Carter Newell is pleased to announce the elevation of seven solicitors across its Eastern seaboard offices.

Elevated to Special Counsel are Michelle Christmas (Insurance - Melbourne) and Nicola Young Berryman (Commercial Property – Brisbane). 

Being elevated to Associate are Emma Malloy (Workplace Advisory – Brisbane), Olivia Clark (Construction & Engineering – Brisbane), Gemma Sweeney (Energy & Resources – Brisbane), Karl Higgins (Construction & Engineering – Brisbane) and Madeline Condon (Construction & Engineering – Brisbane).

Michelle Christmas is a professional liability lawyer with a wide range of experience in all aspects of professional negligence and disciplinary proceedings including claims involving misrepresentation, defamation, fraud and fidelity, personal injury, consumer law actions and contractual disputes. Michelle specialises in employment law, with her experience extending to defending claims in wrongful termination, general protections, bullying, discrimination, harassment, victimisation, workplace health and safety breaches, underpayment of entitlements and sham contracting.

Nicola Young Berryman specialises in major property acquisitions and disposals, complex developments and leasing. She advises institutional investors and corporates on large-scale commercial and industrial acquisitions and disposals.  In addition, she advises developers on flat land and strata title developments, and acts for both landlords and tenants on all aspects of office, retail and industrial leasing.

With a focus in both workplace relations and professional liability claims, Emma Malloy regularly represents clients in state and federal court proceedings, QCAT and the Fair Work Commission.  She has extensive knowledge in acting across a range of professions and organisations, including allied and health professionals, retail owners, financial institutions and insurers, and government departments.

Olivia Clark actively manages complex major loss claims for a range of construction entities, insureds and domestic and international insurers.  She has appeared in mediations and compulsory conferences and handled matters in various jurisdictions and state courts.  With a background in personal injury, Olivia is regularly called upon to advise on construction insurance related personal injury and civil procedural issues.

Specialising in the regulatory and commercial aspects of energy, mining and petroleum projects, Gemma Sweeney has extensive experience assisting clients with the sale and acquisition of mining and petroleum assets, and advising on other aspects of project development including infrastructure, transport and other operational arrangements, commodity sale agreements, regulatory issues such as environmental compliance and disputes, major project approvals, and the impacts of mining and petroleum regulatory regimes more broadly.

Karl Higgins specialises in all phases of construction matters, from front-end contract drafting and negotiation to construction disputes and litigation. In his front-end practice, Karl regularly reviews contracts for various delivery models, including design and construct, construct only, consultancy agreements, supply / services agreements, supply only agreements, as well as drafting and reviewing bespoke arrangements. He is regularly retained to conduct contract negotiations through to their conclusion and execution. Karl has acted in moderate and large litigated matters across a number of Australian jurisdictions involving complex issues in the construction and mining space. Karl also acts in security of payment disputes, including complex payment disputes requiring expert evidence on issues of programming, quantity surveying and construction materials testing.