OUR PEOPLE

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 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.

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 team since 1995.

Bruce Gotterson is a partner of Pigott Stinson and an integral part of the firm’s Clubs Industry 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.

Leonie heads the workplace relations and industrial law 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.

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, discrimination claims and probate and estate litigation.

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

Ray works in the clubs and employment law teams and provides advice throughout both practice 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.

Brent commenced practice in commercial, company and property law with a boutique commercial law firm in Auckland before being admitted to practice in New South Wales in 2000.

Since then, Brent has accumulated extensive experience in a wide range of commercial law, health law, property and financing transactions, including, joint ventures, shareholder arrangements, partnerships, outsourcing arrangements, procurement arrangements, finance, leasing, supplier and customer arrangements, property development and the acquisition and disposal of property and businesses and other interests.

Brent has become adept at advising on complex and every day legal issues that are encountered by clients in the conduct of their business. In particular, Brent has extensive experience in the pharmacy sector having acted on large numbers of acquisitions and disposals of pharmacies and pharmacy partnership interests and advising on pharmacy regulatory requirements (including in respect of the Location Rules) and co-ownership issues that confront pharmacists.

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. 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.

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 firms 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 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 and presented the ClubsNSW Masterclass Constitutional Change and your Board.

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 six year old and one year old daughters, ensure that he is much too busy to have any discernible hobbies. However, he does believe that this year will be the Bunnies year.

Eleni joined Pigott Stinson in 2012, having started as a registration clerk before becoming a paralegal. In these roles, she gained familiarity with a variety of practice areas including litigation, conveyancing, registered clubs and wills and estates.

In 2017, Eleni graduated from the University of Technology with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Business majoring in accounting. She was admitted to practice as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2017 and joined Pigott Stinson’s litigation and dispute resolution team as a solicitor.

Eleni’s experience in litigation and dispute resolution has included contractual and other commercial disputes, strata litigation in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal and appearances in the Local Court of NSW.

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

Linda joined the property practice team as an assistant to Anthony Gavan in 2003. Prior to her appointment at Pigott Stinson, Linda worked as a property paralegal for over 20 years and she has experience in all facets of property work.

A large part of Linda’s work involves assisting with the sale and purchase of both residential and commercial properties (including “off the plan” sales, purchases and subdivisions). She also assists with mortgages, refinancing and leasing.