19 Cowell Clarke Lawyers Recognised as Best Lawyers® in Australia 2025

We are pleased to announce that 19 lawyers have been recognised in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in Australia™ across 20 areas of law. 

Notably, Richard Beissel has been recognised as the 2025 "Lawyer of the Year" for Equity Capital Markets Law and Richard McNeil has been recognised as the 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” for Real Property Law in Adelaide. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honoured with each award. 

The Best Lawyers in Australia list is compiled from a comprehensive survey of Australia’s leading lawyers evaluating their professional peers and is published in the Australian Financial Review (AFR). 

Cowell Clarke would like to congratulate the following lawyers named in the 2025 The Best Lawyers in Australia list: 

• Natalie Abela

  - Litigation 

• Richard Beissel

  - Banking and Finance Law, Equity Capital Markets Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law 

• Amanda Brady

  - Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution 

• Andrew Bullock

  - Alternative Dispute Resolution 

• Kieren Chester

  - Commercial, Leasing and Real Property Law 

• Robert Comazzetto

  - Alternative Dispute Resolution, Insolvency and Reorganisation Law and Litigation

• Julian Courtney-Stubbs

  - Telecommunications Law 

• Brett Cowell

  - Commercial Law, Corporate / Governance Practice, Corporate and Equity Capital Markets Law 

• Matthew Hawke

  - Construction / Infrastructure Law 

• Digby Luckhurst-Smith

  - Litigation 

• Sam McGrath

  - Occupational Health and Safety Law 

• Richard McNeil

  - Commercial Law, Leasing Law and Real Property Law 

• Symoane Mercurio

  - Alternative Dispute Resolution, Insolvency and Reorganisation Law & Litigation 

• Joe Murphy

  Labour and Employment Law 

• Sam Richardson

  - Leasing Law 

• Peter Slegers

  - Agriculture & Rural Affairs, Superannuation, Tax Law and Wealth Management / Succession Planning Practice 

• Jamie Watts

  - Commercial Law, Construction / Infrastructure Law, and Litigation

Cowell Clarke would also like to congratulate the following lawyers named in the 2025 The Best Lawyers in Australia – Ones To Watch list: 

• Maddie Donovan

  - Alternative Dispute Resolution and Litigation

• Zoe McQuillan

  - Labour and Employment Law