Presenters

Marlia Saunders, Partner, Thomson Geer
Marlia is an experienced media/entertainment, intellectual property and privacy lawyer who has extensive top-tier law firm expertise and a unique client perspective after working as a senior in-house lawyer for many years. She is a Partner in the Media team at national firm Thomson Geer, where she acts for and advises most of Australia’s major media organisations, social media and streaming platforms, large corporates and government bodies. Marlia specialises in defamation, contempt of court, suppression orders, freedom of information and court access applications, confidential information claims, prepublication advice, copyright, consumer law and privacy matters. She has acted in a large number of high profile media and intellectual property disputes; advised on sponsorship, production and licensing deals; and given prepublication advice in relation to newspaper and online articles, television programs, podcasts and marketing/advertising materials. Marlia is on the Executive Committee of the Communications and Media Law Association and the Copyright Society of Australia, and is the National Chair of the Media & Communications Committee of the Business Law Section of the Law Council of Australia.


Raymond Sun, Senior Associate, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
Raymond is a technology lawyer and programmer. He specialises in emerging technologies where he combines his strong technical IT skills with legal knowledge to deliver excellent client experience, especially on technically-complex matters. As an AI developer himself, Raymond is one of the firm’s resident experts on artificial intelligence. Raymond specialises in technology, emerging technology (A.I. and Digital Assets), privacy law and intellectual property. As a skilled developer, Raymond regularly assists on matters which require deep understanding of technical systems and processes. With experience in building artificial intelligence and web3 applications, Raymond advises clients on legal and ethical issues in relation to projects involving artificial intelligence, blockchain (including cryptocurrencies, NFTs and DAOs) and data. Raymond also regularly works with a wide range of clients (both small and large) on digital transformation projects, IT & telecommunication contracts, software licences, privacy and online safety regulation, gambling regulations and export controls.

Rebecca Dunn, Partner, Gilbert + Tobin
Rebecca is a partner in Gilbert + Tobin’s Tech & IP group and an experienced litigator in intellectual property and media law. She specialises in copyright, defamation, trade mark litigation, and Australian Consumer Law, with particular expertise in the online space. Her enforcement work spans national and international clients in the film and music industries, and she has litigated in the Supreme and Federal Courts, including at the High Court of Australia. Rebecca serves as President of the Communications and Media Law Alliance and is a member of several professional societies. She holds a Bachelor of Law (First Class Honours) from the University of Sydney, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Newcastle, and a Master of Research focused on social media law and democracy.


Kevin Lynch, Partner, Johnson Winter & Slattery
Kevin has over twenty years’ experience in advising media and technology companies in relation to defamation, contempt, privacy, legislative restrictions, broadcast regulation, copyright, contractual matters and trade practices. With the JWS team Kevin provides dedicated defamation and pre-publication advice to prominent online, radio and television clients, including multinational media distributors and publishers. The 2020 edition of the Asia Pacific Legal 500 lists Kevin listed as a leading individual in media and entertainment where he is described as “a valued adviser, bringing exceptional experience, grounded assessment of claims and commercially-based advice across a range of specialised areas”. Chambers and Partners ranks Kevin as a notable practitioner – “an experienced and extremely capable lawyer who takes a very commercial approach to his matters”.


Robert Todd, Partner, Ashurst
Robert Todd has been consistently recognised as a Leading Individual in media law by Chambers Global, 2011, Euromoney's Guide to the World's Leading Media Lawyers, 2010 and Best Lawyers Australia, 2010. He is a recognised defamation, media and IT disputes lawyer. Robert is an accredited mediator. His practice is also focused on advising clients on information technology, e-commerce and commercial disputes. Robert advises a major national newspaper publisher, several national broadcasters, an international search engine provider and international IT suppliers. He has acted for the combined media on law reform and proposed legislation.


Gina McWilliams, Senior Legal Counsel, News
Gina started her legal career at Edwards Wallace (now defunct) in Perth before moving to Sydney in 2005. Apart from a short stint at Ashurst Australia, she has worked in-house at News Corp Australia ever since and likes to quip that they will one day cart her out of Holt Street in a pine box. Gina has worked on defamation matters large and small including Kostov v Nationwide News Pty Ltd; suppression and access matters including Hogan v Australian Crime Commission; and, in between, advises her print and online clients on all matters media related. She does nothing interesting in her down-time but was delighted to be part of the team awarded the 2021 June Andrews Walkley Award for Women’s Leadership in Media for their work on the #LetHerSpeak/#LetThemSpeak campaign.