Michael Thornell is a special counsel in the commercial litigation and dispute resolution practice with a focus on commercial disputes, complex professional indemnity claims, regulatory investigations, and insurance coverage. He also acts in complex litigated disputes, and has extensive experience in a variety of alternative dispute resolution methods, including mediation and arbitration.
Michael acts for a range of clients including large professional services firms, financial institutions, superannuation trustees, construction and infrastructure companies, insurers, individual directors and officers, and a range of professionals including lawyers, accountants, auditors, financial advisors, and engineers.
Michael has significant experience assisting corporate and individual clients prepare for and respond to all manner of notices, inquiries, investigations and prosecutions by Federal and State regulators, including ASIC, APRA, the ATO, AUSTRAC, CAANZ, the Tax Practitioners Board and the Legal Services Commissioner. He is particularly skilled at managing the commercial and reputational sensitivities that often arise in such matters.
Michael also regularly advises clients in respect to a range of insurance issues, including policy interpretation, coverage disputes, and has acted as coverage counsel in some of Australia's largest securities class actions and regulator enforcement proceedings.
