Barry Nilsson receives 73 individual listings in Best Lawyers 2026
Barry Nilsson has once again received outstanding recognition in the annual Best Lawyers guide, with 73 individual listings across fifteen categories and five states.
Special recognition has been given to Insurance & Health Law Principal, Melanie Quixley, who was named 'Lawyer of the Year' for Insurance Law in Brisbane, and to Toby Barrie who was named 'Lawyer of the Year' for Class Action Litigation in Perth. These awards recognise the lawyers with the highest overall peer feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region.
Lawyers recognised in the 2026 Edition of The Best Lawyers in Australia and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Australia include:
Insurance & Health Lawyers
Adelaide
Andrew Hilditch, Principal – Insurance Law
Bronwyn Ackland, Principal – Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation
Helen Stavridis, Principal – Alternative Dispute Resolution, Insurance Law, Litigation, and Personal Injury Litigation
Julie Kinnear, Principal – Alternative Dispute Resolution, Construction / Infrastructure Law, Insurance Law, Litigation, and Personal Injury Litigation
Chris Evans, Special Counsel – Insurance Law
Lucille Stewart, Special Counsel – Insurance Law, Litigation, and Personal Injury Litigation
Brisbane
Fiona Sennett, Principal – Insurance Law
Jordan Farr, Principal – Insurance Law and Professional Malpractice Litigation
Megan Daniel, Principal – Insurance Law
Melanie Quixley, Principal – Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation, and Product Liability Litigation
Peter Murdoch, Principal – Insurance Law
Rhett Kennedy, Principal – Insurance Law
Robert Samut, Principal – Insurance Law
Samantha Pillay, Principal – Insurance Law
Stewart Boland, Principal – Insurance Law
Bianca Ponting, Special Counsel – Insurance Law
Daniel McCormack, Special Counsel – Insurance Law
Emma Baker, Special Counsel – Insurance Law and Professional Malpractice Litigation
Gillian Sheppard, Special Counsel – Insurance Law
Jessica Pendlebury, Special Counsel – Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation, and Product Liability Litigation
Lisa Hulcombe, Special Counsel – Insurance Law
Natasha Farr, Special Counsel – Insurance Law, Legal Malpractice Litigation, and Professional Malpractice Litigation
Sarah Carlisle, Special Counsel – Personal Injury Litigation
Melbourne
Peter Ewin, Principal – Insurance Law
Scott Shelly, Principal – Insurance Law
Damian Clancy, Special Counsel – Insurance Law
Jane Coventry, Special Counsel – Insurance Law
Perth
Colby Treasure, Principal – Insurance Law
Toby Barrie, Principal – Class Action Litigation, Insurance Law, and Litigation
Belinda Randall, Consultant – Insurance Law
Sydney
Kate Hickey, Principal – Insurance Law
Simon Black, Principal – Insurance Law
Toby Biddle, Principal – Health and Aged Care Law, Insurance Law, and Product Liability Litigation
Neroli Martin, Consultant – Health and Aged Care Law, Insurance Law, Medical Negligence, and Personal Injury Litigation
Natalie Aprea, Special Counsel – Insurance Law and Medical Negligence
Family Law, Wills & Estate Lawyers
Brisbane
Geoff Sinclair, Principal – Family Law and Family Law Mediation
James Steel, Principal – Family Law and Family Law Mediation
Scott Wedgwood, Principal – Family Law and Family Law Mediation
Thea Davies, Principal – Family Law
Emma Blay, Senior Associate – Trusts and Estates and Wealth Management / Succession Planning Practice
Melbourne
Will Stidston, Principal – Family Law
Amelia Beveridge, Special Counsel – Family Law
Ones to Watch
James Meehan, Senior Associate – Insurance Law