Barristers – Personal Injuries and Health Law

Ray has been practicing since 2005 and was called to the Bar in 2020.

Previously, Ray had an extensive career as a solicitor specialising in Personal Injuries.  Ray has particular interests in Workers Compensation, CTP Claims and Abuse Law.

Ray is also a qualified and experienced Court Appointed Costs Assessor, having been registered with the Supreme Court of Queensland since December 2012.

Ray holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Commerce – Accounting and Finance (Honours) from Griffith University.

Ray’s experience includes:

Acting for plaintiffs in personal injury litigation, including motor vehicle accidents/CTP, public liability, workers’ compensation claims and institutional abuse;

Providing legal and forensic costing expertise and services to the legal, accounting, and insolvency industries;

Acting for applicants in the field of representative proceedings (class actions) and product liability litigation including in relation to transvaginal mesh representative proceedings litigated in the Federal Court of Australia.

Mr Douglas Campbell KC was called to the Queensland Bar in 1982 and appointed Silk in November 2004.

Douglas has broad practice encompassing:

• Appellate
• Commercial Law
• Common law/Personal Injuries
• Equity
• Inquests and Inquiries
• Public Administration

Douglas has a particular interest and substantial experience in Class Actions and was recognised as a leading class action barrister – Australia in 2023.

Brett Charrington KC has been in private practice at the Queensland Bar since April 1996. After initially conducting a diverse practice that included commercial, family, tort and criminal law, he has specialized in common law/personal injury litigation since 2000.  His particular areas of specialty include dust disease litigation, institutional child abuse litigation and assault cases involving state employees such as prison officers, hospital workers and police officers.

Brett regularly conducts trials and contested applications in the Supreme and District Courts and appeals in the Court of Appeal. He has appeared in the High Court of Australia, the Supreme Court of Victoria and in two Commissions of Inquiry/Royal Commissions (Equine Influenza 2007/2008 and Aged Care 2019).

Stephen is a specialist advocate in the areas of insolvency law, commercial litigation and arbitrations, and administrative law.

He is a trusted advisor to small and medium enterprises and their solicitors.

In insolvency law, his experience covers:

• statutory demand and winding up applications (notably SGR Pastoral Ltd v Christensen [2019] 2 QR 334);
• public examinations, recovery proceedings, and applications for directions under the Insolvency Practice Schedule (Corporations); and
• disputes concerning different entities to which insolvency practitioners are appointed within trust, partnership, and corporate group structures (notably Eltanba Pty Ltd & Anor v Flexitel Pty Ltd & Ors and its related proceedings, including Supreme Court of Queensland proceedings 2267/2011 and 12931/17).

In commercial litigation and arbitrations, his experience features:

• proceedings to set aside arbitral awards concerning the construction of a CSG pipeline system (Mitchel Water Australia Pty Ltd v McConnell Dowell Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd, Supreme Court of Queensland proceedings 7092/2018 and 6270/2018);
• expert determinations and their contractual validity (Bagata Pty Ltd & Anor v Sunstorm Pty Ltd [2023] QSC 104); [2024] QCA 17);
• appearing for Woolworths Ltd and a subsidiary in a construction contract dispute concerning Woolworth’s distribution centre at Larapinta, one of the largest industrial facilities in Queensland (Nalos Pty Ltd & Anor v Robert Bird Group Pty Ltd & Ors, Supreme Court of Queensland proceeding 11451/12;
• the suite of contract and arbitration-related proceedings between BMD Holdings Pty Ltd and Mio Art Pty Ltd and their related parties concerning the development of a master planned community at Mango Hill (see [2018] 1 Qd R 245; [2018] QCA 39; [2018] QSC 31; [2018] FCA 399; and [2019] FCA 490); and
• resisting the referral of a construction dispute to arbitration (One Sector Pty Ltd v Panel Concepts Pty Ltd [2021] QDC 54).

In administrative law, his experience features:

• urgent applications to stay the operation of government decisions (notably TRAC Construction (Qld) Pty Ltd v Queensland Building and Construction Commission, Supreme Court of Queensland proceeding 1670/16), a topic on which he presented a paper at the Australian Institute of Administrative Law’s 2016 national conference;
• successful appeals (Acuna Plaza v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs (No 2) [2019] FCA 424);
• ongoing retainers to provide regulatory compliance opinions to well-known companies in the healthcare sector; and
• inquests involving the responsibilities of Queensland Health and Queensland Police Service.

Stephen is an accredited mediator and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Geoffrey Diehm KC commenced practice as a barrister at the Brisbane bar in 1991. He took silk in 2008.

He holds an LLB and an LLM from the Queensland University of Technology.

He practices in health law, insurance and personal injuries law, public and administrative law, commercial law and succession law. He has regularly appeared in Federal and State superior courts as well as the Land Court, the Coroners Court and various tribunals.

He has extensive experience representing hospitals, medical practitioners and other health care providers in civil proceedings, administrative proceedings including disciplinary proceedings, and in inquests. He has appeared for a variety of clients in a number of Commissions of Inquiry. He regularly acts for and advises governments and agencies of government, corporations, insurers and individuals in a wide range of matters.

He is an experienced trial and appellate counsel and has been involved in very many mediations, as well as having acted as a mediator and an arbitrator.

Richard was called to the Bar in 1980, commenced practice in 1982 and awarded silk in 1998. His specialties are common law, insurance law, public law, commercial law, land law and confiscation of criminal profits. He has particular expertise in statutory proportionate liability.

He was president of the Bar Association of Queensland (BAQ) from 2009 to 2011 and Medico-Legal Society of Queensland (MLSQ) from 2016 to 2018. He was awarded life membership of BAQ in 2019. He chaired BAQ’s Civil Litigation Committee from 2012 to 2022 and the  Ethics Counsellors’ Panel from 2023. He is the editor (from 2022) of the BAQ’s Hearsay electronic magazine.

He is the lead author of two publications on the Ipp legislation, namely the online Civil Liability Australia – covering the Ipp legislation of the Commonwealth, states and territories –  and the text Annotated Civil Liability Legislation Queensland – now in its 2021 fifth edition, with a sixth edition due to be published in the second quarter of 2025 – each published by LexisNexis.

In 2014 he was awarded the National Insurance Law prize by the Australian Insurance Law Association  (AILA). In 2018 he was the ALIA’s annual Geoff Masel lecturer. He is an active member of BAQ, AILA, MLSQ and the Australian Lawyers’ Alliance.

He is a member – and head of chambers – of Callinan Chambers, located in Santos Place, Brisbane. He is also a member and director of Hemmant’s List, also located in Santos Place. He conducts an extensive trial court, appellate and advisory practice.

He is a nationally accredited mediator. He has mediated many disputes and appeared as counsel in many more.

Clare was called to the bar in 2024.

Prior to transitioning to the private Bar, Clare practiced in both Australia and the UK, having commenced her legal career in personal injury litigation in 2002 and going on to become admitted as a Solicitor in Queensland in 2010.

Clare has practiced almost exclusively in injury litigation for the duration of her career, specialising in catastrophic injury claims and medical law claims (including claims involving: delay in diagnosis, misdiagnosis, failure to treat, lack of informed consent and failure to warn of treatment risks).

Clare also became a nationally accredited mediator in 2021.

Clare’s practice at the Bar involves all areas of personal injury litigation, medical negligence litigation, coronial inquests and mediation.

Paula was called to the Bar in Queensland in 2022.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Paula:

• graduated with a Juris Doctor of Laws from Bond University in 2014;
• was admitted in 2015 to the Supreme Court of Queensland and the High Court of Australia; and
• Following her admission, Paula worked predominately in Family and Criminal law in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast.

Paula’s primary areas of interest are:

• Bankruptcy and Insolvency Law
• Commercial Law
• Common Law/Personal Injuries
• Criminal Law
• Equity
• Family Law and Guardianship and
• Regulatory Law (all types)

Paula is a dedicated and compassionate Barrister, providing detailed advice and advocating strongly on her client’s behalf.

Paula was called to the Bar in Queensland in 2022.

After more than 10 years as a solicitor with large national and international firms, Jane commenced practice as a barrister in 2009.  As an advocate she has a broad practice including commercial, insurance, personal injury, professional negligence, medical negligence, building and construction, administrative, estate and family disputes. As a mediator she has worked with public, corporate and private clients involved in a range of family, commercial, personal and interpersonal disputes.

Jane appears alone and as junior counsel in applications, trials, appeals and other hearings in both State and Federal jurisdictions.  She holds degrees in Law and Business (Accounting) from QUT, as well as a Master Advocate Designation from the National Institute of Trial Advocacy in the US.  She is nationally accredited mediator, an accredited farm debt mediator and an FRDP. She has chambers in Brisbane and also on the Gold Coast.

In addition to her practice at the Bar, she has taught advocacy and trial skills to trial lawyers and barristers in Australia, Bhutan and the US since 2010.

As a solicitor, Emma spending 8 years working in Government and Private Practice in defendant insurance litigation representing insurers in both personal injuries and property damage litigation.  She then went on to establish the Financial Abuse Prevention team at a Queensland community legal service.

Emma has been at the bar since April 2021.  She has a broad practice in what she calls ‘human’ law – including personal injuries, insurance, consumer law, abuse law, guardianship, wills & probate, family law and domestic violence.

Emma is regularly briefed to appear both led and unled in State and Federal Courts.

Emma is a proud single mum and mental health advocate and regularly speaks about her experience.

If you believe Emma can assist you or your clients, are interested in coming to the bar, or ever feel the need to phone a friend – Emma warmly welcomes a phone call or a visit to the Hemmant’s List Centre for a cup of tea.

Stephen has been practicing since 1990 and was called to the Bar in 2016.

Over more than three decades Stephen has practiced broadly, but his particular areas of interest are:

• Family Law (including Domestic Violence)
• Criminal Law & Professional Discipline
• Administrative & Public Law

Stephen holds a Bachelor of Laws and is also a qualified and experienced costs assessor having been appointed to the Supreme Courts panel in December 2008.

Other relevant affiliations and positions held by Stephen are:

• Member Bar Association of Queensland
• Member of LawRight

His present practice calls for him to appear regularly in the courts of Queensland, N.S.W. and Victoria in matters including:

• The conduct of appeals as sole Counsel (unled) before the Court of Appeal and the Full Court of the Family Court. These appearances include the following reported cases: Yein & Zihao (2019) FLC 93-889;
  Allen v Ruddy Tomlins & Baxter(2019) 1 QR 225;
  Beckham & Quarrington (2019) FLC 93-913;
  Weng & Wah and Ors (2019) FLC 93-933; and
  McLaren v Wiltshire Lawyers Pty Ltd [2019] 3 QR 158.)
• Complex property and parenting trials in the Family Court and Federal Circuit Courts of Australia.
• Criminal trials (including matters involving allegations of historical sexual abuse and serious assault) in the District Court of Queensland.
• Investigations and reports (briefed by Church body) of allegations of physical and sexual abuse.
• Civil penalty hearings in the Federal Court of Australia.
• Civil trials in the District and Supreme Courts of Queensland.
• Applications for review under the Migration Act 1958(Cth) in the Federal Circuit Court of Australia.

Peter Hastie specialises in litigation, alternative dispute resolution (arbitration, mediation and expert determination) and advice work which has a commercial flavour  particularly in the areas of  administrative law, building and construction, competition and consumer law, constitutional law, contract, corporations law,  insolvency,  intellectual property law, mining law,  partnership, professional liability, insolvency, real property , restraints of trade, securities and torts.

Peter commenced practice as a barrister based in Brisbane in 1986 and took silk in 2013. Peter mainly practices in the Supreme Court of Queensland and the Federal Court of Australia  and is admitted and has practiced in the Supreme Courts of New South Wales and South Australia.

Peter has a Bachelor of Arts (political science), Bachelor of Laws, and Master of Laws from the University of Queensland. He also has a Dispute Resolution Certificate from Bond University.

Rachel was called to the Private Bar in October 2023.

Prior to being called to the bar, Rachel:

• was employed as a solicitor at Legal Aid Queensland for some 7 years (criminal law and child protection);
• was an Associate to His Honour Judge Brendan Butler AM SC in the District Court in 2016; and
• lived in the Hague as part of the prosecution team for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

She holds a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours and a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and Criminology) from the University of Queensland. She was the winner of the University of Queensland Law Society Medal for Outstanding Achievement for her graduating class.

Rachel was also a finalist in the Women Lawyers Association of Queensland (WLAQ) Emergent Woman Lawyer of the Year Award in 2017.

Rachel accepts briefs in all areas of criminal law, domestic violence, family law and child protection as well as personal injuries and coronial inquests.  She also accepts briefs for applications in the Supreme Court pursuant to the Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act (2003).

Rachel is experienced in representing some of the most vulnerable people in the State. In addition to her courtroom advocacy experience, Rachel has a particular interest in mental health law, having appeared in over one hundred Mental Health Review Tribunal hearings for Forensic Order reviews, treatment authority reviews, fitness for trial applications and electro-convulsive therapy applications, routinely involving the cross-examination of medical experts.

Rachel has also previously worked as a research assistant for the University of Queensland TC Beirne School of Law in the area of immigration and refugee law. Rachel has extensive advocacy experience. As counsel, she regularly runs criminal law jury trials and summary trials (unled) as well as family law trials and defended interim hearings, child protection trials and domestic violence hearings (all unled).

Jennifer was called to the Bar in 2016.

Jennifer has a broad civil practice with an emphasis on insurance and personal injuries law, including claims involving health law and medical negligence, workers’ compensation, historical abuse and dust diseases. She also practises in administrative, public and general commercial law.

Jennifer has appeared, both led and unled, in Federal and State courts (including appellate courts), as well as the Coroner’s Court, the Land Court and a range of tribunals. She has appeared in the High Court on applications for special leave and appeals.

She regularly represents insurers, government and statutory authorities, medical practitioners, allied health practitioners and other professionals in common law claims, as well as investigations and disciplinary proceedings.

Prior to commencing at the Bar, Jennifer was a solicitor at Minter Ellison and was Associate to His Honour Judge Rackemann.

Reimen is a barrister and nationally accredited mediator. He has a broad commercial litigation practice, with particular experience in disputes involving:

• Business Structures (including shareholder disputes),
• Bankruptcy and Insolvency, and
• Property

Reimen also practices in:

• Administrative Law,
• Estate Law (particularly Family Provision Applications),
• Family Law, and
• Human Rights (which extends to Employment Law and Discrimination matters).

Reimen’s practice includes international matters, especially in the South Pacific, and includes experience in international arbitrations.

Before being called to the Bar, Reimen worked as an associate at a leading international insurance law firm. He has also worked as a lawyer at a boutique Brisbane commercial litigation firm, as a registrar of the Supreme Court of Tonga, at a top-tier national firm, as a judge’s associate, and as a legal officer at a UN-backed war crimes tribunal in Cambodia.

Reimen is a member of the Bar Association of Queensland’s human rights committee; he also a member of the Australian Lawyers for Human Right’s Queensland committee and Business & Human Rights subcommittee. He was awarded the Australian Young Lawyer of the Year in 2019 by the Law Council of Australia.

Reimen is also a member of the Asian Australian Lawyers Association.

Kevin has a practice which has a strong focus on insurance work and all allied areas including statutory and equitable issues. He has been in private practice as a barrister in Brisbane since 1991.

Areas of practice in which Kevin is briefed also include:

• APPELLATE
• AGRIBUSINESS
• MEDIATORS
• COMMERCIAL
• CORONIAL INQUESTS & COMMISSIONS OF INQUIRY
• PERSONAL INJURIES
• PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE
• REGULATORY TRIBUNALS
• INSURANCE
• WORKCOVER
• EMPLOYMENT & INDUSTRIAL
• SUPERANNUATION
• TOTAL PERMANENT DISABILITY CLAIMS
• CONTRACT
• MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE
• SPORTS LAW
• OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY
• PRODUCT LIABILITY
• TORTS (OTHER THAN PERSONAL INJURIES)
• VETERANS’ ENTITLEMENTS
• EQUAL OPPORTUNITY & DISCRIMINATION

Kevin is briefed by a number of law firms that act for commercial insurers and also is briefed by Crown Law.

Kevin’s practice also includes advising local government bodies (LGM Queensland).

Kevin has acted as a mediator in a wide range of matters.

He also regularly appears in all Queensland Courts.

Kevin has an interest in veterans entitlements and is interested in developing his practice in that respect also.

Llewellyn is a barrister at 8 Wentworth Chambers and Hemmant’s List specialising in disputes involving class actions, contract law, competition and consumer law, personal and corporate insolvency law, corporations law, succession law, land law, professional negligence law, employment law, taxation debt recovery and personal injury.

Llewellyn holds a Master of Banking and Finance Law from the University of Melbourne, a Master of Laws from the University of Queensland, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney, a Graduate Diploma of Applied Law (Wills and Estates) from the College of Law and a Diploma in Law from the Legal Practitioners Admission Board.

With over ten years of experience at the Bar, Llewellyn has a busy civil practice that spans across New South Wales and Queensland. He has appeared on trials and applications in the Federal Court of Australia, the Supreme Courts of New South Wales and Queensland, and other state courts and tribunals. He has also appeared as junior counsel on appeals to the intermediate appellate courts of New South Wales and Queensland.

Llewellyn has successfully represented parties at mediation and in other forms of dispute resolution. He is admitted to the High Court of Australia and is committed to providing high-quality legal services to his clients.

Llewellyn is admitted to the High Court of Australia.

OVERVIEW

Recognised as a skillful advocate and astute negotiator, Alex has developed a practice with a focus on complex matters which have established him as one of the leading Counsel in the fields of insurance and medical negligence. Alex has practised at the bar in Brisbane since 2011, and his practice has since expanded outside of Queensland to New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

Further to his prominence in the medical negligence and insurance spheres, Alex is also widely experienced in other areas including banking, finance, trusts and superannuation. He has been briefed in several appellate matters before the Court of Appeal of Queensland and High Court of Australia.

Alex is relied upon by his clients for his ability to cut through the complexities of a matter and to identify the issues that are truly at its heart, and is known for his meticulous preparation of advices and his level-headed and innovative responses to practical issues that arise in litigation and alternative dispute resolution.

EXPERIENCE

Medical Negligence

Alex has gained a profound knowledge of medical practice over the years, and he has applied this nuanced skill set in hundreds of matters involving many types of medical negligence cases. Some examples of his experience in this area include the following:

• Representing plaintiffs in various matters involving misdiagnosis or mistreatment of spinal cord abscesses, vascular injuries, liver poisoning, fractures, pulmonary embolism, meningitis, many different types of cancer, acute bacterial endocarditis, sepsis, kidney disease and colon perforation, many of which resulted in multimillion-dollar settlements;
• A high-profile case determined by the Court of Appeal, involving a general practitioner’s failure to detect and diagnose the presence of cryptococcal meningitis, which resulted in one of the largest awards of damages in Queensland;
• Complex matters involving perioperative care and surgical errors, including anaesthetic mismanagement of patients and errors made during plastic and reconstructive surgery;
• Appearing in a High Court matter involving the duty of care of paramedics, which considered the reasonableness of medical care performed in exigent circumstances, and the importance of manuals in determining breach at common law;
• Acting and securing large settlements for child plaintiffs in complex birth injury claims. One example includes a child who unfortunately developed cerebral palsy requiring substantial future care and assistance, which resulted in a settlement for more than $12,000,000.00;
• Acting for mothers who have sustained trauma during childbirth (such as prolapse, levator avulsion, 3^rd or 4^th degree tears, or pudendal nerve injuries); and
• A significant claim involving failures by a hospital, general practitioner and radiologist to adequately treat a nerve sheath tumour resulting in spinal cord injuries. Interlocutory applications in that matter led to seminal jurisprudence on the statutory limitation of actions, and what constitutes a plaintiff becoming aware of a material fact of a decisive character.

Insurance

Instructed by both plaintiffs and defendants, Alex has appeared in hundreds of insurance cases relating to personal injuries and other liability claims, covering many different case types from motor vehicle accidents to product liability. The following are some examples of interest:

• Acting for the plaintiff in a major personal injury matter that led to a seminal Supreme Court decision about obviousness of risks and dangerous recreational activities – elements of Queensland’s Civil Liability Act which had previously lacked useful jurisprudence;
• A significant workers’ compensation claim determined by the Court of Appeal, testing the principles of the tort of negligence in the context of manual musculoskeletal injuries sustained over a prolonged period in the workplace;
• Acting for insurers in a multitude of cases, both in Queensland and interstate, applying his expertise in negotiations to deliver favourable outcomes for his clients; and
• Representing the plaintiff in a motor vehicle accident claim involving catastrophic injuries, which resulted in one of the largest settlements in the State’s history, exceeding $20,000,000.00.

Commercial Law

Alex has advised on and appeared in various matters relating to banking and finance, and owing to his international experience working in the financial sector and his degree in Commerce, he is astute at dealing with very complex financial arrangements. Some prominent examples include:

• An important banking matter in which the Court of Appeal recognised that the Code of Banking Practice binds banks and forms part of bank guarantees. This case raised the topics of agency, estoppel and the general functions of appellate courts, including the Anshun estoppel and the principles from Fox v Percy; and
• A complex contractual matter determined by the Court of Appeal involving 23 parties about a proposal to form and run a real estate company, requiring scrutiny of parties’ intentions to create legal relations, and more generally, dealing with a tension between the principles of contract law and commercial realities.

Other areas of practice

Over the years, Alex’s practice has also expanded into other areas of the law, including property law, trusts, superannuation and criminal law. The various matters he has worked on include:

• Representing the plaintiff in an intricate matter relating to trusts and superannuation which over the course of more than a decade traversed each level of the Queensland court system and was heard by several boards, the Federal Court, the Court of Appeal and ultimately by the High Court in a special leave application. Alex became involved towards the end of the protracted dispute, and was required to exercise his knowledge of trustee-beneficiary relationships and their co-existence with contractual relationships. The matter also concerned elements of administrative law and questions of natural justice;
• Appearing in the Land Court of Queensland in a matter about whether compensation was payable for the compulsory acquisition of land, requiring analysis of planning approvals, the nature of interests in resumed land, and elements of evidence law; and
• Acting for the defendant in a hearing before the Court of Appeal, which ultimately overturned a criminal conviction of unlawful killing, relying on medical evidence to show the prosecution had not sufficiently proven causation.

Katrina practices predominantly in the areas of:

• estate and trust litigation (including contested probate, family provision, construction and rectification, statutory wills, informal wills, and breaches of trust);
• professional and medical negligence;
• public and product liability (including related insurance law matters of policy and contract interpretation, indemnity and contribution).

Katrina has been recognised in Doyle’s Guide as a Recommended Wills and Estates Litigation Junior Counsel Queensland in 2019 and 2020, and a Leading Wills and Estates Litigation Junior Counsel in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

She regularly appears in contested applications, trials, mediations and conferences. She is a member of Society for Trust and Estate Practitioners, the Australian Insurance Lawyers Association, and the Australian Society of Legal Philosophy.

Katrina holds undergraduate degrees in Law (Hons) and Psychological Science, an LLM (Applied Law), and a PhD in Law.

Andrew commenced practice as a barrister in Brisbane in 2004, after a period working as a Solicitor. His work as a Solicitor focused largely upon the medical negligence area.

Andrew has continued to focus on this area since being called to the Queensland Bar. His work in this area includes appearances at Coronial Inquiries and civil claims involving medical practitioners and hospitals.

His Coronial Inquest experience also extends to aviation matters.

Andrew has appeared in all Queensland courts. He also regularly appears in QCAT on behalf of medical practitioners and other allied health professionals who have disciplinary proceedings commenced against them.

Andrew’s personal injury practice includes being briefed to appear on behalf of both defendants (through insurers) and plaintiffs in motor vehicle accident claims, workers’ compensation claims and public liability claims.

Andrew has been consistently recognised in Doyle’s Guide as:

Preeminent Professional Indemnity Junior Counsel – Queensland: 2023, 2022

Leading Insurance and Personal Injuries Junior Counsel – Queensland: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019

Prior to commencing practice as a barrister, Jessica practised as a solicitor and was a Queensland Law Society Accredited Specialist in personal injuries law.

She has practised almost exclusively in that area, over the course of her legal career spanning more than 20 years.

Jessica’s practice is spread across all aspects of personal injuries law.

She is a panel member of most major insurers within the Queensland jurisdiction, including WorkCover Queensland, Suncorp CTP and General Insurance and Q-Comp.

She accepts instructions on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants.

Kelly is a Barrister and Nationally Accredited Mediator (NMAS) with broad public law and commercial law experience.

Kelly also has attained Member status with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

She practices primarily in the areas of energy, resources and environmental law; administrative law; and personal injuries.  Kelly has a particular interest in Arbitration (both International and Domestic).

Prior to her commencing practice as a barrister in Brisbane, Kelly worked in the building and construction team at a well-respected Queensland firm before moving to the energy and resource sections of two national firms.  She has also held a role as in-house legal counsel for a major railway turnkey provider.

Her experience covers both front-end and back-end work, having been involved in every aspect of resource and infrastructure project development from the proposal stage through to funding, development, production, completion and rehabilitation. She has had involvement with contentious and non-contentious carriage matters and advising on continental sea bed issues relating to pipeline construction and off-shore sustainable energy projects. Kelly has also been involved in a number of product liability class actions.

Kelly has a developing insurance and personal injury practice.

She holds undergraduate degrees in Law and Commerce; and a Masters of International Trade Law (Maritime).

She is on the editorial panel of the LexisNexis Australian Alternative Dispute Resolution Law Bulletin and holds a statutory appointment as a General Referee on the Building and Development Dispute Resolution Committee, hearing appeals in respect of the Building Act and the Sustainable Planning Act.

Kelly regularly speaks at conferences and events across Queensland on topics relating to her areas of practice.

Ms Deanna Musumeci was called to the Queensland Bar in October 2021.

Previously, Deanna practiced as a solicitor for 8 years in Townsville with a particular practice interest in Family Law and Commercial Litigation.

Deanna has acted in complex Family Law and Commercial Litigation matters involving:

• The interpretation and enforcement of a Deed of Family Arrangement;
• Acting for third party intervenors in a family law property dispute involving issue of trust, debts and gifts;
• Acting for a legally aid funded respondent mother in relation to parenting and access issues involving complicated social issues such as drugs, alcohol, neglect and abuse.

Deanna, in addition to a busy private practice, is passionate about social justice and volunteers her time to various social justice institutions such as:

• Townsville Community Law; and
• North Queensland Women’s Legal Service.

Other relevant affiliations and positions held by Deanna are:

• Townsville Hospital Ethic Committee;
• Townsville District Law Association Committee Member; and
• North Queensland District Law Association Committee member.

Mr Ryan Nattrass is a barrister first called to the Queensland Bar in May 2022.

Ryan predominantly practises in civil litigation, insurance, and administrative and public law. Ryan maintains a broad practice but has particular experience in matters relating to judicial and merits review, professional liability (including civil claims, regulatory proceedings, and insurance coverage), and health (including inquests and inquiries, and matters involving the parens patriae jurisdiction).

Prior to coming to the Bar, Ryan practised as a solicitor in national firms in Australia and the United Kingdom, and also as a financial lines claims manager for one of the world’s largest insurance intermediaries. Ryan has a collaborative and pragmatic approach to litigation.

In addition to private work, Ryan is a member of LawRight and the Caxton Legal Centre. Ryan is also a sessional academic at the QUT Law School.

Trudy was called to the Bar in 2017 after practising as a solicitor for over 19 years, 10 years of which she was a Partner at McCullough Robertson.  As a barrister, she continues to focus on her previous practice areas of insurance advisory and litigation, and wills and estate litigation.

Trudy was a WorkCover Queensland panel lawyer for over 8 years and has also acted for a range of Australian and international insurers, insurance brokers, banks, financial planners and private clients.

Trudy advises on a broad range of insurance matters including directors’ and officers’ liability, professional indemnity, workers’ compensation, public and products liability, medical indemnity and indemnity disputes.

Trudy also has a particular interest in will, estate and trust litigation, including family provision applications and solemn form probate proceedings.  She advises and appears for individuals, charities, trustee companies, lawyers, accountants and financial advisers in this area.

Trudy has been recognised as Leading Wills and Estates Litigation Junior Counsel – Queensland (Recommended) every year since 2019.  Trudy was again recently recognised in Doyle’s Guide as a recommended Estate Litigation Junior Counsel in August 2023.

Shane was called to the Bar in May 2023.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Shane practiced as a Commerical Law solicitor in top tier firms in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Shane has a broad commercial practice and accepts briefs in number of sectors including:

• Mining
• Gas
• Defence
• Government
• Banking
• Energy
• Telecommunications
• Manufacturing and
• Professional Services

He also has Class Action, International Arbitration, Expert Determination, and Royal Commission experience.

Shane also has experience in professional negligence, historical sexual abuse claims, and succession.

More details are available on Shane’s own website.

Caitlin was called to the bar in 2023.

Prior to coming to the bar, Caitlin worked as a solicitor in private practice and held various government positions including:

• General Counsel, Queensland Ombudsman
• Senior Lawyer, Crime and Corruption Commission
• Legal Officer/Solicitor, Tenants’ Union of Queensland

Caitlin also has an interest in Sports Law and holds the following external positions:

• Member of the Selection Committee for Athletics Australia – National Teams
• Panel Member for the AFL Queensland Tribunal
• Listed on the National Sports Tribunal Legal Assistance Panel

She has a unique perspective as a sports lawyer having previously pursued a career in athletics.

David Schneidewin commenced private practice as a barrister in Brisbane in 2003.

Prior to that he was a solicitor for 8 years and a partner of a leading boutique insurance practice in Brisbane.

He holds an LLB from the University of Queensland.

He practices predominately in health law (litigation, regulatory and advisory), general insurance (including other professional indemnity matters) and has a comprehensive background in all personal injuries litigation. He also practices in administrative law.

He regularly and usually appears without leaders in the State District and Supreme Courts as well as the Coroners Court and other tribunals (QCAT).

In the health law area he has comprehensive experience in representing hospitals (including public and private hospitals throughout the State , as well as an international hospital), medical practitioners (general and specialists) on instructions through most medical defence organisations (MDOs), nursing homes and community nursing organisations, as well as other health care providers (for example radiologists) and allied health care providers (including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, chiropractors, podiatrists, pharmacists and paramedics) in a variety of civil proceedings, administrative proceedings including disciplinary proceedings (QCAT), as well as at coronial inquests.

David has significant experience in cases investigating the causes of and contributing factors to incidents of Stroke.

In the general insurance area, he has consistently maintained a solid practice acting for a variety of private insurers in public liability and professional indemnity matters. His general insurance practice also has a particular focus on matters involving local government and public authorities.

He is experienced in trial advocacy and appellate advocacy and regularly appears at mediations.

He has also acted as mediator in health law and general insurance matters.

David regularly acts for clients in the Northern Territory and he is Visiting Counsel at William Forster Chambers, NT.

Bianca Stringer is a barrister was called to the Bar in Queensland in October 2022, advancing a career focused in the areas of Health Law, Regulatory Proceedings, and Public and Administration Law.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Bianca:

• Was an Associate in a large National Law Firm (Health Law and Policy and Commercial Litigation divisions);
• Was an Associate (to the Tribunal Deputy Presidents and Senior Members of the General Division) in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal;
• Held senior leadership positions in the Australia Health Practitioner Regulation Agency including in the registration and compliance divisions;
• Was a Senior Registration Officer of the Office of the Medical Board of Queensland; and
• Was a Senior Trust Officer with the Public Trustee of Queensland.

Bianca’s primary areas of interest are:

• Health Law including disciplinary proceedings/regulatory tribunals;
• Inquests & Inquiries;
• Medical Negligence as well as general Personal Injuries;
• Public and Administrative Law;
• Institutional Abuse Claims; and
• Statutory Investigations.

Bianca is also building a practice in Employment and Industrial Law.

Bianca holds a Statutory Board appointment; and undertakes pro bono work, including acting for families in Coronial Inquests through Caxton Legal Centre.

After more than 11 years in practice as a solicitor, Grant was called to the bar in May 2023.

He has a broad civil practice with a focus on insurance litigation and personal injuries law, including matters involving medical negligence, workers’ compensation, public liability and motor vehicle claims.

Grant regularly appears in all Queensland Courts, acting on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants.

Prior to being called to the bar, Grant worked for the largest medical indemnity insurer in Australia managing complex medical negligence litigation and medical professional disciplinary matters.

Grant undertakes regular pro-bono work through the Caxton Legal Centre and Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion.

Kara is an experienced personal injury practitioner, having earned specialist accreditation in personal injury law before being called to the Bar in 2024. She has represented both plaintiffs and defendants across Queensland, including in North Queensland.

Before transitioning to the Bar, Kara built a diverse career, dedicating significant time to giving back to the profession. She served as a Councillor of the Queensland Law Society for eight years, including terms as Vice President and President. Kara also served as a non-executive director of the Law Council of Australia in 2022–2023 and was the Legal Member of the former Prostitution Licensing Authority.

In 2023, Kara received the prestigious Leneen Forde AC Woman Lawyer of the Year Award. She was also a finalist for Mentor of the Year in 2019 (Lawyers Weekly).

Kara accepts briefs across a wide range of matters, with particular expertise in insurance advocacy, personal injury work (including catastrophic claims, historical abuse, and medical negligence), regulatory issues, inquests, and civil litigation.

Rachel was called to the bar in 2020.

Rachel’s practice is broadly commercial, with experience in building and construction, property, personal injury, discrimination and workplace matters.

Rachel has also undertaken additional study in Mediation at the QUT Faculty of Law and the Resolution Institute.

Immediately prior to coming to the bar, Rachel practised as a generalist solicitor, with a focus on commercial law, with additional practice areas in family law, personal injury and workplace law.

Her background representing clients in a wide range of legal interactions allows her to apply a broader insight in advising clients in a broad range of legal areas.

Rachel also has an academic background in linguistics, having lived and studied in France for a number of years.  Rachel is fluent in spoken and written French, having completed her PhD in cotutelle between the University of Queensland and Paris III (Sorbonne Nouvelle), achieving a “mention tres honorable avec felicitations” (the highest academic distinction in France) for her defence in front of a jury of 5 academic leaders in the field.

Lisa Willson started at the private Bar in February 2008. Lisa is formally qualified in the area of health and safety having completed a Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Health and Safety). Prior to going to the Bar, Lisa was employed as a Senior Consultant with Aussafe Consulting Pty Ltd.

Since joining the private Bar, her interests have included the areas of industrial and personal injury law. She has been an author of the LexisNexis: “National Work Health and Safety Law” publication for many years.

Lisa is a current Counsel Panel member for the Workers’ Compensation Regulator in QIRC matters and a previous Counsel Panel member of WorkCover Queensland.

Lisa is a Nationally Accredited Mediator, through the Resolution Institute. She also holds a casual appointment as a Mediatior for the Dispute Resolution Branch with the Department of Justice and Attorney General (Qld).

In 2018 – 2019, Lisa was appointed as an “Official Visitor (Legal)” with the Department of Corrections (Qld). In this role, she independently reviewed Consecutive Safety Orders (CSO), and Maximum Security Orders (MSO) and well as complaints from prisoners across the correctional centres in south east Queensland.

Lisa is also a member of the professional advisory panel at University of Queensland for the Bachelor of Occupational Health and Safety Science Program and has the honorary position of Adjunct Associate Professor within the school.