About me

I arrived in Melbourne from Adelaide in 2001 to complete articles of clerkship at Freehills (now Herbert Smith Freehills).

At Freehills, I rotated through the Employment, Banking and Finance and Commercial Litigation groups, landing in the last of these for my post-admission placement. I stayed at Freehills for the next five years, during which I learned from some of the best commercial litigators in Melbourne, if not Australia.

Amongst the many things I learnt at Freehills, the thing that I have endeavoured above all others to maintain was the necessity to give commercially-relevant advice tailored to my clients’ specific needs. That, and a flexible, pragmatic approach to problem solving, is what I think I bring to a matter.

While my education, including a Master of Laws by coursework from the University of Melbourne, has given me the technical knowledge necessary to be able to provide sound legal advice, I do not think that is enough to be able to properly advise clients. Instead, I try to understand the commercial context in which my clients’ legal issue has arisen. This includes the internal and external factors exerting pressure on my clients’ businesses and the risks involved in a particular course of action.

Outside of my practice, I have had experience as a director of a charitable organisation, including a period as Chairperson. I am also currently a sessional teaching associate at Monash University, having tutored in Corporations Law, Contracts and Civil Procedure.