I am highly regarded for my legal and health industry expertise, litigation strategy and effective advocacy in court hearings and mediations. In particular, I am recognised for my distinctive, in-depth knowledge of the nuances of the health industry, including the key commercial drivers of the market, the stakeholder relationships at the core of a hospital business, and the sensitive regulatory and media environment in which they operate. This specialised knowledge informs every aspect of my litigation and advisory work, and enables me to assist clients to navigate high-stakes incidents and crisis events in a way that is both commercially astute and acutely mindful of reputational risk. I adopt a human-centric approach to everything I do, focusing on partnering with clients to find sustainable, commercial solutions tailored for the unique challenges of the health industry.
Complementing my health law practice, I have extensive experience in discrimination law, general liability and life insurance. I act for government agencies and private sector clients including many of Australia's largest insurers in state and federal jurisdictions.
Outside my commercial practice and in my role as Pro Bono Team Leader and Coordinator, I lead a pro bono practice that provides legal services and advocacy for individuals experiencing disadvantage, with a particular focus on homelessness and domestic violence.
Career highlights
- Acted for a hospital in complex multi-party Supreme Court of NSW proceedings involving a below the knee amputation of a patient's right leg due to the alleged delayed diagnosis of occlusive arterial luminal thrombus. The matter involved complex private international law issues arising from a conflict of laws between NSW and WA law, which were the subject of a High Court special leave application.
- Acted for a hospital in NSW Court of Appeal proceedings concerning novel issues about the interplay between common law medical negligence, workers compensation legislation and section 151Z recovery.
- Acted for a hospital in Supreme Court of NSW proceedings involving a catastrophic brain injury, cardiac arrest and airway obstruction allegedly caused by the failure to devise and implement a suitable extubation plan following surgical resection of an oropharyngeal sarcoma.
- Acted for an imaging provider in a wrongful birth claim arising from the missed diagnosis of a limb deficiency during an obstetric ultrasound.
- Advised a hospital on physician disciplinary matters and a coronial investigation following the death of a patient from an undetermined cause with concerns about end-of-life care and possible physician-assisted suicide.
- Acted for a hospital in a coronial inquest involving the death of a patient following the inadvertent insertion of a nasogastric tube into her lung.
- Advised a private hospital operator and its Chief Medical Officer in relation to an AHPRA prosecution concerning unregistered practitioners being permitted to practise at their facilities across Australia.
- Acted for an NSW Member of Parliament and various government agencies in a series of high-profile litigated discrimination matters.
- Recognised by Lawyers Weekly as the 2022 leading health and medical law lawyer in Australia under the age of 30.
