OUR PEOPLE

Mark is a commercially astute lawyer with over 25 years’ experience across all facets of property law and conveyancing, property development projects and construction. With a strong service focus and expertise providing practical and creative legal solutions, Mark has a proven track record success in drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and administering complex and diverse legal documents and contracts, and property development and construction transactions.

Mark acts for a broad range of corporate and personal property developers and landowners, as well as numerous registered clubs and community organisations across metropolitan and regional NSW.

In addition to his expert technical skills, Mark has an in-depth practical understanding of property development and construction projects – from conception, due diligence and acquisition, town planning, approvals and construction, to completion and on-going project and asset management.

Prior to joining Pigott Stinson Mark has been a partner in a top-tier national Australian law firm, as well as In-House Counsel with a leading Sydney property development group, and with Woolworths Group Ltd

Mark’s interests include surfing, rugby and history.

Daniel practises in civil litigation including general commercial litigation, shareholder disputes, anti-competitive trade practices, personal and corporate insolvency, consumer protection, property (including acting for and against lenders in claims for possession), debt recovery and enforcement and family provision claims.

Daniel has been recognised by Doyle’s Guide in 2019 and 2020 in its “recommended” category for estate litigation lawyers.

Daniel acts for litigants in all jurisdictions in New South Wales and in the Federal Court of Australia. He has also appeared as an advocate in all of those jurisdictions.

In the area of dispute resolution, Daniel has a proven track record in assisting clients to resolve commercial disputes without recourse to litigation.

In addition to his litigation practice, Daniel also advises clients in relation to various areas of law including intellectual property and compliance with the Competition and Consumer Act.

In the area of intellectual property, Daniel has a particular interest in trade mark law and has successfully managed numerous trade mark applications through objections by IP Australia and oppositions by third parties.

Daniel is an affiliate member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and provides estate planning services for private clients, including drafting of wills and testamentary trusts..

Daniel’s interests include looking after his two young boys and when time permits, reading and keeping fit. He also volunteers as an age manager for Nippers at North Curl Curl Surf Life Saving Club.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, Daniel was a soldier in the Australian Army and was deployed overseas twice on operations.

Bruce was admitted as a solicitor in 1987 and has been part of the Clubs & Hospitality practice group since 1995.

Bruce Gotterson is a partner of Pigott Stinson and an integral part of the firm’s Clubs & Hospitality practice group. Bruce provides advice in relation to all liquor and gaming licensing, constitutions and by-laws, advising on and attending meetings, drafting contracts and agreements and amalgamations of clubs. He also provides advice on catering agreements and other licences and leases as well as discrimination matters and is involved in dispute resolution.

He is well known in the Club’s industry as the author of his regular monthly article “Club Law” published in Club Life magazine.

He also appears on ClubsNEWS on the Sky TV Channel to give expert advice on legal issues.

Bruce conducts regular seminars for the Club Director’s Institute throughout the state. He focuses on a range of issues including directors’ duties and compliance.

Tony has extensive experience in the registered clubs industry and has managed a range of projects for registered clubs for over 20 years.  

Tony acts for a range of large and small registered clubs, wineries, gaming machine manufacturers, hotels and resorts and liquor manufacturers and retailers throughout Australia.

Tony’s practice is built on a reputation of providing prompt, clear, concise and practical legal solutions to his clients in a broad base of commercial areas including:
• Advice concerning income diversification for registered clubs
• Amalgamations of registered clubs
• Drafting of Constitutions
• Commercial drafting including service and catering agreements
• Corporate governance advice
• Construction contracts
• Liquor and gaming licence applications (new licences, removals, transfers, increases in gaming machines)
• Large complex property transactions and developments
• Statutory interpretation
• Discrimination and defamation matters

Tony attends Board and Annual General Meetings with his clients where required and also presents lectures regarding directors and managers duties.

Tony regularly conducts seminars for the Club Managers Association.

When  time permits, Tony enjoys surfing and fishing.

Leonie heads the Workplace Relations & Industrial Law practice group. In this role Leonie advises a broad range of clients, working with them to tailor strategies for the full range of employment and industrial matters.

Leonie regularly advises and provides advocacy in relation to employment and industrial disputes and has also represented industry based clients at government and other enquiries dealing with workplace relations, award related matters and discrimination law.

In addition to her workplace relations practice, Leonie also has a substantial commercial law practice.

In her commercial practice she specialises primarily in competition law, intellectual property matters and the preparation and negotiation of commercial agreements. Her clients include multinational corporations for whom she has acted over many years. However, Leonie also has a particular interest in assisting clients in the development of new business ventures and providing appropriate legal safeguards for those businesses.

Leonie is the mother of two little boys and while they occupy most of her time away from work, she is also on the Board of Endometriosis Australia.

Celia is an Accredited Specialist in Family Law, having practised exclusively in Family Law since 2006 with both mid-sized suburban and boutique city family law practices. She has joined Pigott Stinson’s Family Law practice group as Partner in 2020.

Celia has extensive experience in all aspects of Family Law, including parenting, financial and child support matters. She has particular expertise in dealing with more complex financial issues involving business interests, trusts and self-managed superannuation funds in the context of family law property settlements, as well as matters with international components such as offshore property and forum disputes, international child abduction, as well as more straightforward financial matters. For clients’ with parenting concerns or issues, Celia has significant experience – including in more difficult matters where there is a high degree of conflict, and/or where family violence is present.

Celia aims to assist her clients to reach cost-effective, negotiated settlements where possible, working proactively with her clients to achieve optimum results without further damaging fragile family relationships. Where necessary however, Celia is an experienced advocate for those of her clients who require assistance from the Family and Federal Circuit Courts of Australia to resolve their disputes.

Celia completed studies in Law and Sociology/English Literature at the University of New South Wales in 2000, and was later awarded a Masters in Applied Law (Family Law) in 2013. After graduating from her Bachelor’s Degrees, Celia worked for a major international law firm in its Amsterdam office, in the Commercial/Finance Groups. After returning to Australia she was then employed for two years as Research Associate to a Judge of the Appeal Division of the Family Court of Australia.

In addition to providing comprehensive legal solutions and advice to her client’s, Celia is now also a registered Family Dispute Resolution (“FDR”) Practitioner, and in addition, has undertaken further training as a Collaborative Lawyer, offering the latter as an option for those of her clients who prefer to pursue a less-adversarial approach to resolve their family law issues and concerns. Where required, Celia can provide FDR by telephone or Zoom for clients needing urgent access to FDR services in relation to parenting disputes.

Celia is a member of the NSW Law Society, the Legal Aid Independent Children’s Lawyers Panel, the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia, the Australian Institute of Family law Arbitrators and Mediators, Collaborative Professionals NSW, Women Lawyers NSW, and is a Graduate Fellow of the College of Law. She is also a current serving member of the NSW Law Society Family Issues Committee.

Chris commenced his legal career in the Public Solicitor’s Office in 1976 before making the move to private practice in 1984.  Following partnerships in three Sydney firms, Chris joined Pigott Stinson in 1997 as a consultant before being appointed a partner in 2000.

In his litigation practice, Chris has acted in a wide range of matters in the District and Supreme Courts of New South Wales, Federal Court and High Court as well as matters in superior courts in the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States and Fiji.

Chris has also acted in many successful mediations over the years.

In his non-litigation practice, Chris has acted in a broad range of matters for both private and corporate clients.

Chris prides himself in having developed long standing close relationships with many of his private and commercial clients.

Chris has been a partner of the firm since 1988 and has specialised in the area of litigation and dispute resolution throughout that period.

For over 35 years, Chris has developed an extensive, broad-based practice representing a wide spectrum of industry and private clients. These have included banks and financial institutions, insurance companies, registered clubs, building and construction companies, as well as individual professionals and estate executors and beneficiaries.

Chris’s practice sees him involved in all civil jurisdictions, acting for parties on either side of disputes in a diverse range of matters including commercial and insurance litigation, shareholders and contract disputes, defamation proceedings and discrimination claims.

Ray began working for the firm in 2001 and was admitted as a solicitor in 2004.

Ray works in the Clubs & Hospitality and Workplace Relations & Industrial Law practice groups and provides advice throughout both teams, including in relation to all liquor and gaming applications, constitutions and rules of clubs, companies and associations, meetings and the law of meetings (including attending general meetings and Board meetings) drafting employment agreements, and advising on employment terms and conditions. He also provides advice and acts in discrimination and defamation matters. He also presents lectures, seminars and workshops for club directors and managers.

Ray has been and is also involved in a number of voluntary community and charitable activities, having served on various boards and committees in providing services to young people and in aged care.

Ray is also the managing partner of Pigott Stinson.

Hartley joined the firm in 1967 and became a partner in 1972. He has practiced extensively in areas of banking and finance, property development, documentation and the administration of trusts and estates. He is currently a consultant of the firm but still carries on an extensive practice for a range of longstanding clients.

Hartley has five grown up children. His interests include family, reading and travel.

John was admitted to practice in 1975 and since then has practised in many areas of law including anti-discrimination law, commercial and criminal litigation, licensing law, property and commercial law, not for profit corporations and associations, wills and estates.

However, for at least 30 years he has been acting extensively for registered clubs and practising in the wide scope of law which impacts on clubs and the club industry. He has acted for a large number of registered clubs and for club industry associations. He is one of the leading legal practitioners in the club industry.

Outside of law John has been involved in independent schools for nearly 30 years. He also enjoys various water based activities such as surfing, swimming and rowing.

Tony graduated from Sydney University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1962 and a Bachelor of Laws degree with first class honours in 1966 then completed a Master of Laws degree at Harvard Law School in 1967. Tony was a Fulbright scholar to Harvard University.

Tony was, for twenty-three years, examiner in Company Law for the Barristers and Solicitors Admission Board and was also an Alderman on North Sydney Council between 1971 and 1983 and Mayor between 1977 and 1978.

Tony was a partner of the firm of Stuart Thom & Co which merged with Pigott Stinson in 1990.

In 2005 Tony retired from partnership to take up a role as a consultant to Pigott Stinson.

Tony is a director of private companies and a trustee of several substantial private charitable entities.

Tony acts for a number of privately owned companies and private trusts and individuals.

Michael graduated from the University of Technology in 2010 with a Bachelor of Business (Distinction) majoring in Human Resource Management and a Bachelor of Laws.

Whilst at university, Michael commenced working at Pigott Stinson as a registration clerk and paralegal, before progressing to the role of solicitor after his admission as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2011.

Michael acts in matters for a diverse range of clients involving a range of legal issues including liquor licensing and gaming, corporate governance for companies and associations, contracts and agreements, constitutions, amalgamations, employment law and workplace safety matters and general commercial matters.

Michael has also worked as a Casual Academic at the University of Technology Sydney, tutoring undergraduate business and law subjects.

Michael is interested in a number of sports including rugby league, rugby union, soccer and cricket, enjoys travelling and listening to music.

Allison has experience in a range of estate matters and is a member of the firm’s Wills & Estates practice group.

Allison provides executors with assistance and advice from the time of death, advising on their duties and the terms of the will, preparing and filing the application for probate or administration and assisting in the administration of the estate.

She has drafted and negotiated retail and commercial leases for landlord and tenant clients. She has also provided advice to landlords in relation to their obligations under the Retail Leases Act.

Allison completed a Bachelor of Business in 1999, majoring in marketing and Mandarin. She then lived in Japan and England prior to commencing her Bachelor of Law at the University of Western Sydney which she completed in 2007. Allison worked in general private practice prior to joining Pigott Stinson in 2010. She is interested in cooking for family and friends, reading and travel.

Eleni was admitted to practice as a solicitor in 2017 and has worked in the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution team since that time.

Eleni has experience across all jurisdictions in NSW, the Federal Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit Court in a variety of matters, having had carriage of matters to contested hearings in those jurisdictions, including:

• insolvency, including bankruptcy and winding up applications
• general commercial litigation including contract disputes and misleading or deceptive conduct claims
• commercial and retail lease disputes (including Supreme Court litigation regarding the operation of the Retail and Other Commercial Leases (COVID-19) Regulation)
• shareholder disputes
• family provision claims
• strata disputes
• debt recovery actions

Eleni’s focus is on providing clients with practical advice with a view to assisting clients to resolve disputes without resort to fully contested litigation if at all possible.

Eleni’s interests include reading, films and medieval history.

Victoria graduated from a Bachelor of Socio-Legal Studies at the University of Sydney in 2011 majoring in Government and International Relations. She then commenced the Juris Doctor degree at the University of Technology which she completed in 2014. As a requirement for legal practice she subsequently commenced the Graduate Certificate in Professional Legal Practice at the University of Technology in 2015.

Victoria initially began working at Pigott Stinson in 2013 as a Registration Clerk. During this time she gained experience in a broad range of areas including litigation, property & conveyancing, wills & estate planning and club law.

After completion of her Graduate Certificate in Professional Legal Practice in 2015, Victoria was admitted as a solicitor in New South Wales. Her principle area of practice is Commercial Property and is a member of the firm’s Property Law practice group.

Victoria’s interests include reading, fitness and travel.

Before joining Pigott Stinson Matt had a diverse managerial background in both hospitality and small business.

Matt is a member of the firm’s Clubs & Hospitality practice group and understands first-hand the issues that face Clubs and employers.

Since joining Pigott Stinson he has appeared on Sky TV’s ClubNEWS, written articles for Club Life Magazine and the Club Directors Institute Magazine. Matt has also presented ClubsNSW’s two-day Masterclass on “Constitutional Change and your Board” and the Club Directors Institute’s seminar on reducing director liability.

He can help advise you on privacy, constitutions, liquor and gaming issues, contracts and agreements, employment law and general commercial matters.

Matt’s family, and especially his eight, three and one year old daughters, ensure that he is much too busy to have any discernible hobbies. However, he does believe that next year will be the Bunnies year.

John graduated from Macquarie University with a Bachelor of Arts degree studying politics and philosophy in 2011. He then received his Bachelor of Laws degree in 2014 and was admitted as a solicitor in the Supreme Court of NSW and the High Court in 2015. Currently, John is undertaking a Master of Laws focusing on commercial and corporate law.

Prior to joining Pigott Stinson in 2020, John worked at a boutique firm in North Sydney practising mainly in the areas of property, corporate, commercial, and intellectual property law.

At Pigott Stinson, John focuses on commercial matters including drafting various types of deeds and agreements, mergers and acquisitions, and advice on commercial transactions. John also works on workplace relations matters including drafting employment agreements, advising on workplace arrangements, and workplace disputes.

When John is not busy working, he enjoys reading, writing, and playing guitar. In the summer months you can usually catch him eluding sharks while snorkelling and scuba diving around Sydney.

Julian graduated from the University of Wollongong in 2018 with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Communications in Media Studies, majoring in Marketing and Advertising.

Before becoming a lawyer, Julian worked extensively in the hospitality industry. Julian has worked in clubs and hotels both in NSW and the ACT in many roles; from gaming attendant to cellarman, and everything in-between. His numerous hospitality experiences offer a unique background and insight into the many challenges faced by the firm’s commercial and registered club clients.

Julian joined Pigott Stinson in 2019 as a registration clerk, and in 2020 was admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Court of New South Wales. Julian then joined the firm’s Clubs & Hospitality group where he focuses on club constitutional reform, liquor and gaming licensing, corporate regulatory compliance and club amalgamations.

Outside of work, Julian loves all sports and in particular, the great game of Rugby League. When Julian is not at work – you can typically find him at the beach.

Cameron graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2015, majoring in marketing and international business. He then commenced the Juris Doctor at Macquarie University, which he completed in 2018. During his time at Macquarie University, Cameron was awarded the Macquarie Law School prizes for Contract Law and Property Law.

Prior to his career in law, Cameron worked extensively in marketing and management in the hospitality industry, which has afforded him a unique understanding of the issues faced by many of the firm’s commercial and registered club clients.

Cameron joined Pigott Stinson in 2017 as a registration clerk, before commencing as a paralegal in 2018. In these roles, Cameron has gained experience across the firm’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Clubs & Hospitality, Property and Wills & Estates practice groups.

Following his admission to the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2019, Cameron joined Pigott Stinson’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice group as a solicitor.

Cameron has worked on a range of matters before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, the NSW Dust Diseases Tribunal and the Local Court, District Court and Supreme Court of New South Wales. His civil litigation experience includes general commercial litigation, personal and corporate insolvency, debt recovery, contract claims, costs assessments, consumer protection and other claims under the Competition and Consumer Act and contested and uncontested probate matters

Outside of work, Cameron plays a range of musical instruments and enjoys photography, music production, reading and travel.