A former justice of the NSW Supreme Court and president of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission has joined Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers.
The Honourable Michael Walton will advise Caroll & O’Dea Lawyers’ clients on diverse, complex and strategic matters, leaning on three decades’ worth of judicial and legal experience.
Managing partner Hanaan Indari said Carroll & O’Dea was excited to have Walton join and was proud he chose the firm to “share his wisdom with both our clients and our wider team”.
“Michael’s unique perspective and wide-ranging expertise position him as a highly sought-after mediator, as Carroll & O’Dea continues to develop a specialist mediation practice,” Indari said.
“His capabilities will also be of great impact across other matters involving the firm, including advice and litigation.”
Until his retirement from the bench in December 2025, Walton heard a wide range of major civil and criminal matters, determined employment cases, and provided leading decisions in award and statutory interpretation and work health and safety matters.
He served as NSW Industrial Relations Commission president from 2014 to 2016, vice president from 1998 to 2013, and was a judicial member of the Industrial Court of NSW from 1998 to 2016.
While a barrister, Walton appeared in significant industrial and employment matters within some of Australia’s highest courts and was counsel assisting in notable industrial relations inquiries.
Walton has provided extensive pro bono legal services globally.
Commenting on this next career stage, Walton said: “There is a natural alignment between my values and the firm’s, and my interest in helping people to work through and resolve complex legal issues and disputes as quickly as they can, in a cost-effective and respectful way.”
Indari said: “On behalf of the firm, I am extremely pleased to welcome Michael, and I look forward to his part in Carroll & O’Dea’s ongoing growth and evolution.”
