Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand 2018
 
Speakers
0
 
Richard Arrage
Special Counsel
Colin Biggers and Paisley
Richard Arrage is a Special Counsel in the Transport and Logistics team at Colin Biggers & Paisley, maintaining a comprehensive practice covering transactional, contentious, contractual and regulatory issues. His experience includes providing full commercial legal service and risk management advice to transport industry participants in respect of their Australian and international transactions, acquisitions and disposals. He acts and advises on litigated and mediated claims in the maritime sector. Richard has been recognised for his industry expertise in Chambers and Partners, Doyle’s Guide and Expert Guides, and is a committee member of the NSW branch of the Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand.
 
Phillip Bambagiotti FCIArb
Barrister at Law
Arbitration Counsel, Arbitrator Mediation Counsel, Mediator, Dispute Management & Solutions Adjunct Professor of Law, University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney
Philip Bambagiotti FCIArb is a barrister with 10th Floor, St James Hall Chambers, Sydney, Australia and Landmark Chambers, London. Philip Bambagiotti has over twenty years’ experience as an advocate - in court (trial & appeal), arbitration, adjudication, tribunals, inquiries (statutory and private), as well as mediation, negotiation, and alternative dispute resolution processes. He specialises primarily in Commercial and Construction Law matters. This experience also extends to the provision of representation in Alternative Dispute Resolution, such as arbitration and mediation. He practices in all aspects of commercial law, including: contract disputes, tort disputes, Building & Construction disputes (including Home Building Act matters), Security of Payments disputes and adjudications, Arbitration law, Trade Practices law, Corporations Law, Insurance, Environmental Law, Planning & Local Government Law, Property and Strata matters, appeals and judicial review as well as Occupational Health & Safety, International Sale of Goods matters and Taxation appeals. Philip has often spoken and presented to various bodies in relation to building & construction matters in Australia and Internationally. Internationally, he has spoken in Hong Kong on: the NEC3 Contract and its use in Hong Kong, Adjudication under the proposed Hong Kong Security of Payments regime, and The Use and Presentation of Evidence in Commercial Disputes including BIM, and the SoCL Delay & Disruption Protocol and its use in East Asia, and the convergence of the different schools of substantive law (common law and civil law) in international arbitrations. He is a registered foreign lawyer with the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC), he is an arbitrator with the Asia International Arbitration Centre (AIAC)(formerly KLRCA), and is ln the Hong Kong Government’s Civil List for external counsel. He is also the Chairman of the Construction & Infrastructure Law Committee of the Law Council of Australia – Business Law Section; as well as a Member of the Commercial Litigation Advisory Committee for the NSW College of Law (Masters of Applied Law (Commercial Litigation) Advisory Committee). He is the author of Building Disputes and the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) published by Thomson Reuters (with the 2nd edition in preparation), the Home Building section of the Building Service (NSW) also published by Thomson Lawbook Co, as well as National Building Service also published by Thomson, as well as various other papers. Philip accepts instructions in all Australian jurisdictions and internationally.
 
Dr Robin Bowley
Lecturer
University of Technology Sydney
Dr Robin Bowley is a Lecturer with the Faculty of Law at the University of Technology Sydney, where his principal fields of teaching and research are in Insurance Law and Corporate Law. His previous roles include five years’ service as an Officer in the Royal Australian Navy, and six years as a Lawyer with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission – where he was involved in numerous investigations into possible contraventions of the financial services laws. Robin obtained his PhD in Law from the University of Wollongong in 2014. His thesis, which evaluated international legal responses to the risk of maritime terrorism, was ranked second out of 14 dissertations internationally in the 2014 “Best PhD Thesis in the Field of Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies”, conducted annually by the Terrorism Research Initiative. Robin is also actively involved in a number of professional bodies including the Australian Insurance Law Association (where he is currently the Chair of the NSW Education Committee) and the Governance Institute of Australia (where he is a member of the NSW State Council and the Corporate and Legal Issues Committee).
 
The Hon Justice Stephen Burley
Federal Court of Australia
The Hon Justice Stephen Burley was appointed to the Federal Court of Australia on 23 May 2016. His Honour graduated from the University of Sydney in Arts and Law and was admitted as a legal practitioner in 1987. He was subsequently awarded a Master of Laws from the London School of Economics and Political Science, in the United Kingdom. He was awarded an Associate in Music, Australia (AMusA) by the Australian Music Examinations Board in 1982. Justice Burley practised at the Bar from 5 Wentworth Chambers, Sydney, from 1993 until 2016. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2007. Whilst at the Bar, his Honour practised in commercial law, specialising in patent, copyright, trade mark, designs and confidential information cases. He also appeared in cases involving trade practices, competition and consumer law, and administrative law. Many of his Honour’s patent cases involved pharmaceutical, telecommunications or other high technology subject matter.
 
Alexis Cahalan
Partner
Thomas Miller Law
Qualified as a solicitor in both Australia and England, Alexis Cahalan has worked with leading transport firms for several decades. She also has experience as in-house counsel for international offshore resources and engineering companies and as a legal and claims specialist for the TT Club, handling litigation and mediating large cargo and P&I claims. She is a former member of the NSW Law Society Dispute Resolution Committee. She holds degrees in Arts/Law and a Masters Degree focussed upon Commercial Arbitration, International Law and Shipping and Trade. She is a founding Director of Thomas Miller Law.
 
Dr Malcolm Caulfield
Dr Malcolm Caulfield has been involved in the law and science relating to live export since 2002. He did pro bono work for Animals Australia in 2002 which culminated in the first prosecution of a live exporter under a state animal welfare law. He became Animals Australia’s first in-house lawyer in 2005, after which he established the Animal Welfare Community Legal Centre, which ran the first federal case involving animal welfare issues and live export law. In 2014 he helped establish the organisation Vets Against Live Export. More recently, he wrote a review on heat stress in live export, which appeared in The Veterinary Journal. He has published many articles and opinions on live export law, including two chapters in his books on animal welfare and related matters.
 
Edward Cox
Barrister
NSW Bar
Edward Cox has been a barrister since 2001 and practices at Greenway Chambers in Sydney. Edward appears in a broad range of transport and commercial disputes, appeals, inquiries and arbitrations (Commercial and Sport). He has particular experience in relation to shipping and international arbitration disputes.
 
Alison Cusack
Principal Lawyer
Cusack & Co
Alison Cusack has over six years’ experience in the maritime industry. After completing the ATO graduate program, Alison moved to ANL as part of their in-house legal team where she started her legal maritime career. During her time at ANL, she managed a wide range of legal issues including liner services consortia agreements, stevedoring issues, cargo claims, charterparties, contracts and all things commercial (except strangely enough not tax). Specifically Alison gained a depth of experience in Part X, the legislative mechanism to effectively legalise shipping cartels. Alison was responsible for ensuring compliance and training in this area which lead to a legislative and practical understanding of the Part X protection mechanism. Utilising the commercial and legal skills developed whilst in-house, in April 2018 Alison launched her own boutique maritime law firm, Cusack & Co, focusing on the needs of the shipper and the freight forwarder in their dealings with containerised ocean carriers.
 
The Hon Justice Sarah Derrington
President, Law Reform Commission
Federal Court of Australia
Justice Sarah Derrington is the President of the Australian Law Reform Commission. Prior to her appointment to the Federal Court, Justice Derrington was the Dean of Law at the University of Queensland and a barrister specialised in maritime and shipping law, general commercial law and arbitration. With James M Turner QC of the English Bar, she co-authored The Law and Practice of Admiralty Matters, now in its second edition (OUP, 2016). Justice Derrington is a Past President of the Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand (MLAANZ) and continues to represent Australia and New Zealand in various international working groups of the Comité Maritime International (CMI), of which she was appointed a Titular Member in 2016. Between 2012 and 2017, she served on the board of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). She has been a member of the Admiralty Rules Committee since 2006, and continues to serve on the Councils of the Australian Maritime College (AMC) and the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM). She was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Law in 2009 and of the Nautical Institute in 2013.
 
Matthew Flynn
Partner
McElroys
Matthew Flynn has been a partner at McElroys since 2004. He was admitted as a NZ barrister and solicitor in 1989, and was admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Court England and Wales in 1991. Matthew is an experienced litigation lawyer specialising in maritime law and marine insurance law. Matthew is a specialist advisor to a wide range of participants in the marine industry both within New Zealand and internationally. Matthew’s maritime career started with ten years in the City of London with M.F.B. and Fishers, before he joined McElroys in 1999. Matthew is a committee member of the New Zealand branch of the Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand, a supporting member of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association and an accredited tutor on maritime law for the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers. Matthew has advised numerous marine insurers, P&I Clubs, ship owners, charterers and exporters on a wide range of maritime issues with a particular focus on cargo, international trade, charter parties, bills of lading, FD & D disputes as well as a full range of indemnity issues including hull and machinery and cargo insurance. He also provides advice to the NZ marine industry, including advising on sale and purchase, new building projects and ship repair work. He has acted on many well known maritime law matters including the Rena, Tasman Pioneer and Jodi F Millennium.
 
The Hon Justice Mike Gallacher
Chief Executive Officer
Ports Australia
Following an intensive and varied 16 year career as a Police Officer, Mike Gallacher was appointed to the NSW Legislative Council in 1996. He has performed the Shadow Ministerial role across a variety of portfolios including Ports, Industrial Relations, Transport and Police. Winning government in 2011, Mike was appointed Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for the Hunter and later the further role of Minister for Industrial Relations. Mike is widely recognised for his robust approach to policy development and his preparedness to strongly advocate the need for reform. As Minister he led on behalf of Government the public debate on issues such as measures to reduce alcohol related violence, rampant gang/gun related crime and introduced initiatives to change driver behavior. Leaving Parliament in 2017 he has now taken the role as CEO of Ports Australia, the peak industry body for the Ports industry. Mike is already well underway in lifting the awareness of the Port sector and the important role it plays in Australia’s future.
 
Catherine Gleeson
Barrister
NSW Bar
Catherine Gleeson is a barrister at New Chambers in Sydney. She has a BA and LLB from the University of Sydney and a BCL from Oxford University. Catherine developed a practice in maritime and international trade law on coming to the bar, after several years practising as a solicitor in Sydney and London. She has appeared as junior counsel and unled in a number of maritime and transport matters in the Federal, Supreme and District Courts, and also appears in commercial and insurance matters involving questions of private international law. Catherine is recommended counsel in shipping and transport in several industry guides.
 
Amy Hando
Barrister
Victorian Bar
Amy Hando practices in a broad range of commercial law, regulatory matters and white collar crime. Before coming to the Bar, Amy was the Senior Associate to the Honourable Justice Croft of the Supreme Court of Victoria, where she assisted his Honour on a broad range of commercial matters, including matters of taxation and arbitration. Whilst at the Court, Amy was involved in many matters heard electronically. Amy gained exposure to the use of technology in managing matters ranging from a day or two, up to matters running for several weeks. Prior to her time at the Court, Amy worked at Robertson Hyetts in Bendigo. Her diverse practice was primarily commercial litigation which involved disputes relating to contractual matters, banking and finance, securities, bankruptcy, insolvency as well as a range of other areas. In her time in Bendigo, Amy also acted in local government and planning related regulatory prosecutions. Amy has a particular interest in the areas of: < banking and finance; < building and construction; < commercial arbitration; < commercial fraud and white collar crime; < defamation and media law; < property and leasing law; < regulatory investigations and prosecutions; and < shipping and maritime law.
 
Mr Matthew Harvey
Barrister
Victorian Bar
Matthew Harvey is a barrister at the Victorian Bar with over 20 years’ experience. He is recognised as one of Australia’s leading barristers in the areas of shipping law and insolvency law. He is listed in Chambers Asia Pacific, Best Lawyers and Doyle’s Guide. He is a past President of the Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand. He appears regularly in the Federal Court of Australia, Supreme Court of Victoria, and in international and domestic arbitrations. He has been appointed to arbitrate a number of disputes and had delivered several awards.
 
Stuart Hetherington
President, Comite Maritime International (CMI),
Partner, Colin Biggers & Paisley

Stuart Hetherington was the Honorary Secretary of the New South Wales Branch of the Maritime Law Association of Australia (then Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand (MLAANZ)) from 1976 to 1981; he was the Secretary of MLAANZ from 1981 to 1985, Vice-President from 1989 to 1991 and President from 1992 to 1994.

He was appointed an Executive Councillor of the CMI in 2001 and became its President in 2012.  His term of office will cease on 9 November 2018 after his second term of three years.  He chaired the CMI International Working Groups that were formed to examine the issues of Places of Refuge and to review the Salvage Convention and has led the team that has resulted in the CMI’s work on Judicial Sales being taken up by UNCITRAL. Stuart has instructed Counsel in cases in the Privy Council (Candlewood Navigation Corporation v Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd); the Supreme Court of the United States (Norfolk Southern Railway Company v James N Kirby Pty Ltd) and the High Court (in various cases including Sanko Steamship Co Ltd v Sumitomo Australia Ltd).

Stuart has practised in the area of maritime law since 1976. He has acted in cases involving casualties around the Australian coast, including the “Mineral Transporter” (which went to the Privy Council), the “Gabriella” (which capsized alongside the berth at Port Kembla causing the loss of two lives, damage to its heavy lift cargo, damage to a low loader on the wharf and resulted in the ship being refloated upside down and scuttled); the grounding of the “TNT Alltrans” in the Great Barrier Reef (and the Court of Marine Inquiry conducted by Sheppard J); and the “Sanko Harvest” which sank off the coast of Esperance losing its entire phosphate cargo. Stuart also acted for owners in a collision in Newcastle Harbour (the “Bogong” and the “Iron Cumberland”), many charter party dispute cases, oil pollution cases and cargo cases, many of which have been reported in the New South Wales Law Reports, the Federal Court Reports, and the Commonwealth Law Reports.

He instructed Counsel in the trio of cases in which the Supreme Court of New South Wales approved the extension to the Himalaya clause to combined transport operations in the leading cases of BHP v Hapag-Lloyd, Sidney Cooke Limited v Hapag-Lloyd, and Mercedes Benz Australia Pty Ltd v Scan Carriers AS and Anor.

In addition he has instructed Counsel in numerous marine insurance cases, two of which involved allegations of scuttling which were proved in the Supreme Court of Queensland as well as other marine insurance cases arising under the Marine Insurance Act 1909.

He served on the Board of the Sydney Port Authority and Sydney Ports Corporation between 1999 and 2005. He is the author of the first published text on the Admiralty Act 1988 in his “Annotated Admiralty Legislation”. He was the recipient of the Lloyds List DCN Maritime Services Award in 2010. He is listed in the 2013, 2014-15, 2016, 2017, 2018 editions of The Best Lawyers in Australia in the field of shipping and maritime, transportation and insurance. Every year since 2016 he has also been listed in the fields of alternative dispute resolution and litigation. Best Lawyers also named Stuart the Shipping and Maritime Lawyer of the Year in Australia in the 2014-15 edition.

In 2015, Doyle’s Guide listed Stuart as a recommended Australian shipping lawyer, and in 2016, it named him as a leading shipping and maritime lawyer in Australia. In 2017, Doyle’s Guide listed Stuart as a preeminent shipping and maritime lawyer. In addition, Stuart was listed as a recommended lawyer in transport in the Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2015 and 2016 editions. He has also been recognised as a leading lawyer in shipping in Chambers and Partners (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017) and Who’s Who Legal Transport (2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018).

 
Susie Kropman
Director of the Marine Biosecurity Unit
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
Susie Kropman is the Director of the Marine Biosecurity Unit in the Departmentof Agriculture and Water Resources. The Marine Biosecurity Unit is responsible for leading national policy development for marine pest prevention as well as establishing and contributing to enhanced supporting arrangements to reduce marine biosecurity risks, particularly from ballast water and biofouling. Susie led the team that implemented the Ballast Water Convention and domestic ballast water requirements in Australia. Susie has also worked on the implementation of MARPOL, the international compensation and liability regime for pollution from ships, management of Commonwealth marine parks and marine environmental research.
 
Dr Liang Zhao Liang
Assistant Professor, School of Law,
City University of Hong Kong
Dr. Zhao Liang is an Assistant Professor of School of Law at City University of Hong Kong. He obtained LLB at Dalian Maritime University, LLM at University of Southampton and PhD at The University of Hong Kong. His research interests include maritime law, insurance law, international trade law, conflict of laws and arbitration law. He has published academic papers in reputable periodicals, including Journal of Business Law, Lloyd’s Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly, Journal of International Maritime Law, Tulane Maritime Law Journal, Arbitration International, Hong Kong Law Journal, Tsinghua China Law Review and Chinese Journal of Maritime Law. He has written a chapter of ship finance for “Maritime Law and Practice in Hong Kong” published by Sweet & Maxwell Asia in 2015 and a book entitled “Maritime Law and Practice in China” published by Informa law from Routledge in 2017. He is a member of Hong Kong Maritime Law Association, Hong Kong Insurance Law Association and China Maritime Law Association.
 
Nixk Luxton
Barrister
Hong Kong Bar
Nick Luxton is a barrister practising in Hong Kong. He is instructed a variety of maritime law and admiralty law matters, including disputes concerning carriage of goods by sea, charterparties, collisions and international sale of goods. Nick appears in the Hong Kong High Court and in international arbitrations. In addition, Nick has experience in commercial disputes concerning fraud, employment law, insurance law and insolvency. Nick regularly handles applications for urgent injunctions in commercial disputes. He is frequently instructed with respect to cross-border disputes and jurisdictional challenges. Prior to joining the Hong Kong Bar, Nick was a solicitor in Victoria and Hong Kong. Nick is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an accredited mediator.
 
Maurice Lynch
Special Counsel
Mills Oakley
Named by Chambers and Partners Asia Pacific 2017 as a Shipping “Associate to Watch” Maurice Lynch is a lawyer with over 8 years’ experience. In his practice he represents: • Marine insurers for whom he provides indemnity advice, defends claims and pursue recoveries; • Federal Government Departments for whom he has drafted template documents, notices and reports used in agency investigations; • Freight forwarders for whom he has drafted agreements and advised on litigious and non – litigious aspects of their businesses; • Port Corporations for whom he has represented in environmental crime proceedings including oil spills and lead pollution dust events; and • General commercial clients in the shipping, trade and sale of goods industries in Australian and overseas litigation and arbitration proceedings. He has experience representing these clients in the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales, the Supreme Courts of all of the states of Australia, the Federal Court of Australia, the Full Federal Court of Australia and in arbitration proceedings. Maurice has represented clients in ship arrest proceedings in various jurisdictions globally. He is experienced in the complex regulation of anti-dumping and countervailable subsidies. Maurice assist clients in drafting distribution agreements, contracts of carriage, and charter agreements for ships and aircrafts. He also advises on the operation of the Personal Property and Securities Act. Maurice has completed a Masters of Law where he specialised in commercial maritime and admiralty law, contract law, remedies, international business law and arbitration. Maurice is a published author in Volume 28, No 2 (2014) of the Australian and New Zealand Maritime Law Journal, and the Maritime Law Handbook 2007 – Australian Chapter Outside of Trade and Transport, Maurice has represented Federal Government Departments in merits review in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
 
Ian Maitland
Partner
Wallmans Lawyers
Ian Maitland is a skilled commercial litigation lawyer with specialist expertise in Transport and Shipping Law. He is highly regarded within the marine insurance industry and has a significant number of major national and international clients in the sector’ in particular as Correspondent for many of the members of the International Group of P&I Clubs. A lawyer for more than 40 years, Ian joined Wallmans Lawyers in 2004 after heading his own practice and working as a partner at another South Australian based firm. With a strong focus on Transport Law over the past 30 years, Ian advises companies on all aspects of transportation. As a result of his expertise, Ian has been recognised in the prestigious Best Lawyers Australia list and Doyle’s Guide, for both Transport and Maritime Law for many years.
 
Michael McHugh SC
Barrister
NSW Bar
Michael McHugh SC is a Sydney silk with a wide-ranging trial and appellate practice across civil and criminal jurisdictions. He is a BarADR Arbitrator; regularly acts as a mediator in commercial (including shipping and aviation) and common law matters; and is Recommended - Leading transport barristers Australia - Senior Counsel, 2014-2018 in Doyle’s Guide.
 
Clinton McKenzie
General Counsel - Office of Chief Executive Officer
Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA)
Clinton McKenzie joined the Australian Maritime Safety Authority in January 2011 and is now the Authority’s General Counsel. His primary focus over the last few years has been implementing and administering the new Navigation Act and National Law for domestic commercial vessels. Prior to joining AMSA, Clinton was a partner of DLA Phillips Fox and a member of DLA Phillips Fox’s government law team. Prior to joining DLA Phillips Fox, Clinton was Legal Counsel in the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and, for one year, CASA’s General Manager of General Aviation Operations. Prior to joining the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Clinton served in the Australian Defence Force.
 
The Hon Justice Neil McKerracher
Federal Court of Australia
OCCUPATION: Judge, Federal Court of Australia since 2007 Co-National coordinating Judge of Admiralty and Maritime National Practice Area, Federal Court of Australia Executive, Judicial Council of Australia Governing Council Judicial Vice President Administrative Appeals Tribunal Chair UNCCA (UNCITRAL Coordinating Committee Australia) PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL ROLES: Queen’s Counsel, 1997 Acting Commissioner Corruption & Crime Commission (WA); Chairman, WA Bar Chambers Ltd; Senior Sessional Member State Administrative Tribunal; Commissioner (acting judge) Supreme Court of Western Australia; Deputy Chairman, WA Bar Chambers Ltd; Council, WA Bar Association; Councillor Law Society of WA; Legal Practice Board-member.
 
Peter McQueen
Arbitrator, Facilitator and Mediator
Peter McQueen provides his services globally as an arbitrator, mediator and facilitator. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), a Director and Fellow of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA) and was the inaugural Chair of the Australian Maritime and Transport Arbitration Commission (AMTAC). Peter has acted in arbitrations conducted under the auspices of ACICA, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA), Singapore International Arbitration Commission (SIAC), Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA) and also pursuant to the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. He presently sits as the Australian Member on the ICC Court of Arbitration. Peter is a member of Arbitration, Mediation and Dispute Board Chambers, London. He is admitted as a lawyer in Australia and in England and Wales and has practised dispute resolution for over 35 years. He lectures in international commercial arbitration and maritime law at universities in Australia and France and is member of CIArb Approved Faculty List. Peter has been a member of MLAANZ since 1981.
 
Captain Rod Nairn AM
Chief Executive Officer
Shipping Australia Limited
Commodore Rod Nairn first went to sea in 1976. Highlights of his career include command of four ship (HMA Ships Betano, Flinders, Melville and Leeuwin), the operational introduction of the world’s first Laser Airborne Depth Sounder, the introduction of multi-crewing to the Royal Australian Navy, and four decades of technological changes in navigation. Rod had a distinguished naval career culminating with eight years as the longest serving Hydrographer of Australia. In this role he was responsible for the production of nautical charts and services to enable shipping to navigate safely around Australia. During his tenure, he employed commercial hydrographic surveys to augment Navy’s capability, modernised Australia’s nautical chart portfolio and led the accelerated production of Electronic Navigational Charts to deliver full coverage of Australia’s waters. In 2012 Rod was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for services to Hydrography. In 2013 Rod was appointed CEO of Shipping Australia Limited. In that role Rod has focused on promoting good shipping policy that supports efficient and sustainable shipping operations. He has been prominent in policy debate on coastal shipping, shipping competition, port pricing and port privatisation while promoting environmental responsibility, shipping safety and seafarer welfare. Rod holds tertiary qualifications in surveying, strategic studies and management and is a graduate of the Royal Naval Staff College (Greenwich United Kingdom), the Australian College of Defence Strategic Studies and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He enjoys competitive dinghy sailing and ocean cruising.
 
Gregory Nell SC
Barrister
NSW Bar
Gregory Nell SC has been practising at the New South Wales Bar since August 1991, predominantly in the area of admiralty and maritime law. Gregory graduated from Sydney University with a Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Laws and was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in December 1983. From 1984 to 1987, he was employed with Norton Smith & Co, solicitors in Sydney. From 1987 to 1989 he was employed by London shipping lawyers, Hill Dickinson, during which time he was also admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England. Upon returning to Australia, Gregory briefly resumed employment as a senior associate in the shipping department of Norton Smith & Co., before being called to the Bar in August 1991. Gregory graduated Master of Laws from Sydney University in 2000 and was appointed Senior Counsel in October 2006. Since his admission to the Bar, Gregory has appeared in many of the leading cases on admiralty and maritime jurisdiction. He also practises extensively in the areas of insurance (especially marine insurance), private international and commercial law. Gregory is also a long time member of the MLAANZ and has presented papers at many of its conferences, as well as the Federal Court of Australia’s Admiralty and Maritime Seminars. He taught “International Carriage of Goods” and “Admiralty Law” in the Melbourne University Law Faculty’s post graduate programme in 2004 and 2009. Gregory was a member of the Advisory Committee to the Australian Law Reform Commission in its “Review of the Marine Insurance Act 1909” (Report no. 91) in 2000-02 and one of the counsel assisting in the Oil-for-Food Inquiry in 2005-06.
 
Brendan Sears
NSW State Manager
Technical Assessing
Brendan Sears has over 12 years of experience in the maritime industry, and prior to joining Technical Assessing he was a Hull Technical Supervisor and Surveyor at Stream Group. Brendan has significant experience and expertise in the maintenance and repair of pleasure craft and paramilitary vessels. His unique skill set means he also has experience in international and domestic cargo and logistics, having previously worked for logistics providers including UPS and DHL. Brendan has forged strong relationships with a number of hull and cargo underwriters, and his experience extends to all forms of Marine Insurance, including Post Catastrophe Response, Risk Management, Hull Repair Project Management, Shipping, Freight Forwarding, Marine Mediation, Cargo Handling, Freight Transport and Logistics (sea, road, rail, air). Brendan’s exceptional level of versatility has been gained from working in many different environments including Hull, Cargo, Pleasure Craft, Mining. Brendan has developed extensive Marine Surveying skills with a focus on commercial Cargo claims and can provide advice on recoveries and accurate loss and salvage estimates. More recently Brendan has development Skytech TA, a drone service implemented by Technical Assessing. As the company chief drone pilot Brendan is responsible for all operations associated with this new service.
 
Paul Smit
Head of Claims
Shipowners P&I Singapore
Paul Smit joined Shipowners in 2009 following a number of years practising as a solicitor with leading maritime law firms in South Africa and London. During this time he handled a full range of disputes on behalf of P&I clubs, vessel owners, charterers and commodity traders. At the Club he has worked in both the Europe and UK/Rest of the World syndicates, progressing to the position of Syndicate Manager. He relocated to the Club’s Singapore office in August 2012, and has since been appointed Head of Claims – Singapore for the branch.
 
Angus Stewart SC
Special Counsel
New Chambers, Sydney: NSW Bar
Angus Stewart SC is a barrister at New Chambers in Sydney. He is a silk, or Senior Counsel, for New South Wales and also South Africa. He has a BA and LLB from the University of Natal and a BCL from Oxford University. Angus got into maritime and international trade law as a young attorney in a busy shipping practice in Durban in the early 1990s. From there he went to the Bar and developed a specialisation in maritime law – appearing in the leading cases of his generation as well as Courts of Marine Inquiry. He moved his practice to Sydney in 2011 and has maintained the same specialisation. He is a member of New Chambers. Angus is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (FACICA). He is a panel member of the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA), the Australian Maritime and Transport Arbitration Commission (AMTAC) and the Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand (MLAANZ). He is recognised as a leader in the shipping and/or transport fields in several industry guides.
 
Charles Street
Senior Associate
Norton Rose Fulbright
Charles Street is a maritime lawyer in Sydney. Charles has a strong focus on Admiralty law and jurisdiction and alternative dispute resolution including international arbitration. Charles provides professional services across the shipping and trade industries. He acts in litigation and dispute resolution involving ship arrests, salvage, towage, charterparty claims, bunker supply, marine insurance, contracts of affreightment, bills of lading, cargo liability, coastal trading, administrative decisions, general average, collisions, marine pollution, navigation, directors’ duties and insolvency. Charles also advises industry members in commercial transactions including contracts of affreightment, ship financing, ship sale and purchase and shipbuilding. Charles is the current secretary of the New South Wales branch of the Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand.
 
Michelle Taylor
Partner
Colin Biggers & Paisley
Michelle Taylor is a Partner in the Shipping and Transport Team with Colin Biggers & Paisley Lawyers. She has been recognised internationally in Chambers Asia Pacific as a Leading Lawyer in Shipping since 2013 for her comprehensive knowledge of marine casualties and pollution issues in particular. Her casualty experience includes 3 of the most significant maritime incidents in Australian and NZ waters - “Shen Neng 1”, “Rena” and “APL Sydney”. Michelle has significant non-contentious shipping and transport experience advising on logistics, transshipment, fuel supply and towing transactions leading to her recognition in Legal 500 Asia Pacific for Transport - 2018. She is experienced in shipbuilding and charterparty disputes in the Asia Pacific region and has extensive knowledge of marine insurance risks. In admiralty, she is skilled in ship arrest and the judicial sale of ships (Michelle has acted for the Federal Court Admiralty Marshal in judicial sales). Her proficiency in the shipping and transport industry has led to her appointment as Queensland Chair of the Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand. She is also a member of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association and on the Port of Brisbane Seafarers’ Welfare Committee. Michelle has a Master of Laws in Maritime Law from the University of Queensland achieving inclusion on the Dean’s Honour Roll for outstanding academic excellence.
 
Nick Wallwork
Barrister
Victorian Bar
Nick Wallwork is a barrister practising at the Victorian Bar. Nick practises in commercial, maritime and public law. Before coming to the Bar, Nick worked in the chambers of the Honourable Chief Justice Allsop of the Federal Court. Nick was also an Admiralty Marshal of the Federal Court and was involved in the arrest of ships.
 
Kerryn Webster
Senior Associate
Wilson Harle
Kerryn Webster is a senior associate at Wilson Harle, a specialist litigation firm with an established admiralty and maritime law practice based in Auckland, New Zealand. Kerryn has extensive experience assisting clients across a broad range of litigation and dispute resolution instructions. Her experience is mainly in civil and commercial matters, with special expertise in international trade and maritime law. Kerryn is the immediate past New Zealand Vice-President of MLAANZ and has been a member of the New Zealand committee since 2011. She is also listed as an “Associate to Watch” in Shipping in the Chambers Asia Pacific 2018 guide.
 
Rob Winter
Tasmanian State Manager
Technical Assessing
Rob Winter was a practising Barrister and Solicitor, gaining extensive experience in prosecutions/litigation before joining an international loss adjusting practice in 1995. As part of his insurance related practice, Rob specialises in the investigation of complex workers’ compensation, legal liability (product, public and professional), motor vehicle, and marine claims (including transit, hull and liability). Rob has also gained extensive experience in the investigation of material damage and personal injury claims, including the investigation of fatal accidents and serious personal injury both on land and at sea.
 
Kerryn Woonings
Surveyor
Crawford & Co
Kerryn Woonings is a Marine Surveyor at Crawford & Company, specialising in Marine Cargo and Liability investigation and claim adjustment. Kerryn is also one of the Lloyd’s Agency representatives in Sydney. Kerryn graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Murdoch University, Western Australia in 2009, during which time she developed a keen interest in shipping law. Kerryn relocated to Sydney in 2011 to take up a claims executive role with a leading global transport liabilities insurer. During this time, Kerryn gained experience in handling all manner of transport liability claims, specifically freight forwarder liabilities, P&I, and personal injury investigation. Kerryn joined Crawford & Company as a Marine Surveyor in 2014, subsequently achieving a qualification in Marine Surveying in 2016. Kerryn has a great passion for the marine industry, and enjoys sharing knowledge and experiences with clients and colleagues, and is regularly involved in the International Maritime Law Arbitration Moot Competition. In her spare time, Kerryn enjoys writing code combined with drinking good coffee, and spending time with family and friends. Kerryn also loves AFL, and is a passionate West Coast Eagles supporter.