WORLD-LEADING SPEAKERS
We invite you to connect and be inspired by our distinguished line-up of world-leading and ADR Award-winning speakers and facilitators.
These exceptional thinkers and practitioners will share their global perspectives and local expertise on overcoming the key challenges of dispute resolution today and into the future!
The Hon. Robert French AC
Patron, Australian Disputes Centre
Former Chief Justice, High Court of Australia
The Hon. Robert French AC
Robert Shenton French AC was admitted in Western Australia as a legal practitioner in 1972. He was appointed to the Federal Court in 1986 and as Chief Justice of the High Court in 2008, an office which he held until January 2017.
Mr French has a long-standing interest in all mechanisms of dispute resolution including mediation, arbitration and judicial determination. As a Federal Court Judge he explored the use of court-annexed mediation and early neutral evaluation as a means of encouraging settlements. He currently serves on the Dubai International Financial Centre Court, mainly in its appellate jurisdiction and similarly as a member of the Singapore International Commercial Court. He sits on the Singapore Court of Appeal from time to time as an International Judge in appeals from the SICC. He is also a Visiting Judge of the Supreme Court of Fiji.
Michael Talbot
ADC Director, Consultant and non-Executive Director
Michael Talbot
Erika Williams
Independent Arbitrator
Erika Williams
Erika Williams established an independent arbitration practice in 2021 after over 15 years in international and national firms acting in some of the largest international and domestic commercial, construction and investor-state disputes resolved through arbitration.
Since then, Erika has sat as sole and presiding arbitrator in arbitrations under institutional rules such as ACICA, ICC, SIAC, Resolution Institute and ad hoc and served as tribunal secretary in high-value complex cases. Erika was also engaged as Counsel at ACICA from 2021 to 2024 and has consulted to firms on arbitration related matters in her independent capacity.
Erika has been recognised in Lexology Index for arbitration in 2024 and 2025 and as a Thought Leader in Arbitration for 2026. She has also been listed as a leading arbitration lawyer in Australia in Doyles Guide from 2021-2025 and was recognised at the Australian ADR Awards as Arbitration Practitioner of the Year 2021 and as ADR Practitioner of the Year 2025.
Prof. Doug Jones
AO RFD CCIArb FRI Arb1
ADC Director
Arbitrator
Professor Doug Jones AO
Professor Doug Jones AO is a highly regarded figure in international commercial and investor-state arbitration. With over 40 years of experience in transactional and disputes law, Doug now works full-time as an independent international arbitrator. He is sought after worldwide, having been involved in over 190 arbitrations spanning more than 30 jurisdictions.
He holds professorial appointments at Queen Mary University of London and Melbourne University Law School. In addition, he has held appointments at several international professional associations, including serving as a Director of the Australian Disputes Centre, the Chair of the Board of Trustees and President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb). He is also a Past President of the International Academy of Construction Lawyers (IACL) and the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA).
In recognition of his distinguished service, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2012 for his leadership in arbitration, alternative dispute resolution, and policy reform. His practice is internationally based, with chambers in Sydney and Toronto, and he is also a door tenant at Atkin Chambers in London. Since 2019, he has also held the position of International Judge of the Singapore International Commercial Court.
Bronwyn Lincoln
ADC Director,
Partner, Thomson Geer
Bronwyn Lincoln
Bronwyn Lincoln is an experienced international arbitrator and partner at Thomson Geer, practising in disputes with specific expertise in international commercial arbitration, transnational litigation, investor state disputes and advising on foreign state immunity. Bronwyn is experienced as a sole arbitrator and chair in institutional arbitral proceeding, including the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) and the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC).
Bronwyn’s work includes advising on dispute resolution procedures for cross border transactions and on the application of free trade agreements and bilateral and multilateral treaties. Her practice covers a range of industry sectors, including international trade, insurance, building and construction and renewables.
Bronwyn is a fellow of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA), a list arbitrator for the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), an active participant in and a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration & ADR (Australia and a former conciliator for the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSIC).
The Hon. Terry Sheahan AO
Former Attorney General, NSW
The Hon. Terry Sheahan AO
Terry Sheahan is a pioneer of ADR in Australia having played a pivotal role in introducing and advocating for non-adversarial, alternative dispute resolution processes within Australia’s legal system. His extensive and rich leadership experience crosses the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government, including Principal Member of NCAT (current), Judge of the Land and Environment Court, inaugural President of the Workers Compensation Commission, Attorney General of NSW and mediator. Terry’s innumerable achievements include the establishment of the New South Wales Judicial Commission and the independent Australian Disputes Centre while Attorney General of NSW.
John Wakefield
ADC Chairman, Partner, Hicksons, Hunt & Hunt, Holman Webb
John Wakefield FCIArb FACICA
John Wakefield is a partner in the dispute resolution group of Hicksons, Hunt & Hunt, Holman Webb. He practices in State and Federal Courts in administrative law, securities enforcement, insolvency, trade practices, general commercial and equity and in international and domestic arbitration. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and from 2010 to 2013 was Chair of the Australia branch. From 2017-2020 John was the Australasian member of the board of trustees of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK). John is a Fellow of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA). He is a qualified mediator to the AMDRAS standard and teaches and speaks regularly on issues in alternative dispute resolution.
Dr. Donna Odegaard AM
CEO, First Nations Broadcasting
Dr. Donna Odegaard AM
A/Prof Dr. Donna Odegaard AM is a Larrakia, Dangalaba, Gulmerrigin Traditional Owner of Darwin with Torres Strait Islander heritage in Waiben (Thursday Island).
An accomplished Indigenous leader, academic, and business woman with over 30 years’ experience in Indigenous affairs, cultural heritage, land rights, education, media, business, the environment and global business. Dr Odegaard has been a trusted Indigenous leader and advisor to successive governments and peak Indigenous organisations in Australia and globally.
Since 1995 leadership roles include Aboriginal Education Research, Aboriginal Health, Director Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation, Co-Chair of the National Co-design Group Voice to Parliament, Ministerial Forum on Developing Northern Australia, Co-Chair Australia and New Zealand Indigenous Business and Trade Partnership, Cultural Advisor, Australian Heritage Commission, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (20 years).
Odegaard’s entrepreneurial skills range from fashion and design, mining, farming and media. In 2020, she founded Australia’s largest privately owned media network, First Nations Broadcasting Australia. This has four television channels, five radio stations (metropolitan and national broadcasting services) reaching 2,400 Indigenous communities across Australia. Productions are in-house for tv and radio in over 30 Indigenous languages. She is currently producing and directing two major television series – ‘On Land and Sea Country’ and ‘First Nations Tourism Destinations’ for her television channels First Nations TV, Tourism TV and The Business Channel.
Dr Odegaard has been a Keynote speaker for over 20 years in Australia, New Zealand and Canada on Leadership, Global Indigenous Business and Trade Relations, Media, Indigenous Environmental Conservation and Remediation, Indigenous Health and Wellbeing, Policy Reform and Indigenous Women in Business and Entrepreneurship.
She has been recognised with prestigious awards over 20 years including Order of Australia, Sir John Storey Lifetime Leadership Award, Naming Lady, Commissioning Lady and Decommissioning Lady HMAS Larrakia (19 years), Indigenous Alumni Award UoN, PhD (Treaty) and Masters (Aboriginal land Rights) and in 2021 an Honorary Doctor of Letters for outstanding leadership UoN.
Her goal is “to make a positive difference in her field of endeavour and make way for younger generations to be future First Nations legacy leaders”.
The Hon. Martin Daubney AM, KC
Former Supreme Court Judge [QLD], Mediator, Arbitrator
The Hon. Martin Daubney AM, KC
Martin Daubney AM, KC served as judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland from 2007 to 2021, with a focus on complex commercial and criminal matters.
Martin first practised as a solicitor before being admitted as a barrister in 1988 and appointed Senior Counsel practising principally in commercial law. In 1991, he was admitted to practise in Fiji. At the time of his appointment, he was President of the Bar Association of Queensland and served the Council of the Bar Association for more than 10 years. At the same time, he was also President of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal for four years starting from 2017.
In addition to his work at the Bar, Martin is a nationally accredited mediator, with extensive experience in mediating in a wide range of disputes, including complex commercial disputes. He has contributed significantly to legal education, having served on the Senate of the University of Queensland, acted as President of the King’s College Council and mentored many law students in university colleges. Alongside his work at the University of Queensland, Martin is currently an honorary fellow of the Australian Catholic University and in 2021, he was appointed as chancellor of the Australian Catholic University.
In 2018, Martin was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his significant service to the law, the judiciary, education, and the community. The Doyle’s Guide has listed him as a Leading Queensland Mediator each year from 2022 to 2024.
Dr Annebelle Davis
Mediator
Dr Annebelle Davis
Dr Annebelle Davis is a nationally accredited mediator with experience in commercial negotiations, organisational change and workplace renewal. Annebelle’s expert area is Antarctica and how diplomats and scientists use the interface between their professions to solve problems together. In a world where mixed political and technical challenges are on the rise, Annebelle’s research highlights how the Antarctic Treaty System is a model for interdisciplinary approaches to problem-solving.
Prof. Deen Sanders OAM
Director, Think. Know. Do.
Special Counsel, Deloitte Access Economics
Prof. Deen Sanders OAM
Professor Deen Sanders OAM is the owner of Indigenous leadership, economics and strategy consultancy Think. Know. Do. and a special counsel at Deloitte Access Economics.
Deen is a noted systems thinker, governance, economics and leadership expert, with a particular focus on climate, equity, integrity and ethics. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the corporate environment of regulation and government and has held senior positions in business and government, working as a commercial executive, policymaker, regulator and thought leader.
His unique and strategic approach to problem solving is informed by his cultural leadership and experience as one of Australia’s noted Indigenous leaders. As a Worimi Giparr he has cultural responsibilities to his community, and connections across Australia and acts as a critical adviser to clients (governments and commercial) on sensitive and significant matters.
Deen has undertaken two PhDs including one in Complexity Theory, Trust and Regulation and another in Lore and Law, and was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2017 for his academic and regulatory work. He is Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Nature, Chair of the Commonwealth Government’s National Indigenous Tourism Advisory Group, Adjunct Professor at Newcastle University’s School of Law, Space Science Communicator, and CSIRO and 2025 nominee Global Space Awards for Sustainability in Earth and Space. In 2021 he was appointed Australia’s Chief Professionalist by the Australian Council of Professions, to encourage a wider public and government dialogue on evidence driven expertise.
Deborah Lockhart
CEO Australian Disputes Centre
Deborah Lockhart, LLB
Deborah Lockhart has served as the CEO of Australian Disputes Centre (ADC) since 2013. She is a thought-leader for ADR in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. ADC is an independent not-for-profit, dedicated to helping businesses, governments, communities, and individuals thrive by accessing world-class conflict management and dispute resolution processes and skills.
Before joining the not-for-profit sector, Deborah worked for over 20 years as an executive, consultant, and expert to a range of ASX 100 and Fortune 500 companies as a change agent and dispute resolution specialist. Deborah introduced the efficacy of ADR processes for the financial services sector from the early 1990’s, including establishing and managing the successful greenfield Dispute Resolution team for INGA Australia and leading multiple remediation programmes where ASIC Enforceable Undertakings were threatened or imposed.
Deborah holds an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington and was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand. She trained as a mediator with Harvard Law School in the early 1990s and is a nationally accredited mediator in Australia. Deborah also holds ADC’s Advanced Mediator accreditation and has completed additional ADR training with LEADR, the University of Technology Sydney and Cinergy Conflict Coaching.
Deborah is a founding member of the Council for Australian Dispute Resolution and Editorial Panel Member, LexisNexis ADR Bulletin.
Julia Dreosti
Partner, Clifford Chance, Adelaide/Perth
Julia Dreosti
Julia Dreosti is a Partner at Clifford Chance in Australia and a board member of ACICA. She advises and represents clients in complex national and international disputes across industry sectors including aerospace and defence, construction and infrastructure, and energy and resources. Julia brings global perspective from her previous experience in Paris and Singapore. She holds a Masters in French Law and European Community Law from Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.
David Jenaway
Managing Partner, A&O Shearman, Perth
David Jenaway
David is the Managing Partner of the Perth office of A&O Shearman. He has extensive experience in a broad range of high profile disputes, with an emphasis on matters arising in the energy and resources, and construction, sectors. He has a particular speciality in relation to disputes throughout the whole life cycle of oil and gas projects, and disputes arising from energy transition. He is regularly trusted by clients with managing the conduct and resolution of high value and strategic disputes, including through international arbitration, superior Court litigation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.
Gitanjali Bajaj
Partner, DLA Piper
Gitanjali Bajaj
Gitanjali Bajaj is a Litigation & Regulatory partner with over 15 years’ experience in dispute resolution and risk management in major international and domestic projects in the oil & gas, renewable energy, defence, transport and construction and infrastructure sectors.
Gitanjali also practices in public international law and dispute resolution between Sovereign States, having acted for clients in various forums, such as the International Court of Justice and the first ever UNCLOS Compulsory Conciliation.
Gitanjali is the Asia-Pacific Co-Head of International Arbitration for DLA Piper and the Regional Lead for DLA Piper’s India Group in Australia and also serves as Vice President of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration.
Nik Dragojlovic
Barrister, Svenson Barristers
Nik Dragojlovic
Nik is a member of the Victorian Bar, practising in all areas of commercial and property law. He has a direct and practical approach which facilitates optimal commercial outcomes for his clients.
Nik has experience in complex contract and property law disputes, building and construction cases, corporations law matters and administrative review proceedings. He conducts his matters with professionalism, discretion and sound judgment. Accordingly, he is trusted by valuable individual and corporate clients in particularly sensitive or potentially high-profile situations.
In 2022, Nik formed part of the legal team representing professional tennis player Novak Djokovic in his highly publicised judicial review proceedings against the Commonwealth.
Nik is passionate about maximising opportunities for parties to benefit from alternative dispute resolution processes. He regularly appears on behalf of clients in formal mediations and settlement conferences, as part of an integrated litigation model.
In 2023, Nik was the recipient of The Honourable Tom Bathurst ADR Advocate of the Year Award.
Dr. Rajesh Sharma
Associate Professor, Legal and Dispute Studies, Criminology and Justice, RMIT University
Dr. Rajesh Sharma
Associate Professor, Legal and Dispute Studies, Criminology and Justice, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia; Director, International Dispute and Risk Management Institute-RMIT; Adjunct Professor at Academy of International Dispute Resolution and Professional Negotiation (AIDRN); Program Director (Designate), Graduate Certificate in Dispute Resolution, RMIT.
Dr. Sharma has been involved in preparation and deliberation on the Singapore Convention since 2015 and has also conducted research and provided expert comments to UNCITRAL on mediation and conciliation. These works include conducting “An Evaluation of Mediation Law in Asia”, provided expert comments on “Draft Instrument on Enforcement of Settlement Agreement Across-boarder” and reported on “Possible Amendments in UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Conciliations”. Currently, Dr. Sharma is working on the preparation of commentary on the Singapore Convention.
Dr. Sharma has given training and capacity building program on the Singapore Convention in several countries on the invitation of UNCITRAL or local governments or local mediation or ADR centres in Hong Kong, China, India, Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Nepal, Mauritius, Maldives, and elsewhere.
Currently, Dr. Sharma is working on the preparation of commentary on the Singapore Convention.
Donna Lawler
Principal, Azimuth Advisory, Space Law Specialists
Donna Lawler
Donna Lawler (BA, LLB) is a Co-Founder and Principal at Azimuth Advisory, a law firm specialising in commercial and governmental space activities and regulation. Over more than twenty-five years in the satellite industry, she has advised on ten geostationary
satellite missions as well as spaceports, launch services, satellite constellations, human spaceflight and lunar activities, for clients based in Australia, Asia, the United States, Europe and Canada. She is a member of the International Institute of Space Lawyers and a fellow of the London Institute of Space Policy and Law. Donna has published joint papers on Space Law topics internationally and has lectured at Universities and presented on commercial Space Law topics in Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Poland, United Arab Emirates, England and the United States. She has also practiced technology and telecommunications law at Baker & McKenzie in Hong Kong and Minter Ellison in Sydney. Together with the expertise of husband and Co-Principal, Emeritus Professor Steven Freeland, Azimuth Advisory has assisted numerous countries with development of space policy and regulations.
Prof. Steven Freeland
Emeritus Professor, Western Sydney University
Professorial Fellow, Bond University
Steven Freeland
Steven Freeland (PhD, LLM, LLB, BCom) is Emeritus Professor of International Law at Western Sydney University, where he was previously the Dean of the School of Law, and Professorial Fellow at Bond University. He also holds Visiting or Adjunct positions at various other Universities/Institutes in Copenhagen, Vienna, Toulouse, Hong Kong, Montreal, Kuala Lumpur, Vancouver, Mumbai and London. Prior to becoming an academic, he had a 20-year career as an international commercial lawyer and an investment banker.
He was a Member of the Australian Space Agency Advisory Board (2020-2024) and has been an advisor to the Australian, New Zealand, Norwegian, Malaysian and many other Governments on issues relating to national and international space legislative frameworks and policy. He represents the Australian Government at Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) meetings and, has been appointed by UNCOPUOS as Chair of a 5-year ‘Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities’. He has also been a Visiting Professional within the Appeals Chamber at the International Criminal Court, and a Special Advisor to the Danish Foreign Ministry in matters related to the International Criminal Court.
Among other appointments, he is a co-Principal of specialised space law firm Azimuth Advisory, a Member of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Future Council on the Future of Space, a Member of the Abu Dhabi Space Debate Strategy Council, an Honorary Director of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL), a Member of the Advisory Board of the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), a Member of the Advisory Board of the Karman Foundation and a Member of the Space Law Committee of the International Law Association.
In 2022, he was presented with a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by the International Institute of Space Law, the highest accolade awarded by that institution. In addition to co-Editing the Annotated Leading Cases of International Criminal Tribunals book series, he also sits on the Editorial Board / Advisory Board of several internationally recognised academic journals.
He has authored approximately 400 publications on various aspects of International Law and
presented over 2300 expert commentaries in national and international media outlets worldwide on a wide range of legal, policy and geopolitical issues. In addition, he has taught space law, international law, international criminal law and human rights law at Universities in 23 countries and presented conference papers, presentations and keynote speeches in the following 51 countries: Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Ethiopia, Egypt, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam
Daisy Mallett
Arbitrator, Lawyer, Mallett Law
Daisy Mallett
Daisy Mallett is an independent arbitrator and legal advisor. She has over twenty years of experience resolving complex international disputes for multinational companies and governments. Her experience spans commercial, trade and investment disputes, as well as energy transition, business and human rights, anti-bribery and corruption and modern slavery supply chain risks.
Recently honoured as the 2025 Australian Arbitrator of the Year and a 2026 Lexology Thought Leader, her distinguished career includes over a decade practicing in London and Paris with Freshfields and WilmerHale, followed by five years as a Partner at King & Wood Mallesons, where she led the Australian international arbitration practice. Today, Daisy serves on elite international panels, including SIAC, HKIAC, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport , Chairs the ACICA Sustainability Taskforce and has represented Australia at UNCITRAL.
Her Honour Sylvia Emmett AM
Barrister, Mediator, and former Judge
The Hon. Sylvia Emmett AM
Sylvia Emmett AM – barrister, mediator, and former Judge. From 2004 to 2021, Sylvia served as a Federal Magistrate and Judge of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia (FCCA), presiding over a wide range of jurisdictions including Family Law, Industrial Relations and Consumer Law. During Sylvia’s time on the FCCA, she was Chair of the National Security Committee, Finance Committee and Judicial Education Committee. She also served as a member in the Royal Australian Naval Reserve for nearly two decades.
Before her time on the bench, Sylvia maintained a substantial and highly regarded practice as a mediator, successfully resolving over 400 disputes across diverse areas. A committed advocate for dispute resolution systems, she has extensive experience speaking and training on ADR. In 2019, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her significant service to the law, the judiciary, and professional legal associations.
Damien Barnes
Managing Director, YIMBA Legal & Consulting
Damien Barnes
Damien Barnes is a Bidjara man and Managing Director of YIMBA Legal & Consulting. He has over 30 years’ experience in law, commercial management and engineering having previously held roles with; King Wood Mallesons, DLA Piper, McDermott CBI, and UGL. He holds an MBA, LLB, B.Eng.
Damien received the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) Mediation Scholarship to participate in the Australian Dispute Centre Mediation Course in 2023 and was also named the 2025 ATSI ADR Practitioner of the Year. His mediation experience with Indigenous groups and project proponents includes:
- Telstra, Amplitel and traditional landowners;
- Wadawurrung Native Title Claim Group mediation;
- DECCW and Traditional Owners regarding cultural heritage at Mount Ousley;
- NT Stolen Wages Community engagement;
- Empowered Communities stakeholder engagement in Arnhem Land NT;
- Gomeroi Native Title Claim Group mediation;
- APY Lands community stakeholder engagement;
- Bindal Native Title Claim Group meeting to replace Applicants; and
- NCIE Redfern Aboriginal Alliance stakeholder engagement.
Damien is also the Co-Chair of Supply Nation, Chair of the Aboriginal Housing Office, Chair of Westpac’s Indigenous Advisory Committee, Director of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria, and Co-Representative of IPETCA.
Bianca Keys
Leading Mediator, Conflict Coach
Bianca Keys
Bianca is a highly experienced mediator, facilitator, conflict management coach and educator. She has been working exclusively in ADR and conflict resolution since 2004. Bianca is passionate about high-quality mediation and conflict resolution services, specialising in commercial disputes and workplace conflict resolution.
In addition, Bianca has been recognised as an Honorary Leading Mediator by the Australian Mediator and Dispute Resolution Accreditation Standards (AMDRAS) Board, the highest level of accreditation available to mediators in Australia. Bianca has been appointed to several ADR panels in areas such as healthcare, personal injury, small business, retail leasing, franchising, horticulture, and wine grape production. During her time in ADR, Bianca has gained extensive international experience in Asia and the Middle East, including providing training for organisations such as the Asian Development Bank, Thailand Arbitration Centre and the Law Society of Hong Kong.
Having acted as a Director on the Mediator Standards Board from 2014 to 2022, she is a long-standing mediator who has contributed significantly to the evolution of professional standards within Australia. Bianca played a key role in revising the accreditation system (AMDRAS) and is committed to building a high level of professionalism within the mediation community via mentoring, supervision and the delivery of meaningful professional development opportunities.
Amiel Nubaha
Principal Consultant at Comprehensive Mediation Services
Amiel Nubaha
Amiel Nubaha is the Principal Consultant at Comprehensive Mediation Services (CMS) and a nationally accredited mediator and certified Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner. He leads a highly regarded panel of mediators delivering services across family, workplaces, community, organisational and multicultural contexts.
Amiel is the recipient of the Michael Klug Award and the 2025 Community Mediator of the Year at the Australian ADR Awards, recognising his contribution to excellence and leadership in alternative dispute resolution. He holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice from Griffith University, as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Family Dispute Resolution from Bond University. This academic foundation underpins his strong expertise in law, criminology and family dispute resolution, alongside specialist skills in conflict prevention, mediation, peacebuilding and restorative practice.
He has facilitated complex and high-risk disputes involving families, young people, community groups and multicultural stakeholders, with extensive experience supporting vulnerable parties and marginalised communities in sensitive and high-stakes environments.
Multilingual and deeply committed to ethical, inclusive and trauma-informed practice, Amiel has held senior national leadership roles focused on community cohesion, peacebuilding and cross-cultural engagement. His global perspective, informed by lived experience as a former refugee and long-term work with diverse communities, strengthens his capacity to navigate culturally and politically complex contexts with care and integrity.
Matthias Thompson
Barrister, 7 Wentworth Selborne
Matthias Thompson
Before being called to the Bar, Matthias was an Associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York, where he worked on a wide range of matters in the areas of class actions, securities, white collar crime, antitrust, product liability and general commercial litigation. Prior to that, he was an Associate at Baker & McKenzie in Sydney where he worked in the Energy, Resources, Infrastructure and Corporate group as well as the Climate Change group.
Matthias holds a Master of Laws from Columbia Law School (Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar), and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons I) and Bachelor of International Studies (Dist) from the University of New South Wales.
Matthias is a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee of the NSW Bar Association.
Penny Thew
Barrister, State Chambers
Penny Thew
Called to the Bar in 2005, Penny is highly regarded for her expertise in all aspects of employment and discrimination law, contractual disputes and restraints of trade. With over 24 years’ experience in advocacy, advising and dispute resolution, Legal 500 and Doyle’s Guide rank Penny as a leading barrister in her areas of expertise.
Penny appears in all courts and is entered on the High Court of Australia Register of Practitioners. She is appointed as a sessional Senior Member of the Administrative Review Tribunal, a sessional Appeal Panel and Tribunal Member of the Actuaries Institute of Australia Disciplinary Scheme and a sessional Tribunal Member of the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Penny is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Penny is an executive member of the Australian Labour Law Association and the Women Lawyers Association of NSW, as well as a member of the Bar Association’s Industrial, Employment, Health and Safety Committee and Bar News.
Prior to being called to the Bar, Penny practised as a solicitor before which she was a policy adviser with (what is now) the Australian Human Rights Commission. She has tutored in Civil Practice for the Law Faculty of the University of Technology, Sydney, performed an internship with the International Labour Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland and was retained as the employment law legal adviser to the NSW Bar Association. In 2015, Penny drafted the Bar Association’s inaugural Model Best Practice Guidelines on the prevention of bullying, harassment and discrimination.
Penny is regularly called upon to deliver seminars and papers on employment and discrimination law compliance issues, including for the NSW Bar Association and the Law Society of NSW, and has co-authored submissions for the Bar Association and the Law Council of Australia. In both 2023 and 2024, Penny was awarded Commercial Barrister of the Year.
Penny holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts from the University of New South Wales, a Masters of Labour Law and Relations from the University of Sydney and a Diploma of International Commercial Arbitration from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators convened at the University of Oxford, Worcester College. In 2008, Penny completed the Advanced Advocacy Course at the University of Oxford, Keble College.
Geri Ettinger
Mediator
Ms Geri Ettinger
Geri Ettinger is a lawyer, specialist-accredited dispute resolution practitioner and nationally accredited mediator who has worked both in the private and public sectors. She was Chief Executive of the Australian Consumers’ Association, publisher of CHOICE Magazine, for more than 10 years, and was for a long period, a Board Member of St George Bank.
Ms Ettinger held an appointment as a Senior Member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (Commonwealth), for over 20 years. She currently holds an appointment as a Mediator of the NSW Personal Injury Commission, and chairs hearings as appointed by the NSW Ministry of Health on appeals against disciplinary action of medical practitioners.
An ADR industry leader, Ms Ettinger is a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee of the Law Council of Australia, the ADR Committee of the NSW Law Society, and the Government Solicitors Committee of the NSW Law Society. She mentors young lawyers and teaches Ethics at Primary School.
Anthony Lo Surdo SC
Barrister, Arbitrator, Mediator
Anthony Lo Surdo SC
Anthony Lo Surdo SC was called to the Bar in 1996, having previously practiced as a solicitor since his admission as a legal practitioner in 1987. He was appointed as Senior Counsel in 2011.
He practices from chambers in Sydney and Melbourne and through his association with Arbitra International is known in London, Washington DC, Abu Dhabi and internationally.
Anthony has enjoyed a broad practice both at trial and appellate level spanning diverse areas including banking, contract, commercial, corporations, equity, professional indemnity, insurance, insolvency, property and sports law. He was described by Doyles Guide to the Australian Legal Profession in 2015-2020 as one of the country’s leading insolvency and reconstruction Silks.
He is an exponent of all forms of ADR including mediation, arbitration and expert determination. He is also adept at facilitating expert conclaves.
Anthony is internationally accredited as a mediator by the International Mediation Institute and as an advanced and nationally accredited mediator in Australia. He is also an accredited mediator, instructor and coach in PNG and holds an unrestricted mediator practising certificate in that country. He has been ranked by Doyles Guide in 2018-2025 as a leading mediator having mediated hundreds of complex multi-party disputes since he was first accredited in 1993.
Anthony is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and registered in the Australian Register of Practising Arbitrators as a Grade 1 Arbitrator. He is also accredited as an arbitrator in Dubai and PNG and registered by the National Court of Justice of PNG as an international and domestic arbitrator. He was ranked by Doyles Guide in 2019-2025 as one of the country’s leading arbitration Silks primarily in recognition of his work as an arbitrator. He is a panel member of many of the world’s leading international arbitral institutions and is regularly appointed as an arbitrator both domestically and internationally. Anthony has sat as both a sole and panel arbitrator including as Chair in over 100 domestic and international arbitrations involving complex commercial, disciplinary and governance disputes.
He is a leading, internationally recognised, sports law Silk and regularly sits as an arbitrator on international and domestic sport tribunals including the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Football Australia Appeal Panel, Disciplinary and Ethics Committee and Dispute Resolution Chamber and the National Sports Tribunal. He was recognised in the Lexology Index, Australia & New Zealand, 2025 in the category, “Sports & Entertainment” and by the Lexology Global Index, 2025 in the category of “Sports.”
Anthony is Chair of the NSW Bar Association’s ADR Committee and a part-time Senior Member of NCAT sitting on its Appeal Panel and in the Occupational Division.
Further information about Anthony’s ADR expertise is available at: www.silkmediator.com.au
Julie McCrossin AM
Journalist, Broadcaster, Commentator
Julie McCrossin AM
Julie McCrossin AM is a veteran radio and television broadcaster who spent over 20 years with ABC Radio National, ABC TV and Network. She is now a freelance MC and video and webinar host. Julie was treated for stage four, HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer in 2013. Julie is a member of the advocacy group, Cancer Voices SA. Julie has qualifications in the arts, education and law. In 2019, she was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the community, particularly through LGBTIQ advocacy roles and to the broadcast media. www.juliemccrossin.com
Liam Cross
Associate, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
Liam Cross
Liam Cross is a Senior Associate in the complex commercial disputes team at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan in Sydney.
He focuses on high-value commercial litigation, arbitration and regulatory matters. He has acted for both plaintiffs and defendants in litigation across most jurisdictions, including the Federal Court of Australia and the Supreme Courts of New South Wales and Victoria; as well as alternative dispute resolution forums including ACICA arbitrations and mediations.
His experience covers contract disputes, corporate and commercial law matters, regulatory enforcement, and insolvency proceedings across sectors including aviation, fintech, insurance and complex corporate structures.
Chloe Chan
Associate, Australian Disputes Centre
Chloe Chan
Chloe Chan is an Associate at the Australian Disputes Centre (ADC).
They work with the dynamic team at ADC to coordinate case management, mediation training administration, thought leadership initiatives, and client communications, regularly liaising with key stakeholders and fostering efficient, collaborative processes. In addition, Chloe, plays an active role in managing ADC’s vibrant internship programme, providing students with guidance, support, and opportunities for professional development.
Chloe first crossed paths with ADC as a participant in the ADC-ICC Asia-Pacific Commercial Mediation Competition, where they were second place in the impromptu speech competition and subsequently completed ADC’s internship programme.
With their proactive approach and organisational experience, Chloe continues to help maintain an effective, responsive, and cooperative team at ADC.
Limited conference tickets remain.
Secure your place for 7 CPD points and elite networking at Sydney’s iconic Opera House – before we sell out.
