Presenters

Andrew Allan, Partner, HWL Ebsworth Lawyers
Andrew is a Partner in HWLE Lawyers Canberra office. Andrew is an expert dispute resolution lawyer and works primarily in the context of common law-based insurance schemes and administrative benefit and review schemes. Andrew was recognised as ‘Lawyer of the Year’ for Alternative Dispute Resolution in Canberra in the 2022 edition of Best LawyersTM Australia. He was recognised as ‘Lawyer of the Year’ for Insurance work in Canberra in the 2021 edition. He has also been recognised in the same publication for Government Practice (2017 – 2025), Insurance (2019 – 2025) and Dispute Resolution (2020 - 2025). Andrew’s clients include the Commonwealth Government, the ACT Government, and private insurers (including medical indemnity insurers). Andrew is also an experienced immigration lawyer and assists business sponsors and individuals to obtain Australian visas.

Rob Reitano, Barrister, Frederick Jordan Chambers
Rob Reitano commenced his legal career in late 1986 as the inaugural Associate to Justice P. R. Munro, a Judge of the then Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission, and continues to express his gratitude to his Honour for the guidance he received. In August 1988, he commenced practice as a solicitor with Clayton Utz Solicitors in its employment and industrial law section under the guidance of Joe Catanzariti, who later became a Vice President of the Fair Work Commission. In August 1991, Rob commenced practice at the NSW Bar, practising primarily in employment and industrial law and acting for trade unions in the predecessors to the Fair Work Commission, the Industrial Court of Australia and the Federal Court of Australia. He later developed a specialist practice in work health and safety prosecutions, acting for the former WorkCover Authority of NSW. His practice has since extended to a broad range of matters including administrative review, commercial litigation and general litigation. Rob was appointed as a sessional member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in April 2019 and was initially assigned to the Taxation and Commercial Division. During his appointment, he dealt with matters across multiple divisions, including visa cancellations and refusals, social security and child support appeals, NDIS matters, vocational education provider registration, tax agent and financial services disciplinary matters, bankruptcy, taxation and superannuation guarantee matters, and a sports anti-doping case. Following the conclusion of his appointment in 2024, Rob returned to full-time practice at the Bar. Outside work, he is a keen lawn bowler, an AFL umpire and a marathon runner with a personal best of 3:21:58. He is also the Age Manager of his nine-year-old daughters’ Little Athletics group and takes great pride in three of his athletes qualifying for the NSW State Little Athletics Carnival.