David Rowe

David was admitted to practice in 2013 and called to the Bar in September 2024. He has a public and commercial law practice and is open to considering briefs in all areas of law.

Before coming to the Bar, David worked as a Senior Lawyer at the Australian Government Solicitor. At AGS, David acted for the Commonwealth in a number of constitutional matters before the High Court and other courts, and had a broad advice practise spanning a range of areas of public law. David also worked as Associate to the Hon Justice Alan Robertson at the Federal Court of Australia and as a Senior Adviser to the Commonwealth Attorney-General.

David holds a Bachelor of Civil Law (Distinction) from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor of Law (Hons I, University Medal) and Bachelor of Arts from the Australian National University.

Brendon Green

Prior to coming to the Bar, Brendon was a Senior Associate in the Commercial Litigation group of Norton Rose Fulbright Australia. He has experience acting in a broad range of complex commercial and public law (including regulatory) proceedings for both corporate and public sector clients.

Brendon was admitted as a solicitor in 2015 and called to the Bar in 2024. He has acted for clients in the High Court of Australia, Federal Court of Australia, NSW Supreme Court (including the Court of Appeal and Court of Criminal Appeal), NSW Land and Environment Court, NSW District Court, Administrative Appeals Tribunal and NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Brendon accepts briefs in all areas of law, including commercial and public law proceedings.  He is listed in Best Lawyers’ 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions of ‘Ones to Watch in Australia (Litigation)’.

John Birrell

John was admitted as a solicitor in 2013 and called to the bar in 2023. He has a diverse practice across commercial, public, and criminal law.

Before coming to the Bar, John was a Senior Associate in the litigation team at Arnold Bloch Leibler. He acted for companies and individuals on a wide range of commercial disputes, regulatory investigations and enforcement action, white collar criminal matters, and public inquiries.

Prior to joining ABL in 2020, John was a senior solicitor at the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency and in the Office of the Solicitor Assisting the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, and a solicitor in the litigation team at MinterEllison. 

John holds a Master of Laws from Columbia Law School, and a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and Bachelor of Economics from the Australian National University.

Meg O'Brien

Meg has a diverse practice in public, regulatory and commercial law. In 2022 and 2023 she was briefed as Counsel Assisting in the Special Commission of Inquiry into LGBTIQ hate crimes. Meg was admitted to practice in 2009 and called to the Bar in 2017.

Prior to being called to the Bar, Meg was a Supervising Associate in the litigation group at Simmons & Simmons LLP in London, a solicitor in the Dispute Resolution group at King & Wood Mallesons and a solicitor in the Litigation group at Arnold Bloch Leibler in Melbourne.  Meg has also served as an Associate in the Supreme Court of Victoria. As a solicitor, she was involved in a range of commercial, regulatory and public law matters.

Meg holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Arts from Monash University, and a Master of Laws from the University of Cambridge.

Stephen Lloyd

Stephen came to the Bar in 1998, taking silk ten years later.  His practice ranges across all areas of public law, with a particular emphasis on Constitutional Law, Judicial Review, International Law and Revenue Law.  He also practices extensively in Native Title (in which field he is a co-author of the leading textbook) and in regulatory pricing and economic matters.

Stephen has an extensive appellate practice, having appeared in the Full Court of the High Court in over 60 proceedings (not counting special leave applications).  He has appeared before the Federal Court in over 500 cases, as well as appearing in the Supreme Courts of several States, and other courts and tribunals.  He acts in proceedings in all Australian states and (internal) territories. Prior to coming to the Bar, Stephen held senior executive positions in the Commonwealth public service (including as a diplomat based in Washington DC, and as the Director of Research of the Administrative Review Council).  He was also the co-head of the Constitutional and Native Title Unit, in the Commonwealth’s Office of Litigation.

Celia Winnett

Celia practises primarily in commercial and public law. She appears in courts and tribunals at all levels, including the High Court, where she has been junior counsel in 13 final hearings and multiple special leave hearings. Her practice also involves advice work and appearances in compulsory examinations for and against regulators.

Celia joined the Bar in 2016. Prior to that, she served as Counsel Assisting the Commonwealth Solicitor-General, Justin Gleeson SC. In that role, she drafted legal opinions, assisted in preparing cases for hearing in domestic and international tribunals, and appeared as junior counsel for the Commonwealth. Celia previously worked as a lawyer within the Australian Government Solicitor, in the Banking & Finance and International Arbitration teams of Mallesons Stephen Jaques (Sydney), and as Associate to Justice Crennan of the High Court of Australia.

Celia has an LLM from Columbia Law School, which she attended on a Fulbright Scholarship. She also holds a BA/ LLB (First Class Honours, University Medal) from the Australian National University.

Celia is a Centre Fellow of the UNSW Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, a member of the NSW Bar Association’s Human Rights Committee, and NSW Co-Convenor for the Australian Association of Constitutional Law.

Neil Williams

Neil Williams came to the Bar in 1989 and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2001. He appeared in a wide range of major cases both at first instance and on appeal including, major environmental and planning issues, major tax matters, major constitutional issues, a wide range of general administrative law matters, competition and consumer law matters, broadcasting matters, and criminal appeals. He appeared in all Australian jurisdictions, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Nauru.

He now does advising work in those fields.

Daniel Ward

Daniel was called to the Bar in 2021.  He has a BCL (Distinction) from the University of Oxford, and University Medals in Law and Arts from the University of Sydney. 

He has represented corporate and individual clients, unled, in a range of civil and criminal matters in the High Court, Federal Court, and NSW Supreme, District and Local Courts, as well as the Fair Work Commission.  Led by Senior Counsel, he has also appeared for clients in civil and criminal appeals in the High Court, Federal Court, and NSW Courts of Appeal and Criminal Appeal.

Immediately prior to coming to the Bar, Daniel was a Special Counsel in the Sydney office of Norton Rose Fulbright.  Prior to that, he was General Counsel to the Prime Minister of Australia.  Earlier in his career, he worked in the office of the Commonwealth Attorney-General.  He was also an Associate to Chief Justice James Allsop AO, of the Federal Court of Australia.

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Jordan Smith

Jordan accepts briefs in all areas of law. He has particular interest in contract, corporations, equity, insolvency, and intellectual property.

Prior to being called to the Bar in 2022, Jordan was a lawyer at Arnold Bloch Leibler where he practised primarily in commercial litigation and white-collar crime. In 2018, Jordan was Associate to the Honourable Justice Robertson of the Federal Court of Australia.

Jordan holds a Master of Laws degree from the University of Chicago and combined Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Science (Advanced) degrees from the University of Sydney, with Honours in nuclear physics.

Matt Sherman

Matt was admitted to practice in 2011 and was called to the bar in 2017.  He accepts briefs in all areas of law but has a particular focus on commercial, regulatory and public law matters, including class actions, competition, corporations, consumer, equity, administrative law, civil penalty, revenue and judicial review proceedings.

Prior to joining the Bar, Matt worked as a solicitor in the dispute resolution and competition teams at King & Wood Mallesons and as an associate to Justice Robertson of the Federal Court. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Bachelor of Commerce from the Australian National University and a Bachelor of Civil Law (Distinction) from the University of Oxford.