Sacha Shannon
Special Counsel, Brisbane
I am an aged care, disability and health industry specialist, with over 10 years' experience providing regulatory and risk advice. I advise aged care and disability providers, State and Commonwealth Departments and entities, public and private health services, and health practitioners, across Australia.

I am passionate about the sector and am deeply connected to the work our clients do and the impact they have on the communities they serve.

I am truly privileged to support aged care, disability and health providers across the country, in the delivery of critical care and services to our most vulnerable cohorts across Australia.

I have a deep understanding of the health and human services industry and clients' needs, having completed a number of secondments across Australia. My practice includes advising aged care and disability providers, State and Commonwealth Departments and entities, public and private health services, and health practitioners on adherence to complex regulatory obligations, incident and complaints management, regulatory action by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, accreditation issues, Coronial inquests and investigations, privacy and secrecy laws, consent and substitute decision making issues, drugs and poisons obligations, health funding and Medicare compliance, with particular interest in the human services sector.

I have appeared for providers in a number of courts and tribunals (both State and Federal) in a range of civil proceedings including urgent applications, and the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. I have also acted for a number of health practitioners and insurers in Professional Services Review investigations and committee hearings.

Career highlights

  • Leading national teams, acting for a number of private and not-for-profit clients in the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.
  • Advising providers on urgent and complex issues regarding COVID-19 outbreak(s) including responding to Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) compliance action, engagement with family and other key stakeholders, and responding to other regulatory bodies including the Coroner.
  • Advising aged care providers across Australia (including ASX listed, not-for-profit and public providers) on a range of complex regulatory issues under the aged care legislative framework, including incident and complaints management, provision of additional and extra services, security of tenure, restrictive practices, funding compliance, consent and substitute decision making, ACQSC complaints and regulatory action, Coronial investigations and inquests, and privacy compliance.
  • Advising disability providers on regulatory issues under both state-based disability legislative regime(s) and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
  • Advising on a range of high profile aged care, disability and health-related transactions including navigating complex regulatory issues during mergers and acquisitions.
  • Advising medical practitioners and health providers on a range of Medicare compliance issues, including acting in Professional Services Review investigations and committees.