SPARKE - Key Persons


Alice Bain

Job Titles:
  • Special Counsel
Alice provides pragmatic and commercially minded advice to government clients. She is recognised for her exceptional legal knowledge, strong communication skills, positive attitude and determination to get the best outcome.

Anella Bortone

Job Titles:
  • Partner
Anella advises clients on Commonwealth statutory classes of insurance claims. The clients that she works with are covered under various Commonwealth schemes.

Cara Bettenay

Job Titles:
  • Special Counsel
Cara is an experienced insurance litigator who assists insurers and corporations on a variety of general liability claims including public liability, property damage and professional indemnity.

Cara Grigg

Job Titles:
  • National LST Manager

David Kerwin

Job Titles:
  • Partner

Dino Liistro

Job Titles:
  • Partner

Hannah Alcaro

Job Titles:
  • Special Counsel
Hannah is a property lawyer specialising in leasing matters, developments, and acquisitions and disposals.

Heather Beckingsale

Job Titles:
  • Partner
Heather has a wealth of commercial law experience and has expertise in the provision of corporate, commercial and property legal services. Heather is an Accredited Specialist in Business Law from the Queensland Law Society and is a Member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Notaries.

Ian Bennett

Job Titles:
  • Partner
Ian is an experienced workplace lawyer specialising in employee relations, work health and safety (WHS) and coronial inquests. He provides practical and pragmatic advice to help employers effectively manage complex legal issues arising in the workplace.

Jackson Inglis

Job Titles:
  • Partner

Janelle Barron

Job Titles:
  • Special Counsel
Janelle has over 15 years' experience in the insurance sector. Her practice includes coverage advice and defence of claims across all major insurance lines, with a focus on financial lines, D&O, management liability, first and third party property, recoveries and life insurance.

Janette McLennan

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Team Leader

John Coorey

Job Titles:
  • Partner

Jon Tyne

Job Titles:
  • Partner

Laura Beattie

Job Titles:
  • Special Counsel
Laura joined Sparke Helmore in May 2014 in our Sydney office and has been a workers' compensation practitioner for more than 25 years. She has specialised in providing legal services to self and specialised insurers for the last nine years and has extensive knowledge and experience of the industry specific legislation and jurisdiction.

Laura Mason

Job Titles:
  • Office Manager

Lauren Armstrong

Job Titles:
  • Senior Associate
Lauren is a highly experienced government administrative lawyer with over seven years' experience in the public sector performing in-house legal roles. Lauren brings valuable insights from working with clients experiencing significant legislative, environmental, and operational changes. Lauren is also a Local Pro Bono Coordinator and coordinates pro bono activities and opportunities for the Brisbane office.

Liana Westcott

Job Titles:
  • Partner

Malcolm Cameron

Job Titles:
  • National Practice Group Leader

Mark Campbell

Job Titles:
  • Office Services & Premises Director

Matthew Armstrong

Job Titles:
  • Special Counsel
Matthew is a property lawyer who specialises in property development as well as acquisitions and disposals. He has a keen interest and passion for the broader property industry and market, which allows him to provide his clients' with quality legal and commercial advice.

Melanie Blackman

Job Titles:
  • Special Counsel
Melanie has more than 10 years' experience and specialises in managing complex claims and disputes for a wide range of clients in the Supreme Court, Local Court, Work Health Court and Fair Work Commission.

Michael Dwyer

Job Titles:
  • Partner

Mya Anumarlapudi

Job Titles:
  • Senior Associate
Having previously worked in Federal Government, Mya is aware of the considerations that need to be taken into account when providing advice. She enjoys receiving out the ordinary queries which challenge her to apply her knowledge to unusual circumstances.

Nick Achurch

Job Titles:
  • Senior Associate
Nick is a construction, projects and infrastructure lawyer, with a focus on dispute resolution, security of payment disputes and litigation.

Rani Aria Retnam

Job Titles:
  • Partner
Rani is an experienced insurance lawyer, specialising in workers' compensation, public liability, medical negligence, motor vehicle accident claims and professional indemnity.

Richard Anicich

Job Titles:
  • Consultant
Richard is a Consultant in the Corporate & Commercial team. He acts for corporate entities, public authorities, insolvency practitioners and other professional firms on the management and resolution of commercial disputes. Richard was acknowledged as a leading restructuring and insolvency lawyer in the 2017 Legal 500 Asia Pacific directory and recognised in AsiaLaw's 2015 guide. Australasian Lawyer also nominated Richard as a leading lawyer in 2014. On 26 January 2018, Richard was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for "significant services to the community of the Hunter, to business development and medical research, and to the law".

Sangeetha Badya

Job Titles:
  • Senior Associate
Sangeetha advises clients on a wide range of planning and environment matters and has acted for parties on all sides of a dispute giving her a breadth of perspective and experience. Her work has also involved a variety of sites from waste facilities, quarry operations and mines through to commercial and residential development working closely with teams of experts. Sangeetha has appeared in the Planning and Environment Court in contested reviews and originating applications, instructed counsel in planning appeals and participated in without prejudice conferences in the early stages of litigation. She has also undertaken cross-jurisdictional work in NSW and Victoria. In addition to her professional experience, Sangeetha is a Company Director and Secretary for Just Us Theatre Ensemble Inc (JUTE Theatre Company), a local not-for-profit theatre organisation in Cairns. Sangeetha was also the recipient of a scholarship to participate in the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course on Governance for Not-for-profit Company Directors.

Sharon Bennett - COO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Operating Officer
Sharon has more than 20 years' experience in human resources and operations, primarily in professional services environments across Australia, Asia-Pacific and globally. Sharon's experience includes all facets of HR, focusing on strategic and tactical solutions to address people and business needs.

Stephanie Barclay

Job Titles:
  • Special Counsel
Stephanie is an experienced litigator who practices in professional indemnity and financial lines claims. She believes in providing practical advice to clients focussed on achieving efficient resolutions of claims. Creativity and innovation are at the heart of the way Stephanie conducts her legal portfolio and she is quick to jump at an out of the box idea for a defence. She believes in taking clients on the claims journey with her and is known for her responsiveness and providing timely updates. Stephanie wholeheartedly believes that teamwork is the key to providing the best solutions for clients and embraces new ideas from her peers and clients.