Step into the future of contract law at our Annual Contract Law Conference! We invite you to elevate your skills in precise contract drafting under the guidance of Australia's top contract law experts. Explore innovative techniques for liability management, IP protection, and risk reduction. Delve into the importance of insurance, efficient cybersecurity practices, and approaches to prevent conflicts. You'll explore game-changing strategies to simplify your contracting life, elevate your practice, and be equipped with vital knowledge for achieving success in contract challenges for your clients. 243N28

Presenters

Mr. Raymond Giblett, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright Australia
Ray Giblett is a partner in Norton Rose Fulbright’s Sydney office and an insurance lawyer with over 25 years' experience. Ray is recognised as one of Australia's leading insurance lawyers in Chambers Asia Pacific, Legal 500, Best Lawyers (2013 Sydney Insurance Lawyer of the Year) and Euromoney's guide to the World's Leading Insurance and Reinsurance Lawyers. He is known for both his expertise and commerciality. Ray has extensive experience in both non-contentious and contentious insurance matters, advising across the full spectrum of insurance issues, Ray is the Chair (Asia Pacific) of the AIDA Financial Lines & Cyber Working Party and the Editor of the Insurance Law Journal. Ray is also a member of the Australian Insurance Law Association (committee member), Australian Professional Indemnity Group and the Reinsurance Discussion Group.


Mr. Timothy Chan, Senior Associate,
Tim Chan is a corporate risk and insurance lawyer based in Sydney. He works with corporates, banks, insurers and new ventures on risk allocation and insurance issues, including for major infrastructure projects. He regularly advises companies and boards on the adequacy of their insurance cover, insurance provisions in contracts and the development of new insurance products. Tim regularly acts for policyholders and insurers in relation to large scale or complex insurance claims. Tim is a recommended lawyer for insurance in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (Rising Star) and is an ANZIIF certified insurance professional.


Ms. Dianne Beer, Special Counsel,
Dianne Beer is a highly experienced lawyer with a practice that covers intellectual property advice and commercialisation, trade mark advice and litigation, technology procurement and deployment, data, privacy, copyright, AI and agreements concerning intellectual property rights. Her diverse client base includes governments, international and Australian businesses in a range of industries including entertainment, education, technology, healthcare, consumer goods and not for profit organisations. She is a Past President of the Licensing Executives' Society for Australia and New Zealand, which is the peak professional body for experts in licensing Technology and intellectual property.


Steven Brown, Chairman, Etienne Lawyers
Steven Brown is highly experienced lawyer with an extensive knowledge in all aspects of commercial law, with an intimate knowledge of the Corporations Law and the Australian Securities Exchange business and listing rules, being involved in corporate structuring, compliance, corporate takeovers, company floats, the preparation of prospectuses, employee share schemes and advising on directors' duties, and insolvency and securities law and practice. Steven currently lectures: in the Masters of Banking Law Course conducted by Macquarie University; in the Master of Finance for FINSIA in the areas of securities and insolvency and contract law and law, regulation and ethics; and for the Property Investors Association of Australia in security law and practice. Steven has published a number of articles on commercial subjects. He has lectured for the Australian Institute of Company Directors from 1989-2008, lectured in the Master and Doctorate courses at UTS in corporations, finance and securities law from 1989-1995, and is currently lecturing in the College of Law Masters course in commercial drafting and business structuring.


Mr. Alex Ottaway, Special Counsel,
Alex Ottaway, Special Counsel, HWL Ebsworth Lawyers Alex is a Special Counsel with HWL Ebsworth Lawyers, specialising in construction and infrastructure disputes. He has over 13 years’ post-admission experience specialising in the resolution of disputes involving construction and infrastructure projects. He advises and acts for participants in diverse sectors such as rail, roads, ports, industrial plants, resources, energy, advanced manufacturing and housing. He has practised in Sydney and in London.


Mr. Ayman Guirguis, Partner,
Ayman Guirguis heads up the Competition and Consumer Law team at K&L Gates in Australia. He advises on all aspects and issues of competition including the implications of mergers, joint ventures and supply chain issues; defending clients alleged to be parties to cartels or other anticompetitive arrangements; and consumer law issues including responding to ACCC investigations and defending prosecutions commenced by the ACCC. Ayman was formerly a senior officer of the ACCC. Ayman is named as a leading individual for Competition/Antitrust in Chambers Global and Best Lawyers.


John Swinson, Professor - School of Law, The University of Queensland
John Swinson's principal interests are intellectual property law, Internet law, privacy law, cybersecurity law and the application of law to new technologies. John commenced as a part-time professor at the T.C. Beirne School of Law in November 2017. John graduated from the T.C. Beirne School of Law in 1998 with a University Medal. He also has a Bachelor of Arts majoring in computer science from The University of Queensland and a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School where he studied as a Fulbright Fellow and a Frank Knox Scholar. From 1999 until 2017, John was an adjunct professor at QUT. John was a partner at the law firm King & Wood Mallesons from 1999 to 2021. He was also Chairman of the auDA Policy Review Panel, which made recommendations to the auDA Board to revise Australia's domain name policies in 2019. Since 2000, John has been an arbitrator for the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva, and has decided over 350 disputes regarding the ownership of domain names.


Mr. Owen Hayford, Principal,
Owen has over 25 years experience advising on contracts, with a focus on infrastructure projects. Owen commenced his legal career at Clayton Utz, where he became a senior partner. He also led the infrastructure teams at PwC Legal and DLA Piper before graduating from the Big Firm model to establish Infralegal. Infralegal’s business model allows Owen to specialise in providing strategic legal and commercial advice without the overheads and constraints associated with the BigLaw business model. Owen has drafted and negotiated more clauses that limit or exclude liability than he cares to remember. He brings technical understanding to this topic, seasoned with commerciality.


Robert Carey, Barrister, 7 Wentworth Selborne
Robert came to the bar in 2011. Prior to that he practiced as a solicitor, both in Australia and in England. Robert has a broad commercial practice. 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, bankruptcy and insolvency, as well as general contractual disputes and building and construction matters. Robert’s clients have included Underwriters at Lloyd’s and various other London based insurers, QBE, XL Catlin, Allianz, Zurich, Chubb, Marsh, InterRisk Australia, Leighton Holdings and ALDI Foods. Robert also regularly appears before administrative tribunals including the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and the New South Wales Civil & Administrative Tribunal and has appeared in arbitrations conducted under the rules of various local and international arbitration organisations.


Mr. Steven Brown, Chairman, Etienne Lawyers
Steven Brown is highly experienced lawyer with an extensive knowledge in all aspects of commercial law, with an intimate knowledge of the Corporations Law and the Australian Securities Exchange business and listing rules, being involved in corporate structuring, compliance, corporate takeovers, company floats, the preparation of prospectuses, employee share schemes and advising on directors’ duties, and insolvency and securities law and practice. Steven currently lectures: in the Masters of Banking Law Course conducted by Macquarie University; in the Master of Finance for FINSIA in the areas of securities and insolvency and contract law and law, regulation and ethics; and for the Property Investors Association of Australia in security law and practice. Steven has published a number of articles on commercial subjects. He has lectured for the Australian Institute of Company Directors from 1989-2008, lectured in the Master and Doctorate courses at UTS in corporations, finance and securities law from 1989-1995, and is currently lecturing in the College of Law Masters course in commercial drafting and business structuring.


Wai Kaey Soon, Barrister, Frederick Jordan Chambers
Wai Kaey was admitted as a solicitor in 2010 and called to the Bar in 2014. His practice encompasses advising and appearing in contract and commercial disputes, insolvency and bankruptcy, complex corporations litigation and insurance law disputes. Wai Kaey has represented individuals, banks, insurance companies and multi-national corporations in a broad range of jurisdictions across Australia, including in New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria. Prior to being called to the Bar, Wai Kaey gained experience at several large law firms and governmental statutory bodies, including Clayton Utz, Baker & McKenzie and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). He holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Science (Information Technology) degree from the University of Technology, Sydney, and a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney.