Are you a junior lawyer looking to gain a solid foundation in litigation practice? Join us for our Litigation series! Experienced speakers will provide you with practical tips & insights, sharing their real-world experiences to help you better understand the intricacies of the litigation process. Whether you are just starting out in your legal career or looking to expand your practice, this series is the perfect program for you. Register now & take your litigation skills to the next level. WEB235N03Z
Attend and earn 4 CPD units in Professional Skills
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
If you register for the full series as a live online product after the date of an individual session, you will be sent the recording for the sessions that have passed. Alternatively, you can register for individual sessions by following the links below.
Drawing a Statement of Claim and Drafting a Defence
In the world of litigation, knowing how to properly draw up a Statement of Claim or Draft a Defence can make or break a case. Join Barrister Robert Turnbull for an intensely practical session that focuses on the essentials of pleading a case, providing you with the tools and knowledge needed to effectively represent your client.
Lisa Gooneratne, Special Counsel, HWL Ebsworth Lawyers
- Your client has a claim? Or they’ve just been served with a statement of claim? What to do?
- Focus on the essentials of pleading a case – both in attack and defence
- Intensely practical – not all the rules and theory about pleading – but what you actually need to put down on the page, and how to get the right instructions to do it
Presented by Robert Turnbull, Barrister, Eight Wentworth Chambers
Attend and earn 1 CPD unit in Professional Skills
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
Presenters
Mr. Robert Turnbull, Barrister, Eight Wentworth ChambersRobert accepts briefs in all areas of law, to advise and appear throughout Australia and abroad. His principal areas of practice are commercial, public law, tax and white-collar crime disputes. He has particular expertise in arbitration, as counsel and tribunal secretary. Before the Bar, Robert was a solicitor at Clayton Utz, and Slaughter and May in London, with a broad disputes and investigations practice. In both Australia and the United Kingdom he has acted for financial institutions, governments, pharmaceutical and medical device companies, manufacturers and companies in the resources sector, as well as individuals. Previously, he was Tribunal Secretary to Professor Doug Jones AO, international arbitrator. Formerly, he was tipstaff to the Hon. Justice P A Bergin AO, Chief Judge in Equity. Robert holds degrees from the University of Cambridge and the University of Sydney.
Ms. Lisa Gooneratne, Special Counsel, HWL Ebsworth Lawyers
Lisa has extensive experience in personal injury insurance law, in a variety of areas. Lisa acts for both private insurers and Government agencies, in the areas of public liability, workers compensation, medical negligence, coronial inquests, medical disciplinary matters and motor vehicle accidents. Lisa also acts for a self-insurers, including a national airline and national banks, in relation to personal injury claims. Lisa is actively involved in the ACT legal community, being a former chair of the Young Lawyers Committee and currently a Commissioner and Board member of the ACT Legal Aid Commission.
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Pre-Trial Evidence Preparation
Get practical tips and insights on Pre-Trial Evidence Preparation from Barrister Lachlan Menzies. Learn how to draft affidavits, compile witness bundles, fact-check recollection and anticipate objections all while following court rules and writing and style guidelines. See how it all comes together with samples from real affidavits.
- Practical tips based on personal experience in drafting affidavits, as a solicitor at mid-tier and at top-tier firms, and ongoing as a barrister
- Using the forms for affidavits under the rules of court
- Preparing pre-trial by compiling a witness bundle
- Knowing the documents better than your witness, to help fact-check their recollection
- Writing and style rules
- Anticipating and avoiding typical objections
- Samples from affidavits – how it looks in practice
Presented by Lachlan Menzies, Barrister, Eight Wentworth Chambers
Lisa Gooneratne, Special Counsel, HWL Ebsworth Lawyers
Attend and earn 1 CPD unit in Professional Skills
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
Presenters
Ms. Lisa Gooneratne, Special Counsel, HWL Ebsworth LawyersLisa has extensive experience in personal injury insurance law, in a variety of areas. Lisa acts for both private insurers and Government agencies, in the areas of public liability, workers compensation, medical negligence, coronial inquests, medical disciplinary matters and motor vehicle accidents. Lisa also acts for a self-insurers, including a national airline and national banks, in relation to personal injury claims. Lisa is actively involved in the ACT legal community, being a former chair of the Young Lawyers Committee and currently a Commissioner and Board member of the ACT Legal Aid Commission.
Mr. Lachlan Menzies, Barrister, Eight Wentworth Chambers
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.
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[Missing OND] Briefing Counsel: The Barrister's Perspective
Gain valuable insights on briefing counsel from a barrister's perspective with Paul Cutler from Edmund Barton Chambers. Learn how to navigate the three stages of a brief and effectively manage professional relationships with counsel throughout each stage, from initial engagement to trial or hearing.
- Analyse the three stages of a brief to Counsel
- Initial engagement and commencement of proceedings
- Case management stage
- Trial or hearing. The role of the solicitor and the expectations of the barrister can be different in each of them
- Gain practical guidance on managing good professional relationships with counsel
Presented by Paul Cutler, Barrister, Edmund Barton Chambers
John Masters, Barrister, Blackburn Chambers
Attend and earn 1 CPD unit in Professional Skills
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
Presenters
Mr. John Masters, Barrister, Blackburn ChambersIn over 30 years of practice, John Masters has been a defence Barrister, Crown Advocate for the specialist fraud unit of the Crown Prosecutor Service of England and Wales and a specialist Crown Prosecutor for prosecuting financial crime and money laundering in the Cayman Islands. Whilst his criminal practise has an international flavour of financial crime, he primarily practises as a prosecutor in the Northern Hemisphere and a Defence Barrister in the Southern Hemisphere. He has worked on international investigations with major international agencies including the FBI and other prosecuting agencies throughout the world and has also been involved in multi-billion dollar asset recovery projects for various governments. John is also a Criminologist and has written many articles including “The evolving Criminalization of Corporate non-compliance”. He is also a contributor to the “Research Handbook on International Financial Crime” published by EE Elgar. John is on the Council of Europe panel of experts for training prosecutors, financial investigators and police in investigating and prosecuting financial crime. He is also a regular presenter at the annual Economic Crime Symposium held at Jesus College Cambridge University. He has recently returned from presenting seminars and workshops at the Symposium then travelling to Moldova to train financial investigators and prosecutors. Whilst he is usually called upon to deliver seminars involving substantive points of law, he comes to this event to share what he believes may be lacking in the organisation of many practices. John is developing a series of seminars on proactive litigation which focusses more on the practice management side of a criminal practice: an area he claims to be lacking in training. He believes that whilst there are many risks practitioners face on a daily basis that they may not even know about. He also believes that there are many lost opportunities for solicitors should be capitalizing upon. John’s style is to engage the audience and share experiences and embraces contributions. He claims that he walks away from every seminar learning something himself.
Mr. Paul Cutler, Barrister, Edmund Barton Chambers
Paul Cutler was admitted to practice as a legal practitioner in 1996 and has been in full time practise at the NSW Bar since 2006. Paul practices predominantly in migration law and alternative dispute resolution. As a migration lawyer he advises clients on their visa options and can help prepare their applications. He appears regularly in the AAT and federal courts on merits and judicial review applications. He is accredited as a mediator (NMAS) and arbitrator (Resolution Institute) and also represents clients who participate in mediations and arbitrations. He also accepts instructions in general commercial litigation matters and has a specialisation in bankruptcy and corporate insolvency. In addition to law, Paul has formal qualifications in dispute resolution (UNSW) and worked for a decade as an industrial chemist before he was admitted to practice. A full version of Paul's profile is available on his websites - www.cutler.com.au and www.paulcutler.com.au
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Alternative Dispute Resolution: Dealing with Mediators and Other Experts
Join Luke Carbon and Simon Croft for a comprehensive session on Alternative Dispute Resolution. Discover the various methods available, how to choose the right one, and strategies for successfully resolving disputes with the help of mediators and other experts.
- The importance of alternative dispute resolution
- Choosing the right alternative dispute resolution method
- Drafting dispute resolution clauses
- Arbitration as an alternative to litigation
- Strategies for the success resolution of disputes
Presented by Luke Carbon, Senior Associate and Simon Croft, Senior Associate, Ashurst
Samuel J Woff, Special Counsel, Lander & Rogers
Attend and earn 1 CPD unit in Professional Skills
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
Presenters
Mr. Samuel J Woff, Special Counsel, Lander & RogersSamuel Woff Samuel is a leading commercial construction law and construction litigation specialist, advising on complex and high-stakes project and major infrastructure disputes. With expertise in both domestic and international construction disputes and with over 10 years' experience in private practice, Samuel is passionate about delivering litigious solutions for clients that are commercial, strategic, and innovative. This includes leveraging cutting-edge technology to drive best outcomes in a contentious environment. With an established industry presence and a proven track record of delivering when the situation demands it most, Samuel is a leader in the construction law space. He maintains an active media presence in the industry, appearing in interviews, articles and as a guest speaker and expert commentator.
Mr. Luke Carbon, Senior Associate, Ashurst
Luke has acted for parties in respect of litigation in the High Court of England and Wales, the High Court of Australia and the Supreme, Federal and inferior courts of Australia, as well as in respect of arbitrations (domestic, international and investor-state), mediations, expert determinations and adjudications. He also has significant experience acting as project counsel and in the utilisation of alternative dispute resolution to avoid and minimise disputes. In addition to his practice, Luke has published work in relation to international arbitration, international trade and investment law, construction law and alternative dispute resolution. In 2019, he was named the "Young ADR Practitioner of the Year" at the Australian ADR Awards. In 2022 and 2023, he was listed as a "Rising Star" for Construction Law in New South Wales by Doyle's Guide.
Mr. Simon Croft, Senior Associate, Ashurst
Simon is a Senior Associate in the dispute resolution team at Ashurst. His work has required him to advise on contentious and non-contentious matters across a variety of industries, including: infrastructure (road and rail), commercial, retail, tourism/hospitality, military, energy (conventional and renewable), natural resources, urban development, social infrastructure and parliamentary inquiries. Those matters have been conducted by statutory adjudication, mediation, dispute avoidance board, independent legal arbiter, expert determination, litigation (first instance, appellate and final) and arbitration, in state and federal jurisdictions throughout Australia, and the United Arab Emirates. Simon also provides project counsel services and strategic advice on project delivery issues, with a focus on the timely resolution of those issues before becoming formal disputes.
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