Your diary is full. Make this day count. Step back from the demands of your current matters to focus on the claims demanding greater attention and the skills you need to handle them. From cyber and invasion of privacy claims to shareholder oppression, deadlock and class actions, get practical perspectives on the issues shaping commercial litigation in the year ahead. Strengthen your case strategy, protect confidential information throughout the litigation, navigate professional obligations and gain practical advice on how to put AI to work for you to give you more time, without losing sight of verification, confidentiality or privilege. This is not simply a day away from your files. It is a day to rethink how you run them. Learn from experienced barristers and litigators, and bring fresh insights to your next matter, your next strategic decision and your next settlement discussion.

Presenters

Robert Carey, Barrister, Alinea Chambers and Seven Wentworth Chambers
Robert has a broad commercial practice and accepts briefs in all areas of commercial law. He has extensive experience in advising and appearing for insured and insurer clients, as well as a range of intermediaries, in relation to disputes concerning all classes of insurance including professional indemnity, financial lines, directors’ and officers’ liability, general liability, property and business interruption, and reinsurance. He also regularly appears and advises clients in relation to disputes involving all areas of equity, real property, corporations law, banking and insolvency, as well as general contractual disputes. Robert has been continually ranked in Doyle’s Guide “Best Barristers, Leading Professional Indemnity Junior Counsel – New South Wales” since 2021 and has been recognised by Legal 500 as a leading junior for commercial disputes since 2025. Robert has appeared, both on his own (including at the appellant level) and led by senior counsel, in numerous state and federal jurisdictions, including the High Court of Australia, the Federal Court of Australia, the Federal Circuit Court of Australia, the New South Wales Court of Appeal and the Supreme, District and Local Courts of New South Wales. Robert has also appeared in arbitrations conducted under the rules of various local and international arbitration organisations.

Kieran Smark SC, 153 Phillip Barristers
Kieran Smark SC was admitted to the Bar in 1991 and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2007. He is a leading defamation barrister but also practices in commercial, property and administrative law matters. He often speaks on matters involving defamation and court procedure and is the author of Freedom of Information and Privacy in Australia (3rd ed, 2025, Lexis Nexis). He has represented plaintiffs and defendants in various matters including Leyonhjelm v Hanson-Young, Greenwich v Latham and Faruqi v Hanson.

Bronwyn Lincoln, Partner, Thomsons
Bronwyn acts for national and international clients across commercial litigation and international arbitration. Her clients span the resources, energy, pharmaceuticals, technology, renewables, international trade, building and construction, and insurance sectors. Bronwyn advises on commercial litigation, international and domestic arbitration, conflicts of laws, enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards, and investor-state disputes. She has appeared in most superior courts in Australia and conducted arbitrations under the rules of the SIAC, ICC, UNCITRAL and other leading institutions. She also sits as sole arbitrator and presiding arbitrator. Bronwyn handles high-value cross-border and multi-jurisdictional disputes. Her matters include resources company arbitrations under SIAC rules involving anti-suit injunctions to restrain foreign proceedings, enforcement of ICSID awards involving foreign state immunity, and first-of-kind defences in Australian courts to enforcement of Singapore arbitral awards.

Josh Groves, Associate, Thomsons
Josh Groves is an Associate at Thomsons practising in commercial litigation. He joined the firm as a Legal Assistant in 2022 before progressing through its graduate and lawyer programs and being appointed Associate in July 2025. Prior to joining the firm, Josh completed clerkships in dispute resolution at Thomson Geer and technology law at King & Wood Mallesons. Josh holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology from Swinburne University of Technology. He received the Swinburne Student Achievement Award as the highest achieving student in the 2022 Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Science graduating class and was named to the Dean’s Merit List for International Commercial Law, Equity and Trusts, and Copyright Law.


Nola Pearce, Barrister, Chambers 33
Nola is an accomplished commercial barrister with a strong civil practice focused on commercial and contractual disputes, professional negligence, professional regulation, insurance and insolvency matters. Called to the Bar in 2018, she brought with her extensive experience gained at both top-tier and mid-tier commercial law firms, which continues to inform her practical and commercially focused approach to advocacy and dispute resolution. Nola appears, both led and unled, for corporations, insurers, government entities, professional regulators and private clients across a broad range of complex disputes. She has appeared in courts and tribunals throughout Australia, including appellate courts, the Federal Court of Australia and various federal tribunals. Her practice is particularly noted for its focus on professional liability, disciplinary proceedings, insurance disputes and regulatory matters. Alongside her advocacy practice, Nola has contributed extensively to legal ethics and professional standards, including serving on the Queensland Law Society Professional Ethics Committee and lecturing in Legal Ethics for the College of Law. She is recognised in Best Lawyers Australia for Legal Malpractice Litigation, Litigation and Professional Malpractice Litigation.


Fiona McLay, Legal Ai Client Adviser, Thomson Reuters
Fiona McLay is the Lead AI Client Adviser at Thomson Reuters, helping legal professionals use artificial intelligence with confidence. Drawing on 25 years’ experience as a commercial litigator, she works with law firms, in house legal teams, barristers and government to translate AI’s potential into practical and defensible outcomes. Fiona helps legal teams improve how work is performed, build trust in AI assisted workflows and realise measurable value from emerging technologies. Her experience spans national and specialist firms, innovative legal practices and in house teams, giving her a practical understanding of how legal work is performed and the factors that determine whether technology adoption succeeds. She is also the author of Tech Enabled Lawyer, a practical guide to using technology effectively in legal practice.

Greg Smart, Partner, Wallace & Wallace Lawyers
Greg Smart is a Partner at Wallace & Wallace Lawyers and a Queensland Law Society Accredited Specialist in Commercial Litigation. He has more than 21 years’ experience acting in matters ranging from debt recovery to complex, high stakes commercial disputes, and has appeared in hundreds of matters as both a solicitor and barrister. Greg has particular expertise in litigation and dispute resolution, insolvency, restructuring and matters involving individuals and businesses facing financial distress. He is Chair of the Queensland Law Society’s Commercial Litigation Specialist Accreditation Advisory Committee and a professional member of the Australian Restructuring Insolvency and Turnaround Association. Greg received the Queensland Law Society Commercial Litigation Specialist Accreditation Highest Achiever Award in 2012.


Temple Saville, Barrister and Nationally Accredited Mediator, Svenson Barristers
Temple is a commercial barrister and nationally accredited mediator who accepts briefs to advise, appear and mediate. Her practice encompasses commercial litigation, building and construction, insolvency and restructuring, property and retail leasing disputes. She advises and appears in matters involving contractual rights and obligations, joint ventures, debt recovery, Australian Consumer Law claims, interlocutory applications, directors’ duties, insolvent trading, voidable transactions and bankruptcy proceedings. Temple is listed on the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria’s List of External Mediators and has mediated and represented parties in commercial, building, property, insolvency and contractual disputes. Drawing on her experience as both advocate and mediator, she assists parties to pursue practical, commercially sensible resolutions.

Nataly Adams, Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
Nataly Adams is a Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer specialising in class actions and complex commercial litigation. With more than a decade of litigation experience, she regularly advises major corporates on large scale proceedings and investigations across financial services, technology, mining and energy. Her experience includes significant Federal Court class actions involving Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Colonial First State, BHP, FleetPartners and Sydney Trains. Nataly was promoted to the partnership in May 2026 and has been recognised in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Australia™ for Class Action Litigation since 2024

Lindsey Cregan, Partner, Clayton Utz
Lindsey Cregan is a Partner in the Commercial Litigation practice at Clayton Utz. She is an experienced commercial litigator who advises public and private sector clients on complex disputes, investigations and reputation management issues, with a particular focus on achieving practical outcomes and reducing risk. Lindsey has extensive experience acting in large scale commercial litigation, regulatory investigations, class actions, defamation disputes and matters involving corporate and contractual disputes. Her practice spans ASIC investigations, financial services disputes, royalty agreements, joint ventures, business sale disputes and reputation management issues. She regularly advises clients on dispute resolution strategy, including mediation and other alternative dispute resolution processes. Her notable experience includes representing former Prime Minister Scott Morrison in the Robodebt Royal Commission, acting for financial institutions in ASIC investigations and remediation matters, advising Wright Prospecting in royalty agreement disputes and litigation, and defending complex class action proceedings. She also advises clients on emerging developments in defamation law and reputational risk management. Lindsey was promoted to Partner at Clayton Utz in January 2023 after having practised with the firm since 2006

Edward Einfeld, Senior Associate, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
Edward Einfeld is a Senior Associate at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, specialising in regulatory investigations, white collar crime, and commercial and shareholder disputes. He advises boards, senior executives, multinational companies and high profile individuals on corporate crime, regulatory obligations, investigations and associated litigation across Australia and internationally. Edward has advised on investigations and proceedings involving regulators and enforcement agencies including ASIC, the ACCC, APRA, AUSTRAC, NSW ICAC and the Australian Federal Police, as well as authorities in the United Kingdom and United States. His experience spans the financial services, technology, energy, mining and infrastructure sectors. Edward holds a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney, focusing on white collar crime, and a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours and Bachelor of Business from UTS.