We wanted to take the time to recognise and celebrate the dedicated and extremely talented juniors who have come through the readers course and joined Parnell’s Barristers since our establishment in 2021.
Each intake has significantly strengthened our List of criminal and administrative law focused members. They are the future of the Victorian Bar and we’re delighted to have them as part of our List.
March 2023
Jamie Blaker
Jamie has a broad practice spanning public, commercial and appellate criminal law. Before coming to the Bar, Jamie was a solicitor at the Australian Government Solicitor, where he practised in constitutional litigation, mainly before the High Court of Australia.
David Brown
David practises primarily in criminal and public law, including regulatory and quasi-criminal matters. Prior to joining the Bar, David was Senior Associate to his Honour Chief Judge Kidd.
Tegan McWilliam
Tegan accepts briefs in criminal, quasi-criminal and administrative law matters across Victoria. She also appears in intervention orders, compensation orders, and VOCAT applications.
Briana Proud
Briana accepts briefs in criminal law and quasi-criminal law matters. Before coming to the Bar, Briana had over 10 years’ experience across the criminal justice system.
Lewis Winter
Lewis accepts briefs in criminal and quasi-criminal matters. He has a particular interest in white collar crime, corporate criminal liability and government inquiries.
October 2022
Jonathan Barrera
Jonathan accepts briefs to appear and advise in all criminal and quasi-criminal law matters, including administrative law. Prior to coming to the Bar, Jonathan was employed as a Senior Associate at Stary Norton Halphen.
Holly Baxter
Holly is an experienced advocate, accepting briefs to appear and advise in criminal, quasi-criminal and regulatory matters as well as inquests and inquiries.
Lauren Bull
Lauren accepts briefs to appear in criminal, quasi-criminal and public law matters across metropolitan and regional courts. Prior to coming to the bar, Lauren was the Associate to the Honourable Justice Beale in the Trial Division of the Supreme Court of Victoria.
Maria Cananzi
Maria accepts briefs in all areas of criminal law, and at all levels. She also accepts briefs in quasi-criminal, administrative law, regulatory matters, inquiries, coronial inquests, and occupational health & safety prosecutions.
Sophie Coulson
Sophie is an Indigenous barrister who practices predominantly in criminal and quasi-criminal matters. She is an experienced advocate who specialises in indictable crime, having worked as a solicitor in NSW and Victoria for both defence and the prosecution.
Maddy Grant
Maddy accepts briefs in all areas of criminal law and quasi-criminal law, including administrative and regulatory matters. Prior to coming to the bar, Maddy practised as a solicitor advocate at Stary Norton Halphen Criminal Lawyers.
Oliver Smith
Oliver accepts briefs to appear and advise in all criminal and quasi-criminal law matters. Before being called to the Bar, Oliver was a Solicitor Advocate at Pica Criminal Lawyers.
March 2022
Tomas Acutt
Tom accepts briefs in criminal, quasi-criminal, disciplinary, administrative and regulatory matters, including matters of inquiry. Tom frequently appears in committals, pleas and contested matters in both the Magistrates’ and County Courts.
Greer Boe
Greer has experience in a broad range of State and Commonwealth indictable matters, she has particular interest in complex drug matters, fraud and serious sex offences. Greer accepts briefs in criminal, administrative law matters, coronial or investigative hearings and regulatory matters.
Gabriel Chipkin
Gabriel is an experienced courtroom advocate and accepts briefs to appear in criminal matters, regulatory and administrative law matters, inquests and inquiries.
Sam Cooper
Sam is an established advocate with a strong foundation in criminal law and experience in regulatory matters. Prior to coming to the Bar, Sam was an Associate at Doogue + George, where he managed a varied and complex indictable crime practice.
Jessica Hotchkin
Jess has a broad range of experience in both summary and indictable criminal matters, with particular interest in serious drug offending and violence offences. She previously practised at Victoria Legal Aid, appearing for accused across a number of different metropolitan and regional courts.
October 2021
Liliana Dubroja
Liliana accepts briefs in criminal law and quasi-criminal matters. She is an accomplished advocate with experience in a broad range of indictable criminal matters, including sexual offences, drug matters and violent offences.
Katharine Brown
Katharine has a broad trial and appellate practice. Before joining the Bar, Katharine was an associate to the Hon Justice Gageler AC at the High Court of Australia. She was previously a Senior Solicitor at the Office of Public Prosecutions, and a Solicitor at the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office.
Bryn Overend
Bryn has a broad practice in public and administrative law. Bryn is an experienced advocate and appears in all jurisdictions, including VCAT, the AAT, County Court, Federal Court, and the Supreme Court of Victoria. Bryn has also appeared in the High Court.
Pranaven Pathmaraj
Pranaven is an experienced criminal lawyer, particularly in the litigation of indictable crime. Pranaven is available to appear in criminal law matters at both a trial and appellate level.
Ashlea Patterson
Ashlea has a strong background in the litigation of indictable crime in Victoria and interstate. She is an experienced advocate and has appeared as both defence and prosecution counsel in a range of contested criminal matters in the County Court, Magistrates’ Court and Children’s Court jurisdictions, including drug offences, matters of violence and sexual offences.
Erin Byrt
Erin is an experienced court advocate accepting briefs in criminal and quasi-criminal matters across metropolitan and regional courts. Prior to coming to the bar, Erin practised as a senior criminal defence solicitor for 5 years. She appeared on a daily basis in the Children’s, Magistrates’ and County Court.
Natasha Freijah
Natasha accepts briefs to appear in all criminal, quasi-criminal and administrative law matters across metropolitan and regional courts. Prior to coming to the bar, Natasha practised as a criminal defence advocate at Emma Turnbull Lawyers. Natasha appeared daily in the Children’s Court, Magistrates’ Court and County Court.
