Commercial litigation is evolving rapidly, with new risks, technologies, and legal challenges emerging across every stage of a dispute. This CPD conference brings together leading practitioners to deliver practical insights on fraud allegations, brand protection, directors’ liability, consumer law, contract interpretation, cybersecurity, and the impact of AI in litigation. Whether you're in court, advising clients, or managing risk, this is your opportunity to sharpen your skills, stay compliant, and stay ahead.

Presenters

Bronwyn Lincoln, Partner, Thomson Geer
Bronwyn is a Partner in the Disputes team with extensive experience in commercial litigation and international arbitration.She also regularly advises on conflicts of laws, international treaty rights and obligations (including the CISG) and on the enforcement of foreign judgments and foreign arbitral awards in the Australian courts. Bronwyn’s practice covers a range of industry sectors, including international trade, insurance, building and construction, energy and resources, pharmaceuticals, technology and renewables. She has a particular interest in the resolution of joint venture and shareholder disputes and a specialist practice in cross border and multi-jurisdictional matters. Bronwyn has acted for national and international clients in high value disputes in most of the superior courts in Australia and has experience in the conduct of arbitration under the rules of many of the world’s leading arbitral institutions, including the Singapore International Arbitration Centre and the International Chamber of Commerce, and under the UNCITAL Arbitration Rules. Bronwyn also sits as an international arbitrator, both as sole arbitrator and presiding arbitrator. Amongst other roles, she is a director of ACICA and the Australian Disputes Centre, vice-chair of the Federal Litigation and Dispute Resolution Exec of the LCA, a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR and one of Australia’s four designated conciliators for ICSID (World Bank).

Gabriel Sakkal, Partner, Arnold Bloch Leibler Lawyers
Gabriel has acted for a diverse range of public and private companies, Government corporations and individuals in Supreme and Federal Court proceedings. In addition, he has acted for clients in a range of industries facing high stakes regulatory investigations, inquiries and enforcement proceedings commenced by the ACCC, ASIC and ACMA. Gabriel’s practice also involves strategic advice in relation to advertising, brand protection and enforcement, with an emphasis on trade mark, design and copyright disputes. Gabriel joined the firm as a graduate in 2014 and was appointed as a Partner in 2023. He graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Laws (with First Class Honours) in 2013.

Sally Armitage, Barrister, Cedric Hampson Chambers
Sally’s career at the private bar has spanned various diverse practice areas with a focus on construction, mining and infrastructure matters. She has appeared in a variety of jurisdictions and dispute resolution processes including courts, tribunals, arbitrations, expert determination and mediation. Since 2012, Sally has regularly been named in junior counsel category of the Doyle’s Construction & Infrastructure Queensland Barristers List. She is an accredited AMDRAS Mediator.

Temple Saville, Barrister & Mediator, Svenson Barristers
Temple is a commercial barrister and nationally accredited mediator. She accepts briefs to advise, appear and mediate. Temple’s experience includes: Acting for parties in various bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings including public examinations, insolvent trading claims, preference payment claims, winding up hearings and creditors petitions. This area of Temple’s practice also includes acting in matters where there are claims for breach of directors’ duties. Temple also has a general commercial practice including domestic building disputes, JV disputes, retail lease disputes, property disputes, loan disputes, debt recovery and ACL disputes. Temple was a finalist in the Lawyers Weekly, Australian Law Awards and/or Women in Law Awards, Barrister of the Year category in 2021, 2023 and 2024.

Josh Groves, Associate, Thomson Geer

Sarah Davies, Director, Sarah Davies Legal
Sarah Davies is a director of Sarah Davies Legal Pty Ltd, and specializes in commercial litigation for clients involved in agribusiness, financial services, property development and building & construction matters. She is an accredited specialist in commercial litigation, having received the highest achievement award when she completed her accreditation in 2010. She has experience with disputes involving commercial contracts, property transactions, joint ventures, corporations, trusts and managed investment schemes, public offer documents and issues relating to the provision of financial services. Sarah also chairs the board of a mutual banking institution.


Nola Pearce, Barrister, Chambers 33
Nola Pearce is a barrister at the private Bar, with a strong civil practice focussed on: professional negligence and regulation; high level insurance advice, including dual and successive insurer situations, policy review, outcomes from Royal Commissions; and commercial and contract disputes. She was called to the private Bar in 2018, after many years as an insurance and commercial litigation solicitor at mid- and top-tier firms. Nola’s particular strengths are her decisive advice and persuasive advocacy, combined with a practical, strategic and sensitive approach to civil disputes. She has been recognised in each edition of the Best Lawyers in Australia since 2021 for Professional Malpractice Litigation. She previously has been named a Woman Lawyer of the Year Award Finalist by the Women Lawyer’s Association of Queensland. She is a member of the Bar Association’s Access to Justice Committee, a past Chair of the QLS Ethics Committee, and a contributing editor to the Law Society’s first edition commentary to the Australian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules. Nola loves animals, solo camping, antique treasures, and reading great novels.

Anand Shah, Barrister, Brisbane Chambers
Anand Shah joined the Queensland Bar 20 years ago after practising as a solicitor for eleven years. Anand’s practice areas include wills & estates, commercial litigation, administrative law, defamation, and human rights. Anand has appeared as counsel in the High Court, the Queensland Court of Appeal, the Federal Court and as trial counsel in all State Courts, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and many Tribunals. Anand has acted as a mediator in a variety of disputes including wills & estates, contract, professional negligence, insolvency and personal injuries. Anand has been elected by the Queensland Bar, on many occasions, to serve on its Bar Council (the Bar's peak executive body). Anand is the Immediate Past President of the Asian Australian Lawyers Association (AALA) (Qld Branch). AALA promotes and encourages cultural diversity within the legal profession. Anand is the past chair of QUT’s Learning Potential Fund. That fund supports socio-economically disadvantaged students across all QUT faculties. Anand sits on the Qld Chapter Committee of the Australian Institute of Administrative Law. Anand tries to enjoy many things outside of the law : road trips with his wife, music, art, reading (particularly fiction and cookbooks), picnicking, catching up with friends, watching classic cinema and just chilling.


Kirralee Young, Barrister, 13th Floor St James Hall
Kirralee Young was called to the Bar in 2013. Kirralee has previously worked with Minter Ellison and Allen & Overy LLP. In 2010, she was appointed as an Assistant Crown Solicitor for the New South Wales Crown Solicitor’s Office, managing the valuer general and revenue teams. Prior to coming to the Bar, Kirralee worked as a Commercial and Corporate solicitor specialising in corporate and technology matters. She has acted for large multinational clients predominantly in the technology, telecommunication, and defence industries and in respect to multinational outsourcing and technology deals. She was in-house counsel for Cybertrust Asia Pacific and was the lawyer who did the technology contracts for the first PKI-based electronic Australian passport. She is an Advocacy Coach, a member of the NSW Bar Association’s Costs Committee and also the Succession and Elder Law Committee. Kirralee appears regularly in commercial, equity and contested succession or elder law matters in various Courts and Tribunals across Australia. Kirralee holds a Master of Laws (Information Technology, Intellectual Property and Defamation) from the University of New South Wales and a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Newcastle. She has also been a Court-appointed Costs Assessor since 2011 and is now a Costs Review Panellist.

Daniel Johnston, Legal Practitioner Director, JHK Legal
Dan is a Legal Practitioner Director at JHK Legal and has over 10 years’ experience working and assisting clients in commercial litigation, debt recovery, insolvency and employment law contentious matters. Dan has worked with clients ranging from small to medium enterprises, blue chip clients, insolvency practitioners (both corporate and personal), bankrupts, mercantile agents, creditors, debtors, employees and employers. Dan has worked on numerous matters in both Federal and State Courts including (but not limited to) resisting claims made for and against Insolvency Practitioners, Australian Consumer Law claims, summary judgement and strike out applications, and appeals in the District and Supreme Court of Queensland. Dan has practised in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory and currently holds a practicing certificate in Queensland. Dan is also admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland and to the High Court of Australia.