Step into the world of cutting-edge medical law and tackle the most topical medical negligence issues. Examine the current landscape, challenges, and opportunities in class actions involving medical technologies, defective drugs, devices, and product liability claims. Get critical updates on recent decisions under NSW’s Civil Liability Act 2002, Section 50, as well as key rulings on breach of duty and causation. Gain fresh insights from the Parliamentary inquiry into birth trauma and what it means for your practice. Plus, hear from a leading cosmetic surgeon on the risks and common mistakes in cosmetic procedures.

Presenters

Antonia Quinlivan, Barrister, Greenway Chambers
Antonia Quinlivan was called to the NSW Bar in 2022 and practices from Greenway Chambers. Her main area of practise is medical negligence. Antonia also practises in general insurance and construction law. Prior to coming to the Bar, Antonia practised as a solicitor in health and medical law teams for both plaintiff and defendant firms. Antonia has experience in a number of areas of health law including professional indemnity, disciplinary proceedings and coronial inquests. In 2021, after leaving HWL Ebsworth’s Health Insurance Team, Antonia was Tipstaff to the Honourable Justice Julia Lonergan of the Supreme Court of NSW. Antonia also holds a Master of Health Law.


Dr Gavin Sandercoe, Plastic Surgeon
Dr. Gavin Sandercoe is a Specialist Plastic Surgeon who completed his surgical training in 2007. Gavin is a member of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) & the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS). After Gavin completed his training, he spent time in Kathmandu performing microsurgery in a charity hospital, and then he completed a fellowship at Harborview Hospital in Seattle where he focussed on complex facial reconstruction after trauma. After Gavin returned to Sydney, he was the primary breast cancer reconstruction surgeon at Liverpool Hospital from 2009 to 2019. During his time in the public hospital system, Gavin was involved in registrar teaching for facial trauma and developed a cadaver course for education in surgical access to the facial skeleton & teaching how those techniques were important in facial cosmetic surgery. At the end of 2019, Gavin left Liverpool Hospital to focus on his private practice in Bella Vista.


David Higgs SC, 12 Wentworth Selborne Chambers
David Higgs SC was admitted to the bar in 1976 and appointed Senior Counsel in 1995. He practices in the areas of Common law (including professional negligence), Commercial law, Equity, Insurance, Competition and Consumer law, Construction law and Criminal law.


Dr Peter Cashman, Barrister, Third Floor Wentworth Chambers
Dr Peter Cashman is a barrister at 3 Wentworth Chambers in Sydney, former Professor of Law (Social Justice) University of Sydney Law School, currently Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Law & Justice, University of New South Wales. He was formerly: Commissioner in charge of the civil justice review with the Victorian Law Reform Commission; Commissioner jointly in charge (with Justice John Basten) of the reference on class actions with the Australian Law Reform Commission; founding Director of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre; founder and senior partner of the firm Cashman & Partners which merged with the Melbourne firm Maurice Blackburn & Co to form the national firm Maurice Blackburn Cashman (now Maurice Blackburn Pty Ltd); Governor of the American Trial Lawyers' Association (now the American Association for Justice) and National President of the Australian Plaintiff Lawyers' Association (now the Australian Lawyers Alliance). He holds a degree in law and a diploma in criminology from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Laws degree and a PhD from the University of London. He has practised law in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia and is the author of numerous publications, including Class Action Law and Practice, The Federation Press, 2007.


Teni Berberian, Barrister, 13 Wentworth Chambers
Teni Berberian was called to the NSW Bar in 2005 where she practises from the 13th floor Wentworth Selborne Chambers. Teni’s main area of practise at the Bar is insurance, an area she practised in extensively as a solicitor. She practises in all aspect of insurance law and insurance litigation including life, TPD, income protection, professional indemnity, general liability and general commercial litigation. Teni has a special interest in medical law and is briefed regularly on behalf of medical indemnity insurers and the NSW Ministry of Health to appear on behalf of medical practitioners as well as public and private hospitals in defence of medical negligence claims and Coronial Inquests. Teni is also briefed and appears in both the prosecution and defence of disciplinary proceedings involving solicitors.


Dr Anna Walsh, Lecturer, University of Notre Dame
Dr Anna Walsh is a lawyer, bioethicist and academic. A former Principal of Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, she spent 15 years specialising in medical law including birth trauma litigation for plaintiffs. She completed a doctorate in law in 2022 focusing on freedom of conscience for doctors and is a lecturer in the School of Law and Business at the University of Notre Dame Australia where she teaches a number of subjects including Health Law, Bioethics and Mental Health Law. Anna's qualifications are PhD (UNDA), M. Bioethics (Harvard), LL.M (re) (Syd), LL.B (Hons), B. Nurs (Hons).Dip. Leg. Prac.