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Quality and consistency through collaboration

We’ve always known that we have the best lawyers in the country, and Best Lawyers agrees with us! We’d like to congratulate our 72 lawyers who have been included on the Best Lawyers’ list for 2021, and give a big shout out to our five lawyers who received the Best Lawyers’ Lawyer Of The Year Awards: Chris Drury, Garry Nutt, Luke Holland, Michael Dwyer and Sam Jackson.

We also have 14 new additions to the list: Steven Cardell, Tim Ferrier, Kiley Hodges, Paul O'Dea, Mark Sainsbury, John Toigo, Ben Nicholls, Liana Westcott, David White, Helen Murray, Roger Sands, Mark Doepel, Ian Jones and Grant Parker.

While we have 72 lawyers on the list, some of them are actually recognised in a few areas, so we have 121 entries on the list.

Best Lawyers has been published for over 30 years. Its first international list was published in 2006 and since then has grown to provide lists in over 70 countries. Lawyers on the Best Lawyers in Australia list are reviewed by their peers on the basis of professional expertise, and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing.

Here’s the full list:

Corporate & Commercial

  • Andrew White: Natural Resources Law
  • Alan McKelvey: Mining Law 
  • Chris Drury: Land Use and Zoning Law and Planning and Environmental Law
  • David White: Mining Law
  • Grant Parker: Construction/Infrastructure Law
  • Helen Murray: Real Property Law
  • James Minchinton: Mining Law, Natural Resources Law and Oil & Gas Law
  • John McCombe: Corporate Law, Corporate/Governance Practice and Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  • John Toigo: Commercial Law and Corporate Law
  • Leon Sakaris: Real Property Law
  • Paul Gavazzi: Construction/Infrastructure Law
  • Paul O'Dea: Real Property Law
  • Paul Tobin: Construction/Infrastructure Law
  • Peter Charteris: Funds Management
  • Scott McDonald: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Commercial Law and Litigation
  • Shannon Platt: Intellectual Property Law
  • Steven Cardell: Real Property Law
  • Theo Casimatis: Leasing Law
  • Tim Castle: Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation
  • Tim Ferrier: Real Property Law

Commercial Insurance

  • Adrian Kemp: Personal Injury Litigation
  • Belinda Michalk : Insurance Law and Product Liability Litigation
  • Catherine Power: Insurance Law
  • Chris Rimmer: Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation
  • Chris Wood: Personal Injury Litigation
  • Colin Pausey: Insurance Law
  • Deborah Morris: Insurance Law
  • Helen Stavridis: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Insurance Law, Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation
  • Ian Jones: Insurance Law
  • Joanne Palamara: Insurance Law and Litigation
  • John Coorey: Insurance Law, Litigation and Professional Malpractice Litigation
  • Julian McGrath: Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation, Product Liability Litigation and Professional Malpractice Litigation
  • Julie Kinnear: Insurance Law and Litigation
  • Kent Owen: Insurance Law and Motor Vehicle Law
  • Kerri Thomas: Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation
  • Kevin Bartlett: Aviation Law, Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation
  • Kiley Hodges: Insurance Law and Professional Malpractice Litigation
  • Lindsay Joyce: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Insurance Law and Professional Malpractice Litigation
  • Lucille Stewart: Insurance Law
  • Malcolm Cameron: Class Action Litigation, Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation and Professional Malpractice Litigation
  • Mark Doepel: Insurance Law
  • Mark Sainsbury: Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation
  • Patrick McGrath: Construction/Infrastructure Law and Insurance Law
  • Philip Glaister: Class Action Litigation and Professional Malpractice Litigation
  • Piet Jarman: Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation
  • Roger Sands: Personal Injury Litigation
  • Tony Reilly: Government Practice and Litigation
  • Yvette McLaughlin: Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation and Professional Malpractice Litigation

Government

  • Ben Nicholls: Government Practice
  • Colin Webeck: Commercial Law and Government Practice
  • Karwan Eskerie: Immigration Law
  • Liana Westcott: Government Practice
  • Luke Woolley: Government Practice
  • Phillip Salem: Government Practice
  • Robert Watson: Government Practice and Information Technology Law
  • Sharon Rowe: Government Practice, Information Technology Law and Intellectual Property Law
  • Stuart Marris: Government Practice and Litigation

Statutory Insurance

  • Garry Nutt: Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation
  • Greg Guest: Insurance Law
  • Kristina Miller: Personal Injury Litigation
  • Maxine Feletti: Government Practice and Insurance Law
  • Michael Dwyer: Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation

Workplace

  • Bill Kritharas: Occupational Health & Safety Law
  • Carlie Holt: Occupational Health & Safety Law
  • Catherine Wilkinson: Occupational Health & Safety Law
  • Luke Holland: Labour & Employment Law and Occupational Health & Safety Law
  • Penny Stevens: Labour & Employment Law and Occupational Health & Safety Law
  • Rossana Parmegiani: Occupational Health & Safety Law
  • Sam Jackson: Labour & Employment Law and Occupational Health & Safety Law

About Sparke Helmore

We’ve come a long way since our doors first opened in the Hunter in 1882. We’ve had an office in Sydney since the ‘60s and we recently opened our ninth office in Darwin.

We cover five key areas of law – Corporate & Commercial, Commercial Insurance, Government, Statutory Lines of Insurance and Workplace – with more than 30 specialised areas of expertise. We’re a truly national, full service and proudly Australian firm that delivers results through deep collaboration with our clients. Wherever our clients need us, that’s where we’ll be.

Covering a big country needs a big team—we’re more than 850 people now and still growing. And in true Australian spirit, we’re friendly, approachable and easy to work with. And when you work with one of us, you get the expertise of all of us.

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