Senior Counsel – Sixth Floor

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.

Houda Younan

Houda was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2006, and the New South Wales Bar in 2007. Houda was appointed Senior Counsel in 2020.

Prior to admission, Houda worked a senior legal officer in the Office of International law in the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department in Canberra, which included cases before the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization.

Houda was formerly an associate to Chief Justice Spigelman of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

Houda graduated with a BA/ LLB from the University of Sydney, both with first class honours, and a LLM from Cambridge University, under the tutelage of the late Judge James Crawford of the International Court of Justice, where she was awarded first class honours and the Clive Parry Prize for International Law.

Houda appears in the High Court and Federal Court of Australia, as well as State and Territory Supreme Courts, at both trial and appellate levels. She also appears in national tribunals, international courts of arbitration, and commissions of inquiry. Her clients include Commonwealth, State, Territory and foreign governments, as well as private entities.

David Thomas

David Thomas SC appears across Australia in a broad range of commercial and civil matters. He has a particular interest in class actions, regulatory, revenue and constitutional law. David appears at both trial and on appeal, including in the High Court.

Commercial and corporate law: Recent clients include HSBC on appeal in the Dick Smith litigation, IAL in the Greensill disputes, Channel Seven in claims against Cricket Australia, the Rinehart children in litigation against Gina Rinehart, NAB in proceedings concerning the Bank Bill Swap Rate and Brickworks in a landmark oppression action.

Class actions: Clients include National Australia Bank, Westpac, RBS, Suncorp, NULIS, Star Entertainment, Multiplex and subsidiaries of BHP. David has been appointed amicus by the Federal Court and NSW Supreme Court to provide submissions in novel matters.

Regulatory and civil penalty:David regularly acts for companies and individuals in proceedings brought by ASIC. Recent clients include Macquarie Bank, Westpac, Rio Tinto, MLC Nominees, NAB and MLC Insurance. David has also acted for ASIC and the ACCC respectively in High Court appeals concerning the operation of the MIS and cartel regimes. David represented NAB in the Banking Royal Commission.

Revenue law: David appears for both taxpayers and the Commissioner. Recent matters have involved Crown, Tabcorp, Tatts and Uber. David has also appeared for the Commissioner in High Court appeals concerning franking credits and charitable trusts, and for high net-worth individuals in income and tax residency matters.

Constitutional law: Notable matters include High Court challenges to the mining tax, carbon tax and the reform of parliamentary pension entitlements. He recently appeared in the first High Court challenge under s 90 of the Constitution since Ha.

David has been recognized in range of professional publications, including Best Lawyers in Australia, Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal.

David was awarded University Medals in both Law and History at the University of Sydney. David subsequently received a BCL (with Distinction) from the University of Oxford, while holding the Menzies Memorial Scholarship in Law. Prior to coming to the Bar, David was Associate to Justice Gummow at the High Court of Australia and a solicitor at Mallesons Stephen Jaques (now King & Wood Mallesons).

Naomi Sharp

A silk since 2017, Naomi is known for her ability to master the facts, her careful forensic analysis, excellent written skills, persuasive oral advocacy and experience as a cross-examiner.

Naomi’s broad practice spans public law (judicial and merits review and constitutional law), competition and trade practices and environment and planning law. Naomi also acts in environmental and other regulatory prosecutions. She regularly appears for and against State and Federal regulators and other agencies.

Naomi has extensive experience in Royal Commissions, inquiries, inquests, and disciplinary matters, acting variously as Counsel Assisting or for interested parties. She was Counsel Assisting in the 2022 Bell Review into The Star Casino and in the 2020 Bergin Inquiry into Crown Resorts, as well as in a number of hearings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Naomi has lengthy experience in running complex and factually intensive proceedings and has appeared in some of the leading statutory unconscionability cases in recent years, including ACCC v Quantum and ACCC v Phoenix.

Prior to coming to the Bar in 2002, Naomi was an Associate at the High Court. She has an MCL from McGill University, which she attended on a Lionel Murphy Postgraduate Scholarship and Max Stern Recruitment Fellowship.

Guy Reynolds

Guy Reynolds SC has appeared in many leading cases across a broad range of areas, including constitutional law, administrative law, commercial law, common law and media law. He commenced practice at the NSW Bar in 1987 (after working as an Associate to Sir William Deane of the High Court of Australia). He took silk in 1998 at the age of 38.

Michael O’Meara

Michael was called to the Bar in 2005 and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2019. He has a wide practice, specialising in the areas of revenue law, commercial law, Corporations law and public law.

Michael acts for a diverse range of corporate, private and government clients. He frequently appears both for and against the Commonwealth and its regulatory agencies, including the Commissioner of Taxation, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Australian Securities and Investment Commission.

Michael regularly appears in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, the Federal Court of Australia, the Supreme Court of New South Wales, the High Court of Australia, together with other State and Territory Supreme Courts. Michael has appeared in a large number of significant constitutional and revenue cases in the High Court of Australia and the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia.

Michael graduated from the Australian National University in 2000 with a University Medal in Law and the Supreme Court Judges’ Prize. He has a Masters in Law and a Masters in Taxation from Sydney University. Prior to coming to the Bar he was a Senior Associate at Minter Ellison.

Robert Hollo

Robert is an experienced commercial Silk. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2011. He regularly appears in the Federal Court, State Supreme Courts and tribunals around the country. He conducts both trials and appeals. Robert has had involvement in significant commercial litigation and class actions. He has appeared for and advised major retail and investment banks, multi-national corporations, insurers, corporate trustees, regulators, directors of public companies, and officers of government instrumentalities.

Robert practices in a wide range of commercial and civil law, including company law and insolvency, banking and finance, insurance and insurance schemes, equity, property disputes, professional negligence and disciplinary matters.

Timothy Hale

Tim was appointed Senior Counsel in New South Wales in 1999 and Queens Counsel for Western Australia in 2000. Prior to coming to the Bar, he had been a solicitor at Allen Allen & Hemsley. He has a broad practice in New South Wales and other States and Territories, with an emphasis on development and property related litigation and advice, administrative law and defamation.

Over the years, Tim has represented major participants in the property development and resources sector in general commercial matters. He has appeared in many of the leading cases in these areas. He is also very experienced in representing witnesses before ICAC, both in compulsory examinations and public inquiries, and he has appeared in many high profile inquires.

Elizabeth Collins

Elizabeth was called to the Bar in 1996 and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2010. She regularly appears in the Federal Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of New South Wales, predominantly in the Equity Division.

Elizabeth practices in the areas of commercial law and taxation, with a particular emphasis on class actions (especially shareholder class actions), corporations law and insolvency. She regularly acts for liquidators, administrators, banks and major corporations, and has extensive experience in complex, multi-party litigation.

Michael Christie

Michael Christie is an experienced silk who practises primarily in commercial law. He has acted for major multinational corporations and has an extensive practice in complex contractual disputes, including those involving large infrastructure projects and the energy and resources sector. His areas of expertise include restitution, equity and misleading and deceptive conduct.

He has appeared in numerous appeals, including in commercial law, public law, industrial law and taxation law. These include landmark cases.

Michael is a graduate of the University of Sydney and Oxford University where he obtained the post-graduate degree of Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) with First Class Honours (ranking first in his year amongst overseas graduates).

He has appeared in the High Court of Australia, the Federal Court, the Supreme Courts of New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory and in commercial arbitrations. He has appeared in Singapore-seated international commercial arbitrations, and in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands (Financial Services Division).

Michael has been a Part-time Lecturer at the University of Sydney Law School and has published widely, including in eminent English and Australian law journals.

He is a member of the New South Wales Legal Profession Admission Board’s Examinations Committee.