fraud, appearing for Corporate Entities, Office Holders and Board Members, including appearances before investigations and inquiries.

For many years, he has maintained a niche practice in work specific to National Security and Organised Crime, with appearances and advisory work on behalf of those summoned to appear before covert and Intelligence Gathering Commissions and other Clandestine Government Institutions. He accepts briefs to advise and appear on behalf of current and former Australian Defence Force personnel, in relation to Inquiries and Investigations, Military Discipline and matters arising out of or in relation to service within the ADF.

Faraz is an experienced advocacy coach and is actively engaged in various academic and training endeavours, both with the Bar Association and externally, including being an advocacy coach with the Australian Advocacy Institute.

Charles Carroll



Charles Carroll began practising at the NSW Bar in 2002.
He is regularly briefed in a range of areas including contractual and equity disputes, corporations law matters, professional negligence, litigation over real property, trade practices and crime.

Charles frequently appears in all NSW State courts. In recent times, his practice has focused on professional negligence matters following his appearance in Tomasetti v Brailey [2012] NSWCA 399 and property disputes following Galafassi v Kelly (2014) 87 NSWLR 119.

Additionally, Charles is a casual teacher in Contracts at the University of Sydney.

Senior

Anthony Cheshire SC

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Anthony was called to the English Bar in 1992 and practised at the bar in London before moving to the New South Wales Bar in 2004. He practices from the 8th Floor of Wentworth Chambers in a broad range of areas, but with a particular focus upon general commercial, corporations, insolvency, equity, probate, charities, associations, inquiries, property, licensing, insurance and professional negligence. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2015.

Anthony has been involved in several hearings of note, including the Walker inquiry into Camden and Campbelltown Hospitals, the ICAC inquiries involving Craig Knowles and Bob Carr, Melissa Hawach’s efforts to discover the whereabouts of her ex-husband after he had abducted her children, Patrick Power’s disciplinary hearing, the Callinan inquiry into equine influenza, the Beasley inquiry into Auburn Council, the Trade Union Royal Commission, the Financial Services Royal Commission and the NewCap Reinsurance Company litigation that ran for over a year and then for a month on appeal.

Anthony is regularly briefed to advise and appear in interstate matters and in States and Territories across Australia.

In 2017/18 Anthony was Counsel Assisting the Inquiry before the Hon Patricia Bergin SC under the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 into the Returned and Services League of Australia (New South Wales Branch), RSL Welfare and Benevolent Institute and RSL LifeCare Limited.

Anthony acts as a mediator and arbitrator. He also lectures and gives legal training extensively.

Anthony is currently the floor Head of Chambers.