Chief Justice Chris Kourakis of the South Australian Supreme Court has announced the appointment of six new senior counsel.
Following extensive consultation with South Australian judicial officers, senior law officers, and members of the legal profession, Chief Justice Chris Kourakis has named six new senior counsel.
They are Jeffrey Powell SC, Jane Powell SC, Scott Evans SC, Thomas Bullock SC, Thomas Besanko SC and Robert Williams SC.
“The appointment of senior counsel is a significant event for the successful applicants, for the legal profession, and the South Australian community,” Chief Justice Kourakis said.
“Senior counsel are leaders of the profession who adhere to the highest standards of legal excellence and integrity.”
Mr Powell is the chief counsel of the Legal Services Commission, where he provides advice and representation to the criminal, family, and civil law practice divisions, as well as to the director and executive.
Having primarily practised criminal law, Mr Powell appeared in appeal proceedings in the Court of Appeal and has conducted complex trials in the state’s district and supreme courts.
Following the University of Adelaide, Mr Powell was admitted in December 1988 and joined the independent bar in September 2006.
SA Civil and Administrative Tribunal sessional member Ms Powell works in criminal law, with a particular focus on complex trial work in the District Court as defence counsel in serious indictable matters.
Ms Powell was admitted in December 1993 with a bachelors from the University of Adelaide and a bachelor of art (honours) from Flinders University. She joined the independent bar in February 2014.
Ms Powell has appeared in the Supreme Court, the Employment Tribunal, the Coroner’s Court and SACAT.
With a focus on commercial litigation and a specialty in insolvency, Evans has regularly appeared in insolvent trading cases, breach of director duty claims, unfair preference claims, phoenix company claims, and liquidators’ examinations.
Following admission in December 2000 and his joining the independent bar in July 2014, Evans has appeared in supreme and district courts of South Australia, and the Federal Court of Australia.
Evans holds a bachelor of laws (honours) and a bachelor of commerce from the University of Adelaide.
With a master of laws from the University of Melbourne, a bachelor of laws, and a bachelor of computer science (both honours) from the University of Adelaide, Bullock was admitted in 2005 and joined the independent bar in 2012.
Bullock has a broad civil, commercial and family law practice, and a particular emphasis on intellectual property, information technology, defamation, defendant negligence and insurance matters, partnership and corporates law disputes, and construction law.
While primarily practising in commercial litigation, Besanko has a broad practice and regularly covers administrative law, building and construction, insolvency, insurance, intellectual property, local government, medical negligence and personal injury.
Besanko holds both a bachelor of laws (honours) and a bachelor of commerce from the University of Adelaide, was admitted in September 2009 and joined the independent bar in July 2012.
He has appeared in the Supreme Court, the District Court, and the Federal Court, in addition to the full court and the Court of Appeal, and in the High Court on special leave applications.
Williams, who holds a master of laws from the University of Cambridge and a bachelor of laws with honours from Bond University, was admitted in 2006 and joined the bar in 2015.
Predominantly, Williams practises in commercial law matters and primarily deals with contractual claims, claims in tort, equity, and restitution, claims in respect of trusts, product liability claims, insolvency actions, intellectual property claims, and class actions.
He has appeared in the District Court, Supreme Court, the Federal Court, and the Federal Circuit and Family Court.
“The Chief Justice congratulates the senior counsel announced today,” Chief Justice Kourakis said.
“They have earned this recognition through the diligent performance of their duties to the courts and their clients.”
Naomi Neilson is a senior journalist with a focus on court reporting for Lawyers Weekly.
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