Dispute Resolution & Litigation

Overview

Disputes are an unfortunate but common, and sometimes necessary, part of business.

Whether you are initiating legal proceedings or defending your organisation, this process can be risky, upsetting, and uncomfortable, with significant tangible and long-term commercial implications.

Carter Newell has market-leading, award-winning expertise in all aspects of litigation and dispute resolution, including court proceedings, arbitration, adjudication, mediation, expert determination, and dispute resolution boards.

Our team is trusted to support clients across construction litigation, corporate and commercial litigation, and specialist areas such as insurance, environmental law, and employment law.

We are highly skilled at extricating our clients from commercial disputes as quickly and cost-effectively as possible, allowing them to focus on their core business.

Our clients’ best interests are central to our approach. We therefore work with our clients to avoid disputes and to innovate pathways for managing those disputes that cannot be avoided. For example, we have successfully averted lengthy and expensive trials for clients with pre-action facilitation – using a retired Supreme or High Court Judge as a facilitator. We also apply our experience to build robust cultures of compliance that help clients minimise future risk and avoid potential claims.

Our team is proficient with all modern briefing, document review and research platforms. We conduct e-discovery and e-trials, and utilise emerging technology to facilitate virtual court hearings and mediations. As such, clients can benefit from faster and more cost-effective dispute resolution.

Navigating a wide range of dispute resolution paths, we can often resolve disputes for our clients without incurring significant legal costs or affecting key commercial relationships.

Led by Partner Patrick Mead, our team is committed to sharing knowledge via workshops, podcasts, webinars, newsletters, and legal guides to help clients better understand and traverse their situation.

Carter Newell was awarded Dispute Resolution / Litigation Team of the Year at the 2023 Australian Law Awards and Partner Patrick Mead was recognised by Lawyers Weekly in their Partner of the Year Awards 2023 for Litigation, Dispute Resolution and Construction & Infrastructure. Our team is ranked as a ‘Leading’ firm by Doyle’s Guide 2023 Edition in the category of Construction & Infrastructure Litigation Law Firms – Queensland.

Five of our lawyers are recognised by The Best Lawyers Australia 2025 in the Alternative Dispute Resolution category.

Services

Sub-Areas

Our team has four Accredited Adjudicators – including two practicing as Registered Adjudicators – and regularly represent public and significant private companies in the arbitration of disputes. Read more about our Arbitration & Mediation experience.
Led by Partner, Patrick Mead, our team have defended class actions representing hundreds of millions of dollars. Read more about our Class Actions experience.
Construction disputes can arise around a broad range of issues – from motorways and building facades through to mine processing equipment and quarry rehabilitation. In these situations, you need timely, efficient, and economic resolutions, even in the most complex of disputes. Read more about Construction Dispute Resolution & Litigation experience.

The team

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